As a disciple, you should keep asking questions and learning from the Tao and your uppers. Whilst we like to see disciples eager to gain more knowledge, you should learn to be smart when asking questions. There are three things you should consider when you ask a question: “when”, “how” and “to whom”.
When should you ask questions? The best time is to do that “before” and “after” an event. Simply put, you should raise your question and get an answer before you start doing something. At the preparation stage, you should make sure to ask your questions and understand and be clear about what to do. For example, before you start a ceremony, you should run down the ceremony once in your mind to check if you have a clear picture of it; if not, get everything clarified before you start the ceremony. After you have completed something, it is also good to do a review and see what you can improve on next time, hence a good time to ask questions. Sometimes, you may think you know it, but after you have experienced it, you may have a different thought and want to get a confirmation. You can always leave your questions on Line (the app), keep learning daily, and make the chatrooms lively!
How should you ask questions? You should give the other side some “room”. For example, let’s say you are hungry and want to order food from Uber Eats, but your phone is not working and ask me,
“Hello Junn Sifu, can I borrow your phone?”
If I do not carry my phone, I will just simply say,
“No, I do not have my phone”
Then the conversation ends just like that. But if you are smart enough, you may ask,
“Junn Sifu, I am hungry now and want to order some food from Uber Eats, can you help me?”
Then I can go
“Oh, I do not have my phone, but I have cooked some BAO. Do you like some? Or I can lend you my PC to order food from Uber Eats’ website.”
Do you see the difference? You should not restrict yourself within certain conditions. Instead, you need to give the other side some “room” to answer you. Let me give you another example.
“Can I learn the Chick magic spell?”
“Yes”
Done lol. It is a bad start! But at least you asking! But let’s see how to ask a better way!
“How can I start to learn about Chick magic spell?”
“You need to have an altar and also know how to HTM.”
“I don’t know about HTM, anyway I can learn it?”
“Here is the video xxxxx that you can learn.”
That is a better example of how to ask a proper question. The main point is not to limit your question to a “yes” or “no” answer unless you are simply trying to obtain a confirmation.
It also very important to bear in mind to whom you are asking a question, as it is related to the Tao and Te issue. Some disciples may suddenly pop up in a random chatroom, ask questions, do not address to whom they are asking the questions, and then disappear. This is kind of like talking to a wall and expecting an answer. Remember if you are asking a question, you are the Bei (lower) party and should be humble and polite. You can use the @ to tag people’s names and address them as “Si Gung”, “XXX Sifu” etc., then follow up with your question. For example,
“@Jee Si Gung, Si Gung Gut Cheung! I have a question xxxxx”
Do not skip their names or forget the greetings like the example below. It is rude to your upper because it Is like commanding your upper to answer your question.
“@Jee Si Gung, I have a question xxxxx ”
If you are not sure who you should ask your questions, or if it is something that everyone can help you with, you can say,
“Hello everyone! I have a question xxxxx”
Then if anyone is around, they can help you with it.
Another thing you should keep in mind is to direct your questions to the person that gives you a task or teaching. For instance, if Junn Sifu teaches you the Jing Spells, you should go back to Junn Sifu to ask him questions related to this matter. This shows that you respect him instead of bypassing his teachings. More importantly, this is a matter of Tao and TE, i.e. Junn Sifu as the Tao party gives you the teaching, then you as the TE party gives back by asking him questions and giving feedback related to those teachings.
These are some guidelines that can help you understand better how to ask questions. This not only applies in the lineage but also at your workplace, it is crucial to be smart and master the skills of asking questions in your daily life!!!
Ordain to learn more, and most importantly, establish the connection with the Tao and celestial court soon. Interested in reading more? Read our My First Taoism Book” to understand more about Taoism!
