Converting Karma With 5 Pillars

Talking about ways to convert karma is very interesting. To me and according to Confucianism, we need to go through all of the 5 pillars to purify our current karma. I am no expert, so let’s just have a light discussion.

 

It has long been said in the Chinese community that there are 5 pillars affecting our current lives:

 

“一命, 二運, 三風水, 四讀書, 五積德。”

(1^st fate, 2^nd luck, 3^rd Feng Shui, 4^th education, 5^th accumulating merits.)

 

1^st The fate (命):

 

Our fate can be foretold with palmistry, face reading, astrology and any other fortune telling techniques. This fate of ours once fixed cannot be changed as it is governed by our previous karma.

 

One particular type of palm is the ‘broken palm’ (斷掌). It is fated that people with this type of palm are persistent, hardworking and an entrepreneur. This type is traditionally good for men but too strong for a woman; in yesteryears of course. We all know that things had been changing in our modern times!

 

A wise man once said:

 

“It is only when we know our fate that we will not stand beside a collapsing wall.”

 

Thus, it was a scholar’s responsibility to understand not only his/her fate, but also his/her parents’ as well so as to avoid danger. It is by the deed of taking care of oneself that prevents our parents from fallen into grief.

 

2^nd Luck (運)

 

Our luck shows our life journey during the cycle of times. There is an old saying that goes something like:

 

“命好不如運好!”

(Having good luck is more important than good fate!)

 

So, good fate is certainly not enough. For example, if one is cleaver and hardworking, but his/her luck is not on his/her side and no one wanted to hire this person; then he/she still starves to death. No matter how well his/her fate is.

 

Having said so, our luck is subject to changes with time as we are creating and destroying karma constantly. For example, the minor lines on our palms will change in time indicating our fate in current time or near future.

 

In old days, a scholar must know his/her parents’ luck and if it is calculated that the parents’ lives are ending; then he/she shall not travel far for obvious reasons.

 

 

3^rd Feng Shui (風水)

 

Feng Shui is a type of geomancy and it can be subdivided into two branches: the Ying and Yang Feng Shui.

 

Not many people understand that the original purpose of Feng Shui is not for gaining money, but the art of Feng Shui is actually meant to look after our parents and our ancestors.

 

While our parents are alive, we want them to live comfortably; hence a good Yang Feng Shui. And when our parents passed away, we want them to rest in peace in Ying Feng Shui.

 

So, Ying Feng Shui is just to make sure that our beloved ones will not be disturbed by flood, animals or insects.

 

4^th Education (讀書)

 

Needless to say, a person must be educated to make his/her ancestors proud. This is especially true in ancient China where ordinary folks can only climb up a social ladder through public exams held by the old dynasties. This fact remains to be true at this modern time.

 

However, time has changed: there are so many graduates now days with lesser job opportunities; unless these educated people with a good fate and luck and with silver spoons in their mouth, they remain helpless.

 

5^th Accumulating merits (積德)

 

Previous karma can only wear out but cannot be destroyed, so if we continue to accumulate merits; then good karma can outweigh the bad ones. There are many ways to accumulate merits:

 

·         Repent, repent and repent that we are all sinners!

·         Donate to the temples so that the temples can expand to bigger ones.

·         Hire monks to perform deliverance services year after year… though I do wonder how come our ancestors have so much sin and need deliverance every year…

·         Build biggest ghost king paper manikin regardless of costs every year and burn it down in minutes…

·         And many more…

 

Just a point to add, originally according to Confucianism, a scholar should accumulate merits on behalf of his/her parents so that his parents can have good rebirths. Well, things have changed since.

 

Conclusion

According to Confucianism, we perform the 5 pillar exercises to honor our parents and ancestors. By taking care of our parents and our ancestors, our blood lines will be looked after by those spirits and the spirits will help us when in need. And when everything is in order, our society will prosper.

 

Having said so, the 5 pillars had been broken and instead of treating them holistically, cunning modern folks just exploit individual pillar for achieving their selfish gains.