not a patient devotee

Two days into my trip, and I've done two of my three target items - eat and write.  No chance to prey it, but I've prayed a bit.

Long San Temple

Taiwan has a plethora of Buddhist and Taoist temples, ranging from the smallest ones that house a single local deity called "Father of the local land" to grand palaces that honor Buddhas, Boddhisattvas, and all sorts of other deities.  My cousin took me to the "Dragon Mountain Temple," the largest temple in Taipei.  What is so fascinating to me about going to these temples isn't the ornate architecture or the observance of a people's piety, but rather the local customs and traditions that have made their ways into "religion."

2012 is the year of the dragon.  There are twelve signs in the Chinese zodiac system, which means that the older dragons (excluding those born this year) are 12, 24, 36 years old, and so forth.  Each time that you enter the year of your sign (happens every 12 years), you are in direct opposition to a certain deity, which means that unfortunate events are certain to occur during that year.  To remedy this situation, you go to the temple, pray to the gods, and light a lamp that appeases this deity, all for a certain sum of money, and your impending misfortunes are averted.

Therefore, at the temple, I saw numerous people - parents of 12-year-olds, 24-year-old young professionals, 60-year-old grandparents - lined up to apply for monks to conduct this procedure for them.  I guess from this regard, twelve is a pretty unlucky number.  Among those seeking asylum from angry gods were busloads of Chinese and Japanese tourists who were eager to have a peek of this famous building and its iconic rituals.

I think that for most people, the same activity done at two different places somehow become distinct and unique; that's why as a San Franciscan I do not consider visiting the Golden Gate Bridge or the farmers' market an excitement, but a trip to the Brooklyn Bridge or a Parisian farmers' market suddenly arouse fascination.  After all, China and Japan each has its own myriad of temples and customs, both religious and superstitious.  The temple is always prettier on the other side.

I myself took a turn at one of these rituals.  There are these wooden blocks (with different front and back sides:  think heads and tails) used to consult the oracles for guidance on anything from love to health to work.  To do this, pray to the gods, respectfully ask a question regarding which you require counsel, then throw these blocks.  If you get a head and a tail, that is an yes from the gods; if two heads or two tails, that is a no.  To learn the message from the gods, you blindly pick a bamboo stick with a number on it that corresponds to a printed poem, then ask the gods if that is the right number for you.

I was curious to find out about my future as a filmmaker.  So I respectfully asked if I would have a successful career in film.  I had to first ask if this was even a valid question that would deserve an answer.  The reply:  two tails.  So I rephrased the question:  should I continue to pursue film making?  Two heads.  Should I abandon medicine completely for film?  Two tails.  Apparently, my question is not valid to begin with.  Two tails is also called "laughing/smiling blocks."  It is a bit disconcerting to know that my question is being laughed at.  Perhaps the message is that this is an issue that doesn't require divine guidance - it is one that requires belief in myself and persistence in pursuit.  Yeah, that sounds better than saying the gods laughed at me.

Nevertheless, I still wanted to complete the ritual, so I changed the question to one of love:  I asked the gods for guidance on finding a man who loves me and vice versa.  Immediately I get a head and tail.  So this was a valid question that deserved an answer.  Bingo.  I then went to the container of bamboo sticks to pick one:  poem 56.  Two tails.  Poem 60 - two tails.  Poem 13 - two heads.  Poem 46 - two tails.  Poem 28 - two tails.  It looks like the gods were still laughing.  After ten unsuccessful attempts, I gave up.  I came to the realization that I do not need these superstitions to guide me in my life; what I need are decisions based on sound logic and experience.  Besides, this whole process was taking too long.

That's why I'm going to a fortune teller instead.