30A-30B-2000 24032000

Date: 24 March 2000

Location: Xian Sheng’s house, Taman Melawati

Table of Contents

(A) Medical benefits of dry fasting.
  1. Xian Sheng aims to offer a concise explanation of the medical benefits linked to 24-hour dry fasting, focusing solely on the medical perspective. He does not want spiritual considerations such as sins to be discussed.
  2. Xian Sheng briefly digressed, suggesting that moving forward, we should use “拜主” or “Pray to the CREATOR” instead of “拜天公” or “Pray to TIAN GONG.”
  3. In 1976, when Xian Sheng started praying to the CREATOR, he initiated the practice of dry fasting within the Baitiangong Spiritual Movement by abstaining from food and water for three days and three nights.
  4. In 1977, from the 23rd to the 26th of November, he led a group of 37 followers in fasting for three days and three nights during the inaugural Spiritual Retreat at Bukit Ari, Kepong.
  5. In 1978, fasting became a standard practice for Baitiangong followers. Subsequently, they adopted the 1st and 15th days of the Chinese lunar calendar for fasting.1
  6. Xian Sheng stated that the standard fasting practice in Baitiangong, involving abstaining from both food and water (dry fasting), lasts for 24 hours. This duration aligns with the minimum period recommended in the research paper that Xian Sheng presented to the followers.
  7. If the fasting duration falls short of the recommended 24-hour period, the effectiveness of fasting may not be fully realised, such as in the thorough cleansing of the blood vessels.
  8. Reading from the research paper, Xian Sheng stated that dry fasting can enhance our immune system. Additionally, it has a detoxification effect by eliminating toxins from our body. Xian Sheng then inquired about the Chinese word for obesity. (Dry fasting can result in weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced body fat percentage.) It also contributes to the rejuvenation of the senses. The five senses include sight (vision), hearing (auditory), taste (gustatory), smell (olfactory), and touch (tactile). Xian Sheng explained that as a person ages, the senses may experience a diminished or declined state, but dry fasting helps rejuvenate them.
  9. When an individual has not eaten and experiences hunger, this arises from the physiological needs of the body. Physiological pertains to the physical and chemical processes of the body. Conversely, appetite, or the non-physical urge to eat, is psychological. (Appetite is influenced by emotions, mood, food availability, social factors, and environmental cues.) Xian Sheng mentioned that this psychological urge can be eliminated or curbed as it is not essential for the body.
  10. The scientific research on dry fasting was published in 1998, while Baitiangong followers had already commenced dry fasting as early as 1977. Dry fasting became a norm in the Baitiangong Spiritual Movement in 1978, and Xian Sheng himself initiated fasting in 1976. This indicates that Baitiangong followers were already cognizant of the benefits of dry fasting long before any scientific research was conducted on it.
  11. Xian Sheng introduced the term “overhaul of the body,” drawing a parallel to the overhaul of an engine. While the research paper utilised the term “rejuvenate,” for the layman, the term “overhaul” would be easier to visualise, signifying a comprehensive yearly cleaning and major repairs to address wear and tear, ensuring the body’s optimal performance and condition.
(B) Fasting is food for the soul.
  1. From a spiritual standpoint, the benefit of fasting is that it serves as food for the soul. This tells us that the soul does not require food.
  2. Xian Sheng smiled as he mentioned that certain souls need to eat, depending on where they are. In some negative planes of Hell, the soul must work, must feel hunger and must feel gastric pains. Thus, they must work to earn their food; otherwise, they will go hungry.
  3. On Earth, some individuals do not need to work but still manage to eat. Many such lazy individuals do not have to work but still expect to be fed.
  4. When asked for examples of lazy people, Bro Tan eagerly suggested Emperor Yong Zheng. Xian Sheng accepted his answer and added that Emperor Yong Zheng was the father of Emperor Qian Long from the Qing Dynasty.
