Comment:
A few days ago in a dream I stood steadfast at the center of a round platform inside Tian Tan, Heavenly Altar, that is the traditional place for emperors of China to make offerings to the Lord of Heaven. I have never visited this place, so I don't know the real situation there. Directly in front of me, near the rim there were three Chinese characters carved on the platform that suddenly became conspicuous while the rest of carvings on the platform turned dim. The characters were heading in the clockwise direction and hence the sequential order to read them is from my right to my left, in other words, they were arranged in counter-clockwise direction. One by one I recognized them to be: Tian Gong Zai, Heavenly Lord present. Throughout the history of China dynasty after dynasty had built altars to worship and make offerings to heaven (Lord of Heaven); based on this experience it seems to me that there are good reasons for such traditional practices.
In the future if I have the opportunity to visit this place, I would make prostration to Lord of Heaven there to supplicate for lessening of natural disasters, regular and helpful weather, and peace in the world.
Written in Chinese on November 16, 2003
Translated on November 17, 2003
El Cerrito, California