A Brief Discussion on Kai Guang
Today, there are many items, ranging from temple statues to clothing and jewelry, and even including mobile phone numbers, that are said to have undergone "Kai Guang." This is undoubtedly a surprising phenomenon. Originally, the term "Kai Guang" (opening the light) originated from Buddhism, meaning to dot the eyes of a deity statue to imbue it with spiritual vitality. Over time, whether due to overuse or dilution, the term has become so widespread that now almost any item is claimed to have been "Kai Guang."
In contrast, Taoism has never had the concept of worldly "Kai Guang" since ancient times. What is recorded is the use of boundless light to refine and deliver the souls of the deceased, and in the world of the living, the Three Lights (Sun, Moon, and Stars) are used to benefit the world. Later generations, for reasons unknown and somewhat strangely, also referred to various items whose spiritual nature had been awakened as having undergone "Kai Guang." Upon investigation, it was found that the public's acceptance of the term "Kai Guang" is quite high, leading many to believe that items without "Kai Guang" lack spiritual power. Consequently, "Kai Guang" has become synonymous with infusing an item with magical power.
Generally speaking, there are only a few methods to make an item possess special efficacy:
1. Using a method that replicates information, placing the item in a specific energy field to assimilate it, thereby imbuing the item with benign information. This is the lowest level; although the infusion effect exists, it is usually very poor. To enhance the effect, one must rely on powerful magical artifacts left behind by ancient cultivators, such as the sarira (relics) of high monks after cremation or Taoist-made spiritual swords. However, such treasures are precious, often serving as the treasures of a mountain or sect, and cannot be casually used.
2. The practitioner concentrates their magical power and injects it directly into the item. This is a direct infusion, which yields better results. However, the problem is that it is difficult to mass-produce, and the process is extremely time-consuming. True masters who can awaken spirits usually do not engage in this unless they are refining magical tools for themselves. Of course, there are other tricks to enhance production efficiency in this process.
3. Leaving a "Fu Qiao" (ritual aperture) and then allowing the divine energy wheel to flow into it. It is unknown which generation of ancestors invented this method, but it combines the effects of the previous two methods. For example, a talisman inviting the God of Wealth cannot have the God of Wealth sitting in the recipient's home every day, as the magical power and offerings required would not be cost-effective. Therefore, the most effective method is to set up a deity statue or leave a ritual aperture, taking turns inviting the deity to enter the aperture, thereby achieving the effect of boosting wealth and profit. However, this also has a problem, which is perhaps a secret of the ages that no one dares to reveal: regardless of which deity is worshipped, when the incense and offerings initially increase, the efficacy becomes more and more accurate. But after exceeding a certain threshold, the accuracy and the frequency of having requests granted begin to decrease. This is mainly due to the deity's power being too dispersed.
(Some may foolishly disbelieve these words, but the wise will understand them upon reflection.)
Among the above three methods, the third one is the easiest to handle and can be considered a method for the masses, although its efficacy is inevitably reduced. However, this is similar to the fact that all things can be divided into three grades and nine ranks; for humans, this is also one of the laws of the human world.
As for specific techniques, there are many categories and various strange methods. However, the general principle is still to follow a certain ritual (which is very important), and then imbue the item with corresponding information, thereby influencing the person using the item (sometimes influencing the feng shui environment).
Strictly speaking, the term "Kai Guang" is very imprecise. "Kai Guang" is just one of the methods for leaving a ritual aperture to create a space for inviting the deity. Although its meaning has expanded in later generations, it remains a rather vague and inappropriate description. It blurs the boundaries between various techniques and vaguely describes the differences in the strength of effects after different methods. In short, this term is very unorthodox.