  5. Emperor Yong Zheng wrote in his Sacred Edict that, in Buddhism, monks truly enjoyed their lives as they did not need to work yet could still eat by begging for food. The Emperor described them using the phrase “游手无赖,” which means vagrants who are lazy and don’t want to work or engage in anything productive and live by begging. Xian Sheng added that it was most unfortunate that Emperor Yong Zheng did not take any actions to halt their begging routines and compel them to work like the rest of his citizens.
The Sacred Edict. Translated by Baller F.W
Page 77

(C) People become inhumane because they prayed wrongly.
  1. Xian Sheng asked which country, where the majority of people pray to idols and monks beg for food, has the most cruel people in the world.
  2. The answer is Thailand. They spend long hours praying fervently to idols crafted from stones. In reality, they are not praying to the deities but rather to stone objects resembling their deities, sculpted by humans. These objects exert control over those who pray to them, harnessing the life force energy absorbed from worshippers over prolonged periods.
  3. Xian Sheng referred to the recent incident on the 24th of January 2000, where a group of 11 Burmese rebels known as Karen Rebels, composed of children aged between 12 and 18 years old, had taken control of Ratchaburi Hospital. The Karen rebels did not intend to hold the hospital hostage but to use it as leverage to request the Thai government to stop shelling their camps near the Thai border in Myanmar. The Burmese army had bombed their camps and driven them towards the border of Thailand, where they sought to establish autonomy and self-determination for the Karen minority in Myanmar.
  4. The Karen rebels are merely children, with some as young as 12 years old. Although they resorted to using firearms to take control of the hospital, they are not terrorists. Xian Sheng explained that terrorism involves violent acts by extremists. The young rebels’ intentions are not violent; instead, they aim to create a situation to negotiate with the Thai government to cease shelling their camps and seek refuge with them.
  5. The young rebels are not terrorists, as reported by Thai citizens. When the Thai elite forces stormed the hospital compound, the young rebels did not even fire a single shot. Instead, they laid down their weapons and surrendered. Despite their considerate actions to prevent civilian deaths, the Thai forces showed no leniency. Instead, they forced the rebels to strip naked, kneel down, and then shoot them in the back of their heads.
  6. This is an actual event. Xian Sheng asked if any followers read about this incident in the newspaper. As only one follower acknowledged, Xian Sheng expressed his disappointment, citing that they did not seek knowledge while knowledge is very important.
  7. Xian Sheng expressed his disgust at the cruelty of the Thai security forces as he mimicked the actions of those Thais, using his hand to represent the gun and simulating shooting at the back of the head of the young children.
  8. Xian Sheng gave another example of the cruelty of the Thai people regarding how they treated the Vietnamese refugees, better known as “boat people.” The boat people were not only robbed of their possessions, such as jewellery, and their women brutally raped, but they were then cast back into their boats and set adrift in the open sea. The Thai navy, coast guards, and pirates were complicit in these atrocious acts of cruelty.
  9.  Xian Sheng reiterated that the Thais are among the most cruel people, and their actions are utterly unacceptable and wrong. Those who flee their country as refugees should be welcomed with open arms and provided with assistance. Instead, they were abducted, raped, and murdered.
  10. Xian Sheng inquired whether the followers were familiar with the history of the Vietnam War, which led to the boat people crisis. He further mentioned that girls as young as 9 years old were subjected to rape and subsequently cast back into the sea to perish.
  11. Xian Sheng raised the question: “Do such cruel people exist in the world?” His answer was a resolute “Yes.” The reason is that they prayed wrongly. Those who pray correctly and pray to the CREATOR would never engage in such actions.
  12. Returning to the boat people matter, he said that people should prioritise helping others. However, the refugees on the boats, who had nothing to eat, were victims of robbery, rape, murder, and their bodies were discarded into the sea. The Thais had the option to exploit them by trading food at inflated prices for the refugees’ gold and letting them go unharmed. Instead, they exhibited their most atrocious, cruel, and inhumane behaviour towards them.
