【神運】(English writing below)
到義安城高島屋用晚餐，在地下停車場看到的情景。
這商場位於新加坡黃金購物地帶，在1993年開幕，有著多少年代的青少年足跡。
我固然知道，也親眼目睹在新加坡很多大企業，甚至大樓都有供奉「福德正神大伯公」，卻從來沒想過這烏節路的龍頭老大，竟然也供奉這尊神明。
我滿心歡喜，一下車就湊前向「大伯公」和「五方五土地神」頂禮。
很明顯，這神案打理得非常好，井井有條，無論供品供具都十分講究，連玻璃門（應該是，出於尊敬我沒去碰）都毫無污垢，可見拜的人有用心思。
我在義安城各處常看到很多風水的蹤跡，無論大樓的外圍設計或裡頭的佈置，管理層很努力的爲這購物中心打造一個既有情又有勢的風水。
看到大伯公神案對面，有個小香案，想到師父說柱子的風水，也想到義安城的前身是潮州人的墳山，名為「泰山亭」。
我認定，這地方有祖先護佑。
既有先人運、地運，和神運，幕後義安公司的老闆肯定也是厚福之人，據說義安城的收益，有一部份運用在爲社會做貢獻，如義安理工學校和義安學校的獎學金和助學金、潮州籍老人的福利津貼、醫療服務、推廣潮州文化等。難怪義安城可以旺近三十年，而且我斷定還會旺很久。
其實這義安公司的收入不只來自義安城，也包括了向它租土地的威士馬廣場、文華酒店和國泰電影城。
義安公司也在管理受新加坡保护之古迹，有兩百年歷史的「粤海清庙」。裡頭主奉妈祖与玄天上帝，是新加坡最古老的天上聖母庙及玄天上帝庙。
不是每個人有「先人運」，也既是祖先留下來的余德。大部份的人，只會耗自己的福德，享樂主義爲大，不屑積福積德。甚至有些這一世，都「搞唔定」，哪會想到留福德與功德給後代？
我看過的客人，也甚少有極佳的「自身運」，非大富大貴的命格，如果又不肯接受善知識的建議，而且又不可一世，就只能庸庸碌碌、紛紛擾擾過一生。
我用餐時，突然想到自己興奮過頭忘了持「安土地真言」供養，事後急急忙忙再跑到停車場持誦。
我雖是佛教徒，但對於一切神明，我一概都很尊敬。祂能夠坐在神桌上，供世人膜拜，一定是具德、有修養、有積德，因此死後封神。單憑這一點，很多人都很難做到，如何不值得我敬禮？而且佛教是最有包容性的宗教，因爲佛陀說過：「每個眾生皆有佛性。」，因此我從不藐視神明，反而還感恩祂們賜福於眾生。
拍下這照片前，我告訴「福德正神大伯公」，我想藉此照片讓更多人明白神運。最近焚化了數百份四方金，恰巧就有這因緣目睹義安城福德正神的莊嚴相。
義安公司是個很好的參考例子。一
如果你沒有「先人運」，也沒有「自身運」，告訴你，「福德正神大伯公」和土地神是最接近人類的財神。土地神雖是小神，但祂可是佛教的護法神，具備幫你拉客拉貴人的大能力。如法供奉，誠心正念，行善守戒，若能加上念佛持咒，必得大護佑。
............................
My surprise when I saw this at the basement carpark of Ngee Ann City.
This shopping mall is at the prime area of Singapore's shopping belt. It opened in 1993 and in it, you will see the footprints of many generations of youths.
While I am aware and have witnessed many big corporations in Singapore, including major buildings, worshipped The God of Fortune and Virtues Tua Pek Gong, I have never imagined that the Big Brother of Orchard Road is also one of them.
I was delighted and once I got off the car, I went forward to the shrine and paid my respects to Tua Pek Gong and The Earth Gods of Five Directions.
