Q: Dear Master Lu, at what ages do we experience predestined hardships or calamities? Does this apply to everyone?
A:
- In general, we experience predestined hardships or even calamites when the last digit of our age ends with a 3, 6 or 9. For example, when we reach 19, 29, 33, 39, 49, 59, 66, 73, and 89, etc. People also experience predestined calamities at age 84.
- Conditions vary for each individual, and therefore this cannot be generalised for everyone. However, we should be extra cautious when we reach any of the ages mentioned above.
- All ages are according to the Gregorian calendar. For example, if you were born on 1 January 1993, then you turn 19 on 1 January 2012.
- When you experience major predestined calamities in life, you should do more recitations of the Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou. In general, you will need to recite the Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou 49 times per day.
- Generally, when the last digit of your age ends with 3, 6 or 9, you can begin reciting three batches of the Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou every day three months prior to your birthday, with each batch ranging from 49 to 108 times.
One batch can be included as part of your daily recitation, while the other two can be recorded on a Self-Cultivation Record Form. You can record the number of the Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou that you have recited on the Self-Cultivation Record Form containing 272 circles. These Self-Cultivation Record Forms can be reserved for future use. For example, you can burn them altogether, along with Little Houses, on your birthday, and pray to Guan Yin Bodhisattva to help resolve your predestined calamities and eliminate disasters. - Meanwhile, you should make a vow stating that you will recite one batch of Little Houses with the same quantity as the number of your age. For example, you should vow to recite at least 33 Little Houses when you are reaching age 33; if you are 21 years old or under and encounter a year of predestined calamities, you should vow to recite 21 Little Houses. You can say the following prayer before your recitation: “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva protect and bless me, <your full name>, help me to resolve my predestined calamities at <age>”.
It is best to begin to recite and burn the promised Little Houses three months prior to your birthday and complete this process on the day of your birthday. For major or severe predestined calamities, sometimes the number of Little Houses mentioned above is far from adequate. You should keep reciting more Little Houses to resolve the predestined calamities. Also, in the three months following your birthday, you should keep reciting more Little Houses. - If you expect a major predestined calamity, you can vow to recite 108 Little Houses. For particularly severe/highly critical predestined calamities, you will need to vow to recite 3 batches of 108 Little Houses. Address the Little Houses to the “Karmic Creditor of <your full name>”.
- It is also important that you persistently perform your daily recitation and recite as many Little Houses as possible, make vows and perform life liberations.
- In your zodiac year of birth (or Ben Ming Nian in Chinese, referring to the year of one’s Chinese zodiac animal in which one was born), you should also perform recitations of Little Houses to the same number as your age, in the same manner as mentioned above.