  13. Xian Sheng emphasised that if they had prayed correctly, they would not have acted in such a manner. He further elaborated that if the Thais had prayed correctly, their children aged from 13 to 14 would not have become prostitutes. He informed the followers that Thailand has an abundance of young girls available for paedophiles. He concluded that many religions had been praying incorrectly.
(D) Are Muslims in Indonesia praying correctly?
  1. Xian Sheng shared a CNN news report he watched today, dated 24th March 2000, in which a Japanese reporter interviewed the chairman of an investigation board. The chairman stated that Indonesian Prime Minister Abdurrahman Wahid would pardon General Wiranto’s crimes, even if the commission found him guilty.
  2. Xian Sheng added that if Abdurrahman Wahid pardoned General Wiranto, then Wiranto would be absolved of his crimes in East Timor. Xian Sheng questioned the justice for the families of the victims in East Timor.
  3. The issue that Xian Sheng is more inclined to address is the fact that the soldiers involved in the massacres are Muslims. According to Xian Sheng, if they are Muslims who pray to the CREATOR, they are not supposed to indiscriminately kill and rape civilians.
  4. Xian Sheng commented that thousands of civilians were killed and their bodies buried in mass graves, yet those responsible claimed to be Muslims.
  5. Xian Sheng inquired whether a Muslim who pray to the CREATOR would commit such atrocities as the soldiers did in East Timor. He stated that individuals who truly pray to the CREATOR would never commit such heinous acts.
  6. It is unlikely that the top brass in the military ordered the soldiers to kill and rape civilians. However, even if they did, the soldiers should not obey such a command as it is morally wrong.2
  7. Xian Sheng stated that the soldiers could act righteously by instructing unarmed civilians to flee from the conflict zone.
  8. Xian Sheng opined that the soldiers should step forward to inform the commission that their commanding officers ordered them to kill and rape civilians. Despite the ongoing investigations and the report not being released yet for any actions to be taken against the perpetrators, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid had already announced that he would pardon General Wiranto if he were found guilty.
  9. The chairman of the investigating commission commented that despite President Abdurrahman Wahid’s potential pardon for General Wiranto, the fact that Wiranto held high posts in the Indonesian government meant that he had received due punishment through public disgrace and shaming.
  10. Xian Sheng disagreed with the chairman’s comment, stating that it was wrong as General Wiranto would be absolved of his crimes in East Timor. This would mean that a repeat of the massacre and rape could happen again due to the failure of the Indonesian justice system.
  11. The reality is that while Wiranto may escape punishment on Earth, he will not escape divine punishment in the afterlife. 
  12. Xian Sheng explains that a person who say they are a Muslim and claims to pray to the CREATOR, but if their actions do not conform to those of one who prays to the CREATOR, when they die, they will suffer. There is no escape for them. 
  13. Wiranto may have held high posts on Earth that accord him freedom from prosecution, but the time will come when he will die, and there will be no escape from divine justice.
  14. There are many such cases where the issue of praying incorrectly is the prevailing cause of problems.
  15. As Baitiangong followers, Xian Sheng emphasised many times that we should only kill in self-defence against individuals who intend to kill us. We must initiate the action to kill someone. We must not think of killing someone or harming someone. Referring to yesterday’s court case, he added that we must not think of telling lies.
(E) Chinese people are good at telling lies.
  1. In the previous clip, Xian Sheng mentioned that we must not think of telling lies. In a recent court case, Fong Chan Onn enlisted two stooges to tell lies in court despite being sworn to tell the whole truth. For more information, please refer to 24B-2000 C5 & C8.
  2. Xian Sheng asked Bro Phuah Kim Yean to confirm their seating positions on the bus that day, and he affirmed that Xian Sheng sat at the front while Fong Chan Onn sat at the back. Despite sitting at opposite ends, Fong Chan Onn lied to the court, claiming that Xian Sheng personally informed him that Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH) rejected the Spiritual Movement booking in 1982.3
  3. Xian Sheng questioned the credibility of Fong Chan Onn. Nonetheless, there will come a time when he will face death, and he will not evade Divine Justice.
