“Low Is More� Toolkit Magic in Blunt Text identification This must be the most realism toolkit I have made, and also the most realism magic one you have seen.
Content I. Background Grandma Temple
This toolkit will inform you why and how to use the magic in this Grandma Temple by instructions and illustrations. Hope you enjoy it.
II. How to use the “Low is More� Magic 1. Find a magic object 2. Label a magic subject 3. Create a transaction 4. Pray!
III. Appendix 1. Chinese praying idioms 2. Critics and quotes
As one type of traditional temples in China, Grandma Temple used to be exquisite and formal. However, it appears totally different in Yixian, Hebei, where the temple is completely casual, local, even tacky. An architecture doctor, Xu Teng, at Tsinghua University has discovered this interesting temple and illustrated it to the mass. Since then, people surprised to know magic could be used and protected in this farcical but practical way: people in that country create Gods in charge of whatever they want, and believe deeply in the God who is just made up. Because of historical and political reason, most Chinese people lost their belief and their religious knowledge. Yet they still have wishes to be blessed within tons of practical issues they have to deal with. As a result, this particular Grandma Temple appears, entertaining but thought-provoking.
I. Background People made a sign of “the main temple� to emphasize, to tile that this is a magical and formal temple, which obviously it is not judging by its previous appearance. A whole magic story is invented by these signs.
1. Find a magic object
Find your wishes, like “reconcile a relationship”, “drive safely”, “good grades”.
2.
II. How to use the “Low is More” Magic
Label a magic subject
Imagine/Create a God taking charge of what you wished.
3.
Create a transaction
Evaluate what you will get. Based on that, promise a payback to the God.
4. Pray!
1. Find a magic object
To
find
magic
a
object
whatever you need by magic. Take people in
is
to
find
to change or bless
Grandma Temple for example,
car to show their wealth, while others want to get rid of traffic accidents. Then, what some want to buy a
they need is a
god in charge of cars.
Anything
in your life can be blessed
!
According to
“Everything is spiritual” “萬物皆有靈” Eastern Asian oriental belief, /
and
“whether God exists or not depends on whether
you believe in it or not”/“信則有不信則無”.
When becomes
a
immediately magic entity. you belive in it, it
Find your wishes, like “reconcile a relationship”, “drive safely”, “good grades”.
2. Label a magic subject
Once magic owner label a profile
Phenomenon in Grandma temple: Created God statues. People believe in those tacky statues only because they are labelled.
you find/define a magic object, a subject, namely
a
will naturally emerge. make
on
or a statue,
a
then it
will become a god of what you labelled. Next, search a Chinese character of your subject, then add “the God of” ahead of the word of that subject, like “ the God of (Cars)”/“（車） 神” If a statue is labelled as“車神” on a statue, it is definitely the incarnation of it no matter existed in history or not nor its appearance conflicts with other gods or not. You can even decorate the created God with a symbolic object, like a steel wheel representing vehicles. That is
you label you want to label
to say,
what
what
月老 God Of Marriage
車神 God Of Cars
is not the key, but is the most
is activated by the Chinese characters are essential of the magic. in fact, the magic subject
and the Chinese characters
decided by you and your wishes.
學神 God Of Study
3. Create a transaction
“magical realism” cosmology magic business trade create a transaction fulfil （還願） Tell if I will _____. a physical Practicing a
worship
system, Chinese people’s treat
is to
as a “
” and
with Gods
instead of purely believing in them. So you have to
with one God (that you
wish to be blessed by) and the God, “
it.
you bless me or realize my wishes,
” Usually, you can promise
payback, like a donation to the God, or decorations of it, but you can also do
non-physical promise
things. For example, you can
“doing kind
things”, “helping poor people”, “preventing myself from doing bad things” as
paybacks
even magic
these things seem
The
and
towards the God,
irrelevant with it or its magic.
business”
come from these kind of “
is protected
by the masses in this way.
Evaluate what you will get. Based on that, promise a payback to the God.
4. Pray!
Sincerely pray!!!! way, gesture language (don't doubt! will understand ! omniscience omnipotent)! Whisper in your
by your
and via your
The God
it
They are
and
Ask the god to bless you and remember to
tell
them your
promise.
Blessing idiom in Chinese Use those characters to label your good luck! Say or write it to yourself or others, they could be a “Courtesy Magic” used in daily life.
III. Appendix
長 福 壽 多 一 恭 心 大
命 如 比 財 帆 喜 想 吉
百 東 南 多 風 發 事 大
歲 海 山 福 順 財 成 利
Meanings (From top to bottom) 1.Fortune as much as eastern sea 2. Longevity as much as southern mountain 3. More wealth and more fortune 4. Hundred years of a loving relationship 5. Downwind sailing good travel 6. Bless you much money 7. May your wish come true 8. Much happiness and wellness
Critics and quotes
中国人的“泛神”来自于恐惧：儒家的道德学说保护不了经常面对天灾人祸的百 姓，尤其是只有靠天靠地吃饭的农民。在漫长的封建社会中，农民们是不存在想 像和寄托的，他们的精神连同肉体一起只在昏天黑地的现实中生活。于是，即便 是供奉着“神”，中国人也说不出哪个“神”更有权威些，更能帮助他们渡过生活中 的难关。 The “Pantheism” of the Chinese comes from fear: Confucian moral doctrine can’t protect the people who often face natural disasters and manmade disasters, especially the peasants who only rely on the land. In the long feudal society, the peasants did not have imagination and sustenance, and their spirit, together with the flesh, lived only in the dark reality. Therefore, even if the “God” is enshrined, the Chinese can’t say which “God” is more authoritative, and it can help them through the difficulties in life. 信则有，不信则无，这是中国人对“神”的最普遍的态度。表面上的崇拜和内心里 的忽视，这种对待人物与事物的态度已经渗透到了中国人日常生活中的每一个细 节里。帝国农民对“神”的供奉带有强烈的功利色彩。农民们的任何“信”与“不信”都 有明确的目的。他们不知道所谓的“纯净的情绪”。他们任何形式的“敬神”都必有 所求。因为整日为生存苦斗的帝国农民需要解决的现实问题太多了，往往陷于无 助状态的他们希望能有一种力量帮助他们摆脱生存的困境。他们无论供奉什么“ 神”，都是为自己的行为壮胆子。 “Whether God exists or not depends on whether you believe in it” is the most common attitude of the Chinese to “God.” The attitude that superficially worships but inner neglect towards people and things has penetrated into every detail of the daily life of Chinese people. The peasants are worshipping God purely on their own benefit. Any “believing” and “unbelieving” of the peasants have a clear purpose. They don’t know the so-called “pure emotions.” Any form of “respect for God” will be a demand. Because the imperial peasants who struggled for survival all day have too many practical problems to solve, that the helpless peasantries often hope to have a force to help them get rid of the predicament of survival. No matter what “God” they offer, they are in order to be courageous in their actions. ---Year 1901, by Wang Shu-zeng
Enjoy your magic!