I've been wanting to write about this topic for a very long time. This issue has affected far too many lay people (especially the Chinese themselves in China）， who are "dabbling" with / interested in / keeping Taoist Related auspicious objects , be it Taoist Protection Talismans or Taoist Lucky Pendants or Taoist Feng-Shui Items.
One of this specific Taoist /Chinese Related Object I'm about to share about is called ‘Mountain Spirit’ Coin. ‘Mountain Spirit’ Coins are a type of Taoist folk "amulet money" (talismanic coins) popular from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties to the Qing dynasty. They were not circulating currency, typically round with a square hole, and mostly made of copper. Primarily used for warding off evil spirits, protecting the home, and ensuring peace, the obverse is engraved with a "Mountain Spirit" talisman (actually a demon-slaying Bagua incantation), while the reverse features a Bagua pattern, carrying rich folk cultural connotations such as exorcising demons.
Now, here is the PROBLEM - A VERY BIG PROBLEM that affected hundred over thousands of Chinese Folks themselves, especially those from China.
**THE ONE MAIN HUGE ERROR IS THAT IT IS ENGRAVED WITH POST-HEAVEN BAGUA**
In order for You to understand what is the problem, firstly, You need to know there are 2 types of Bagua (Eight Trigrams)：
- Pre-Heaven Bagua (先天八卦) a.k.a Fuxi Bagua (伏羲八卦)
- Post-Heaven Bagua (后天八卦) a.k.a Wen Wang Bagua (文王八卦)
To understand more details about Pre-Heaven Bagua & Post-Heaven Bagua, go to:
Pre-Heaven Bagua is often printed or engraved in Taoist Spiritual / Magical / Sorcery Tools , such as Taoist Talismans, Taoist Magic Whips , Black Command Flags (used by spirit mediums ritual) , Taoist Jade Pendants, Taoist Bagua Mirrors, Taoist Stamp Seals for the purpose of spiritual protection, exorcism, warding off evil spirits, ghost hunting, ghost catching, spiritual battling etc. One Short Sentence - To deal with anything that is spiritual / sorcery related.
Post-Heaven Bagua is usually applied on Divination Prediction and Feng shui.
Here is the Problem, which now You understand...
Folks keep a ‘Mountain Spirit’ Coin, hoping for spiritual protection from ghosts and evil spirits but it doesn't serve this main purpose because it is engraved with Post-Heaven Bagua (and not Pre-Heaven Bagua). Nevermind that it is not spiritually activated through "Light Opening" (开光) Ritual, because it is not even a Pre-Heaven Bagua to start with.
The Grave Problem is...
The Error had started since ancient time, around late Qing Dynasty period , when that particular person who 1st created the version of 'Mountain Spirit' Coin engraved with the symbol of Post-Heaven Bagua (instead of Pre-Heaven Bagua) and then the Copy-Cats carry along the "Error" to the modern days, due to either the 'Blind Leading The Blind' or deliberately 'Going Along With The Mistake' to continue mass producing the ‘Mountain Spirit’ Coins with Post-Heaven Bagua to sell to the public.
During the early 50s to late 90s, the China Chinese were banned from spiritual practice and have brain-washed to believe that anything spiritual related are superstitious. It is only in late 2000s and beyond, when China's economy has opened up, the China Chinese are free to do business and soon they realise there are a lot of money to be made by selling "Spiritual" and "Feng Shui" Items to make money, without the fundamental knowledge and skills of Taoist Magic / Sorcery , which ironically, these magical skills were originated from China since ancient time but they have lost touch with the knowledge and skills.
In actual fact, the knowledge and skills of Taoist Spiritual Magic /Sorcery are still available in the ancient Taoist Textbooks in China but the majority of the China Folks have no interest to learn (but only wanting to Sell "Spritual" Products to make money).
The Taoist Magical /Sorcery Skills and Taoist Spiritual Practice by the Overseas Chinese in Taiwan , Hong Kong and South East Asia - Malaysia，Singapore , Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia are still well-preserved.
In Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia, the spiritual / magical Tools, such as talismans, ritual implements, black command flags, the Taoist Temples and altars all use the Pre-Heaven Bagua.
Fake Taoist Masters / Sorcerers In China
The problem is that many China Chinese, without (or not interested to gain the) basic knowledge of Taoist Spiritual Magic /Sorcery, are mass-producing by the hundred thousands of the "Error" version of Taoist Spiritual Protection Objects / Pendants / Items, such as 'Mountain Spirit' Coins with engraved the symbol of Post-Heaven Bagua and selling them online.
Comically, many Fake Taoist Masters in China, put on Taoist Robes and make videos and post themselves on Social Medias to try to sell their Error-Filled Spiritual Items.
Not only are the China Chinese Fake Taoist Masters selling Error-Filled Taoist Pendents (using Post Heaven Bagua), the Spiritual Protection Talismans from them are shown with Post-Heaven Bagua.
**Worse still... there are even China Chinese thinking that engraving with Pre-Heaven Bagua is wrong version and only engraved with the Post-Heaven Bagua on the 'Mountain Spirit' Coins are the correct verion.**
The Blind leading the Blind...
There are many Chinese Folks in Singapore and Malaysia , who have interest in buying and keeping Taoist / Chinese Spiritual Protection Objects / Pendants / Items / Talismans, or are already keeping some of them, but because they don't have the basic knowledge of Taoist Spiritual Knowledge & Skills, so they can't tell what is Right or Wrong or the Differences and end up buying the useless "Spiritual" Items, which doesn't serve what they wish for , such as Spiritual Protection.
Since the Chinese Lay Folks can't even notice the errors themselves, what can You aspect from the Westerners.
After reading this article, now You know what is Right or Wrong and know the different usages of Pre-Heaven Bagua and Post-Heaven Bagua.
Seek A Taoist Master / Sorcerer outside China
To consult or seek for any Taoist Spiritual Objects / Items / Pendants / Talismans or learn any Taoist Spiritual Skills, it is wise to seek help from Taoist Spiritual Masters / Sorcerers from Taiwan , Hong Kong, Malaysia , Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia or Singapore.
Westerners can seek help from Taoist Sorcery Masters in Singapore, because they can speak English, but it is very few, including me (Taoist Sorcery Master a.k.a Kumantong 4D Master).
Take Note: There are many fake Taoist Masters (who are actually lay-people) without Taoist Spiritual knowledge and skills in China, who put on Taoist Robes and appear on social medias, to try to sell their Taoist "Magical" Items online.
As a Lay Person, now You can tell whether the Taoist Spiritual Item (for spiritual protection purpose) which has a Bagua Symbol , whether it has spiritual power or not, by just looking at the Bagua Symbol, whether it is the Pre-Heaven or the Post-Heaven. If a Post-Heaven Symbol is used in the Taoist Spiritual Item, it is a dead giveaway that it is confirmed Fake and the creator of the spiritual Item is not a proper Taoist Master / Sorcerer / Practitioner.
Lastly, if You ever want to keep a Taoist Spiritual Protection Item with a Bagua Symbol in it, be it a pendant or talisman, make sure it is Pre-Heaven Bagua.
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