  4. Xian Sheng expressed his bewilderment at the current crop of Chinese politicians, such as Fong Chan Onn, who encourage people to go to court and lie on their behalf yet still have supporters who help them secure ministerial positions. The reason is because he excels at telling lies.
  5. Recently, the Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Jit Poh published an article in which Fong Chan Onn lied that Lim Keng Yaik and Alex Lee left MCA and took their government posts with them.
  6. Xian Sheng shared that during the early 70s, he, Lim Keng Yaik, and Alex Lee collaborated on fostering Chinese unity within MCA. He affirmed that Lim Keng Yaik and Alex Lee did not take any government posts with them, as Fong Chan Onn claimed. They were both expelled by Tan Siew Sin and did not leave voluntarily, as suggested by Fong Chan Onn.4
  7. When the newspaper published the lies uttered by Fong Chan Onn, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (PGRM) responded by stating that Fong Chan Onn is a person who distorts facts.
  8. It is, therefore, not surprising that a person who intentionally distorts facts would enlist others to attend court and lie on his behalf.
  9. Xian Sheng stated that one negative quality of the Chinese people is that they are very good at telling lies. He explained that this is why he prefers to be identified as a Malaysian rather than as a Chinese.
  10. The Chinese lie for various reasons, including money, position, husband, wife, and to curry favour with ministers.
  11. However, in Baitiangong, Xian Sheng taught the followers never to tell lies. We must always speak the truth or remain silent. Thus, Baitiangong followers differ from the general Chinese population in this regard.
  12. In the Baitiangong Spiritual Movement, we are praying to the CREATOR. If we truly wish to pray to the CREATOR, we must truly conduct ourselves in the best possible way.
  13. If we profess to be followers who pray to the CREATOR, but our actions contradict this, then our sins would be far more grievous.
  14. Nevertheless, there are advantages to being a Baitiangong follower. When we pass away, we have followers who will pray to the CREATOR to seek pardon, forgiveness, and to lessen our sins. However, this is the extent to which our brothers and sisters can assist us. Our sins can only be lessened after our death; during our lifetime, there is no lessening of sins. The only way to address them is by doing more good deeds to compensate for our sins.
(F) Think good thoughts when fasting.
  1. Xian Sheng emphasised that there are many things we need to know. During fasting, we need to take the time to discern whether something is right or wrong.
  2. Is it right or wrong that individuals too lazy to work are still getting food for free? This is especially true with Buddhist monks, who beg for food.
  3. However, from the monk’s perspective, it is right that they should beg for food. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult for us to say they are wrong, as the monks believe they are right.
  4. Xian Sheng wonders how he can explain to the monks that their actions are wrong. The reality is that begging for food is easier than working for food.
  5. Xian Sheng asked whether there was any difference between a married and a single person. A person who does not want to marry does not have to bear the responsibilities of parenthood.
  6. They would not be able to know and understand the proverb, “養不教 父之過 教不嚴 師之惰”, which means that if parents do not raise their children properly, it is the parents’ fault; and if teachers do not teach their students strictly, it is the teachers’ fault.
  7. Therefore, fasting is a good time for us to ponder these questions. One of the important questions to consider is why the CREATOR created us humans.
  8. Fasting is a time for us to think good thoughts. We need to maintain good thoughts and refrain from evil thoughts. Xian Sheng explained that when we fast, our blood is relieved from its job of transporting nutrients throughout our body. When we fast and think good thoughts, our thoughts will have a greater effect on the cells and blood in our physical body.5 When we donate blood, our blood would carry our good consciousness to the recipients too.
  9. Xian Sheng reiterates that when we fast, our consciousness is projected onto our body and blood, which is why we need to think good thoughts. There are many other spiritual explanations besides fasting is food for the soul.
(G) Baitiangong is all about freedom.
  1. Xian Sheng was reading an article about the Movement For The Restoration Of The Ten Commandments Of God. As Xian Sheng did not provide any insights or discuss the details beyond reading what the article published, I will not reproduce the transcript here.