It was obvious that the shrine was very well-maintained, despite its age. It was orderly and I could tell that a lot of care and thought went into the offerings and display. Even the glass doors are spotless. I reckon they are glass, as out of respect, I did not go forward to touch them.
I can spot a lot of Feng Shui elements that were scattered throughout the building, be it the exterior of the building, the interior design or the decor. The management had put in a lot of effort to create a Feng Shui that generated authority for itself and affection in the shoppers and tenants.
When I saw a little altar opposite Tua Pek Gong, I was reminded of what Shifu said about pillar Feng Shui, and of Ngee Ann City's former identity as a cemetery for the Teochew people, named Tai Shan Ting.
The way I see it, I am very sure that this place has also been receiving blessings from the Teochew ancestors.
The bosses behind this building must be people of enormous good fortune. From what I know, a portion of Ngee Ann Kongsi's earnings goes towards the benefit for the society such as scholarships and bursaries for Ngee Ann school and polytechnic, welfare benefits for Teochew elderly, medical services and promotion of Teochew culture etc.
Coupled with ancestral blessings, the good energies from the land and luck bestowed by the deities, it was no wonder that Ngee Ann City had been prosperous for almost 30 years, and I can tell its streak of good luck will continue to run for a very long time.
Ngee Ann Kongsi does not only make money from Ngee Ann City. Its earnings are also derived from land rental for Wisma Atrium, Mandarin Hotel and Orchard Cineleisure.
The company is also managing our national monument of 200-year history, the Yueh Hai Ching Temple. This temple of the Teochew, one of the earliest in Singapore, is dedicated to the deity Mazu or the Goddess of the Sea, and Xuan Tian Shang Di, the ancestral deity of the Teochews.
Not everybody has ancestral luck, that is, merits and good fortune left behind by our ancestors. Preaching hedonism, most people are only capable of exhausting their own good fortune, and cannot be bothered about accumulating merits and good fortune for their descendants. In fact, there are people who cannot even manage their own fortunes well this lifetime. How would they have capacity to think of leaving good fortune and merits for their children?
In the clients I have met, very few of them have excellent personal luck, and definitely do not fall into the wealthy and noble life map. If they are unable to accept suggestions from virtuous knowledgeable people, and are incredibly arrogant, then they have to make do with a life of mediocrity and troubles.
As I was having my dinner, I suddenly remembered that amidst my excitement, I forgot to recite the Earth God mantra as my offering to the deities. After my meal, I hurriedly ran to the carpark to do so.
While I may be a Buddhist, I have utmost respect for all detiies. For a deity to be able to sit on the altar and worthy of being prayed to, He must encompass virtues, refinement, self-cultivation of merits, hence He gets conferred with the title of a deity upon His death.
Just this aspect alone is very difficult for many mortals to accomplish. So how are the deities not worthy of my respect? Moreover, Buddhism is a religion that has the most forbearance, for Buddha once said, "Every sentient being has a Buddha nature."
Therefore, I do not belittle deities, but am in fact grateful for the blessings and protection They bestowed on sentient beings.
Before snapping this faraway shot, I told the God of Fortune and Virtues Tua Pek Gong, that with this photo, I hoped for more people to understand the luck from the deities. Recently, I have burnt few hundred stacks of Four Direction Mantra Paper, and coincidentally, I get this affinity to witness the dignified appearance of Tua Pek Gong of Ngee Ann City.
This company is a very good example for us to learn.
If you do not have ancestral luck, or personal luck, let me tell you this, the God of Fortune & Virtues Tua Pek Gong and Earth God are the closest Fortune Gods to mankind. While the Earth God may be lowly in rank, He is the Dharma protector in Buddhism, and possess huge powers to pull in customers and benefactors for you.
As long as you follow the steps correctly to worship and pray to the Earth God, possess sincerity and the right thought, perform virtuous deeds and abide by the precepts, and when you are able to recite the Buddha's name and mantras, you will definitely turn your life around, with divine blessings in abundance.
