If you plan to have an altar setup, you might have already been thinking about which statue to get and if you can use a picture of a god instead. This post will discuss the difference and how to choose between the two.
First of all, you need to have to concept right. There are the gods which are far away from you. They reside in the preheaven, which we call the celestial court. You have two options:
- Call the gods for help when needed and talk to the gods daily from a distance (like a phone call). = picture
- Have the godsend a representative of itself to your home. This new god then stays at your altar, and it’s like a god locally there all the time. This way, you can talk to the god locally, and the god can help you when you need help or when it senses any threats. = statue.
Very simple right?
It’s okay to have a starter altar with a photo or signage only because, like our Sun Paai, it’s signage to connect and talk to the gods in the celestial court when needed. They can send you help by distance when you need it. It’s more budget friend and space-saving too. Burn incense daily to talk to the gods, greet them good morning and night, talk to them about your life and what is in your mind, give offerings and show gratitude, etc. These will help you build a relationship with the gods above. After all, it’s about getting God’s help when needed.
However, moving one step further, you can upgrade your altar with statues. It means that you are cultivating your god at the altar. This god represents the “original” God in the preheaven above. However, it’s not the original or exact “god”; it’s a representative of that god, like a clone of itself. However, this god is YOURS. What’s so special about this is that because the god is YOURS, you will see this god follow you when you die, and it will go to your Yuen Sun (spiritual planetary body) and be helping you for your next life. If you want your next life to have a strong start and lots of “blessings” to begin with, then this is the best option for you. The statue route also allows the god to be there locally, so if anything is happening in the area around the house or locally inside the house, the god can help you even if you didn’t “tell them,” like with the picture route.
Another thing is that the gods above, which we call the “master god, “ will not know you as much as the local one. Therefore, you can say that the local god you cultivated is more personal and customized, and it is more “trained” to know you and your preference. It’s like having an AI on your smartphone that is trained by you daily; it will know how to help you better than the one that everyone uses in “general.” Building a relationship with the local god is very important because the god can understand you better and help you better after knowing what you like or dislike.
Having one statue first is good enough, but having more is better in the long run. Yet, having too many in one go doesn’t mean you will be doing better. After all, building a relationship with more gods at once takes more effort and commitment.
It’s all about your budget and space. I recommend getting a statue over signage or a picture if you have the budget. But I also have been through the student era, and I know how tight the student budget can be. Therefore, a picture or signage can be a nice option too. After you get a job and start making money, slowly accumulate the budget for statues one by one. Who knows, maybe god will help you earn more and more to make a dream come true too! We offer the altar and statue consecration ceremony if you have your statue and materials ready!
