The Quy Coc office opened this morning; the scent of incense filled the air, yet my heart felt uneasy.
In the past, people went to temples and dropped notes folded into fourths or eighths into the merit box. No one asked how much was enough. The phrase "as the heart dictates" hung in the air like smoke. Weightless.
Nowadays, "as the heart dictates" is printed in bold. Followed by an appendix. Basic star offering. Advanced star offering. VIP star offering. There is even a "Year-Round Peace of Mind" package, complete with a free amulet against gossip.
People stand in line, envelopes in hand, eyes fixed on the price list. Like choosing a combo at the supermarket. Blessings are tiered by fee. Spirituality has become a service.
Temples were once places to let go. Now, you walk in and start calculating. How big must the offering be to be "sincere enough"? This suffocation brings to mind the residents' outrage over negative social shifts. Without a grand offering, do we fear the gods... won't hear us clearly?
Quy Coc sits in the corner of the courtyard, watching the "collective karma cleansing" and ponders. Is a person's misfortune found in their greed or in the stars above? If bad luck can be traded for money, how much does good luck cost?
In the old days, a single stick of incense. A silent prayer. Now, there are livestreams and public lists of donors. Merit has become a ranking. Faith has become a... brand, and sometimes there are even cases of embezzlement of public funds that erode the trust of those seeking goodness.
No wonder they say temples are busiest not during the Ghost Festival or a vibrant Lunar New Year festival, but when the world is in a state of panic.
Quy Coc does not criticize those who offer rituals. Rituals are a need. Belief is a right. But when spirituality becomes a place of bargaining, when "as the heart dictates" requires a price check, are people seeking Buddha or buying insurance?
Perhaps what needs to be resolved is not the stars, but fear.
And if one day, the merit box returns to its true meaning—a place to set down the heavy burdens of the heart, not to buy a promise—then the phrase "as the heart dictates" will become light once again.
