Refuge consists of four determinations: the determination to regard the Buddha as the teacher, the Dharma as the way, the Sangha as the Taoist friend, and the guru as the true master. We definitely don’t have these determinations towards ghosts and gods. Without these determinations, there would be no refuge. Without refuge, we can support, praise, and worship them. Especially those good gods and protectors. Although they all belong to the world, they all protect the cause of the Buddha and the practitioners in the world who do good and end evil.
Many people have this situation. They used to worship gods at home, but now that the opportunity is ripe, they have taken refuge in the Three Jewels of the Guru. They want to set up a temple to worship Buddha, but they want to continue to worship gods. They feel very conflicted. This is not the case. What relationship. When Buddha saves all living beings, aren't those gods also living beings? The Buddha treats every living being the same, without any distinction. The Buddha's compassion for his own son is exactly the same as his compassion for all living beings. The Buddha's gratitude to his parents is exactly the same as his gratitude to all living beings. What's wrong with a Buddha being with his own children and his own parents? We always think about these things with an ordinary mind.
Consecration and refuge are two concepts. Our ultimate refuge is the Three Jewels of the Guru. We need the help of good gods and protectors in the process of practice. God needs people's worship and admiration, and people also need God's protection and blessing - people and God cannot be separated. The Buddha taught many ways to make offerings to gods, and there are also many rituals to make offerings to gods in Tantric practice. The "Ode to the Eight Auspicious Odes" that we recite every day contains: The eight great protectors of the world, I respectfully salute; the eight great goddesses in the world, I respectfully salute. This is what the Buddha said, and the Buddha also respectfully paid homage to the Dharma protectors in the world. This is a courtesy between humans and gods. The same goes for people, they should be polite. In the past, people were very polite, but now in the Dharma-ending period, there is no politeness or respect between people, so people's blessings are becoming more and more shallow.
There is God everywhere. Everyone has a god who protects them, and every family has a god who protects the family. Trees also have tree gods, bridges have bridge gods, water has water gods, and there are gods of heaven, earth, and wealth, and many, many more. Some people use their supernatural powers to reach the world of gods and see that the gods in some places are very poor because the locals do not worship them; the gods in some places are very rich because the locals all worship them.
No matter where we go, whether we go to a temple, a layman's home, or other places, when we do some rituals, we must first make offerings to the gods of earth and then to gods of heaven. Use their place to greet them and ask for their blessings and help. In that case, the puja will be smooth and successful.
Isn’t it normal to say hello before doing something? The same goes for people. If you go to any place and do things without saying hello, you will definitely run into trouble. If you say hello and give gifts, then things will go smoothly and things will be easier. The same principle applies! We are all Buddhist students and practitioners now, and we also need help from others. If we have a good relationship with those ghosts and gods, they will also care about us and help us, and will not cause obstacles to us. Nowadays, many people who study Buddhism have this kind of obstacle. There are many obstacles in their practice. Their families are not safe, everything is not going well, and they are not in a good mood. Gradually, their desire to study Buddhism and practice fades away.
Many people don’t know how to pretend to understand, “I believe in Buddhism! I don’t offer these things!” Then they despise, slander, and abandon them. They have supernatural powers and know your thoughts and actions. They have not yet been liberated. In the continuum, there is also self-grasping and self-love, as well as greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt. Although they don't have much ability, they are still more powerful than you. If they want to cause trouble for you, you have no way to deal with them. You want to send them away, how can it be so easy? Whether it is your household god or the god of wealth, if he does not have a fate with you, he will not be able to find you or come to your home. If you despise, slander, and abandon them, it is impossible for them not to cause trouble or create obstacles for you. Something happened at home today, someone got sick tomorrow, most of these things were done by them. This is also your own cause and effect. Instead of forming a good relationship with the sentient beings who should have formed a good relationship, you have formed a bad relationship with them. Evil will be rewarded with evil. This is all retribution!
Evil will be rewarded with evil, and good will be rewarded with good. There will be no mistakes at all. If you respect them, worship them, praise them, make them happy and satisfied, form good relationships with them, and get along well with them, just like getting along with other people, they will in turn respect you, protect you, and help you. At that time, they have become your benevolent gods and protectors. If you form a bad affinity with them, they will become your evil ghosts and will definitely hurt you, disturb you, and cause you trouble. If you regard them as demons, they are demons and will torture you.
If you not only study Buddhism and practice yourself, but also lead them to practice and dedicate your merits to them, they are also sentient beings. They will definitely be moved when they know that your heart is so kind and broad. They will lie down in front of you, learn from you, and practice with you. Isn’t this saving sentient beings? Do we have to hurt them and send them away? Where to send? This is their own place! They are the gods of this family and are particularly willing to protect this family. You think it's your home, he thinks it's his home, so there's a conflict. But can you win against him? This is impossible.
So is the God of Wealth. You think this is your wealth, he thinks it is his wealth, but in fact it is the wealth of both of you. Sometimes you praise them, sometimes you worship them, and they will protect your property. This will be auspicious and complete. Isn't it easy to do this? In fact, it's easy to get along with them, but it's not easy to get along with others.
Look at the people around you, some of them are your enemies and creditors. No matter what you do, they will not be satisfied and will hurt you. These ghosts and gods are very reasonable. If you treat them well, they will definitely treat you well. They are easy to be happy and satisfied, which is different from people. You become good friends with them, and the power of man and God are combined, and everything will go well.
These ghosts and gods are also sentient beings, and they all have Buddha nature. We must observe purity in everything! You do not have a pure view, and you regard them as ghosts and obstacles to yourself. This is all your own mind! If you think of him as a ghost, he is a ghost; if you think of him as a Buddha, he is a Buddha. We have not yet realized these things. If we really realize them, they are Buddhas; we have not realized that they are sentient beings. Don’t we have compassion and bodhicitta for every sentient being? Where did your compassion go at that time? Where has your bodhicitta gone? When you take refuge in the Dharma, you are told not to harm sentient beings but to benefit sentient beings. What do you do at this time? Aren’t these all sentient beings? If you hurt them, isn't that hurting all sentient beings? Worship and refuge are two concepts. Our ultimate refuge is the Three Jewels of the Guru. We need the help of good gods and protectors in the process of practice. God needs people's worship and admiration, and people also need God's protection and blessing - people and God cannot be separated. The Buddha taught many ways to make offerings to gods, and there are also many rituals to make offerings to gods in Tantric practice. The "Ode to the Eight Auspicious Odes" that we recite every day contains: The eight great protectors of the world, I respectfully salute; the eight great goddesses in the world, I respectfully salute. This is what the Buddha said, and the Buddha also respectfully paid homage to the Dharma protectors in the world. This is a courtesy between humans and gods. The same goes for people, they should be polite. In the past, people were very polite, but now in the Dharma-ending period, there is no politeness or respect between people, so people's blessings are becoming more and more shallow.
There is God everywhere. Everyone has a god who protects them, and every family has a god who protects the family. Trees also have tree gods, bridges have bridge gods, water has water gods, and there are gods of heaven, earth, and wealth, and many, many more. Some people use their supernatural powers to reach the world of gods and see that the gods in some places are very poor because the locals do not worship them; the gods in some places are very rich because the locals all worship them.
No matter where we go, whether we go to a temple, a layman's home, or other places, when we do some rituals, we must first make offerings to the gods of earth and then to gods of heaven. Use their place to greet them and ask for their blessings and help. In that case, the puja will be smooth and successful.