Q: Dear Master Lu, my neighbour does not have a Buddhist altar with a statue or image of Guan Yin Bodhisattva in his home, but I do have one in my store. Can I let my neighbour come to my store and burn their Little Houses? Another neighbour of mine also wants to do that. Alternatively, can I burn their Little Houses or the Application for Change of Name (see here) on their behalf? Master Lu, please kindly advise. Many thanks!
A:
- Firstly, when you burn Little Houses or the Application for Change of Name on behalf of others, you will have to bear some form of burden. This is inevitable.
- In particular, when you burn the Application for Change of Name on behalf of someone else, your birth data may be lodged together with this person’s application, and their karmic creditors might also occupy your body.
- Generally, parents can burn the Application for Change of Name on behalf of their children, or close relatives. Otherwise, it is best to burn your own Application for Change of Name yourself.
- If you have a Buddhist altar at your store or home, and you make incense offerings every morning and night, and make water offerings every day, then it is alright to let other people burn their Little Houses at your altar.