When someone dies, people in the western culture usually say, “I am sorry for your loss.” However, the Chinese have a very different way of viewing death. As a Taoist, you should adopt a new mindset and use the right word.
As Taoists, we say 節哀順變 which in Saamlawnese is “Jia Why Sin Bien.” It means to restrain your sorrow and sadness while the flow is smooth. We see death as a natural thing, a transition to the next journey of life, and so it’s nothing to be sad about. It’s only sad when the person dying is not moving on or cannot transition to their next journey because of all sorts of hiccups in the middle. Therefore, wishing them this is like saying, “hope the person who died will have a safe and good trip”; it’s a happy thing for them! The first word of 節哀 “Jia Why” is mostly interpreted as “please restrain your sorrow,” – but a deeper side of this means to control and lessen your sorrow. It’s like you are reminding the person that the death is just a transition and don’t be sad about it; they just moved on.
This is a way to show your condolences through words, which is just a simple wish for the dead to move on nicely and happily. However, how should you put your words into ACTION and DO IT to really “express” your condolences for real?
As a Taoist disciple in our lineage, you can do it in many ways according to how much you know or have learned. However, the first thing is that you must ensure which religious path the dead chose for their NEXT journey. If they are not Taoists of YOUR/OUR sect, then you should not do any magic or work on them because it will only do nothing but create conflicts and chaos for their side. Just give them the good words as above, then that’s it!
If the person is a Taoist or going to undergo a Taoist funeral of THIS sect, then you can do the magic for them to express your condolences.
You can ask to participate in the ceremony to help out, or you can send your corresponding prayers to the project to add power to the funeral and help the dead by giving them more support. The best way is to ask me on LINE what to do which is best for the specific case.
Remember NOT to do magic work for anyone who is not a disciple in this lineage because you don’t want people outside to do THEIR magic on you when you die. When the paths are different, they should never be mixed. Oh yes, even attending their non-Taoist (non-same-sect too) funeral as a Taoist is going to crash their energy too, so it is best not to attend them and send your money to support the family if you want to. Your energy as a Taoist will crash THEIR funeral’s energy, and why would you want to do that just because you want to “look kind and nice”? Don’t be silly, and don’t get yourself into trouble. Stay away from funerals, just like you don’t want the non-Taoist to attend your funeral later, too, because their energy would only cause trouble for you and obstruct your way to the next journey. Understand the reality, and don’t just do things blindly!
Prepared for this kind of thing yourself yet? Well, get ordained, just in case you have to go too one day; then you have a way to go.