  2. Sis Lim Yew Eng commented that when it comes to religion, once an adherent believes in that faith, they will trust whatever its leaders say.
  3. Xian Sheng responded that for Baitiangong’s new followers, he would constantly remind them not to believe anything he says blindly. One reason is to counter blind faith. It is important that they investigate for themselves whether what he said is right or wrong. They should accept it if they deem it is right and reject it if it is wrong.
  4. However, once we have finally accepted Baitiangong, we cannot say that we do not accept what Xian Sheng said.
  5. There were some followers who said they accept Baitiangong, but they do not accept Xian Sheng. He rolled his eyes and smiled as he said that he was at a loss to explain this. Nevertheless, they left the spiritual movement in the end.
  6. Xian Sheng put forth the question for us to contemplate how one can accept Baitiangong but cannot accept Xian Sheng. It was Xian Sheng who asked them to pray to the CREATOR in the first place.
  7. Xian Sheng proposed that the answer is that they have forgotten what Xian Sheng quoted, “TIANGONG did not ask you to pray to HIM; I ask you to pray to TIANGONG”. It is, therefore, only logical that we have to accept Xian Sheng, or else why bother to accept TIANGONG as TIANGONG never asked? He clarified that accepting Xian Sheng does not mean we must also worship Xian Sheng.
  8. Xian Sheng emphasised that humans have freedom and do not need to follow blindly. Humans have 100% freedom in their choices. GOD created humans and gave them freedom. We are free to choose this or that. That is why Baitiangong’s followers have a lot of freedom.
  9. Xian Sheng said he sometimes wondered whether Baitiangong followers are accorded too much freedom. He gave the example that in Christianity, the clergy can speak, but not the adherents.6
  10. In Baitiangong, Xian Sheng allows everyone to speak out. The floor is open to anyone who would like to speak after Xian Sheng’s talk if they are not satisfied with what he said in his sermons. Humans have freedom, and that is why they are free to speak out if they think Xian Sheng is wrong and they are right. This is where the Baitiangong Spiritual Movement differs from others.
  11. Many mainstream religions behave similarly when it comes to questioning or speaking out against the teachings. The leaders can speak freely, while the adherents have limited freedom in speaking and questioning. Xian Sheng asked Bro Phuah Kim Yean since he experienced such an encounter with the pastor when he briefly joined a Christian group at Davidson Road. Xian Sheng reiterated that in Baitiangong, one is free to ask any questions without fear of being reprimanded.
  12. Xian Sheng recounted a long car ride he took with Bro Phuah, where they debated throughout the entire journey. Xian Sheng patiently took the time to explain everything to him. He turned to Bro Phuah and asked him for verification. Subsequently, he asked Bro Phuah if he thought a Christian pastor would allow him to debate about Christian doctrines and beliefs.
  13. Xian Sheng stated his frank opinion that no Christian clergy would permit such a debate to prolong. The debate would quickly reach a limit where it ceases abruptly as the Bible cannot be challenged.
  14. Baitiangong is a dynamic and continually evolving Spiritual Movement with activities best suited to progress and change with the times.
  15. Sis Lim Yew Eng stated that it is not logical for religion to limit one’s freedom so that one conforms to what the religion perceives as right. She added that in Baitiangong, we have the freedom to do what we think is right, but if we are wrong, we will bear the consequences. Xian Sheng confirmed that the price of freedom is that one would have to bear the consequences if they are wrong.
(H) People exhibit contradictory behaviour.
  1. Xian Sheng mentioned a recent event that he deemed as people exhibiting contradictory behaviour.7 He was referring to the “Stoning of the Devil” ritual performed by pilgrims during the Hajj in the city of Mina. During this ritual, pilgrims would pick up 49 pebbles and throw them, one at a time, at three pillars representing Satan.8
  2. Xian Sheng reminisced about his old friend Datul Wan Ilal, whom he hadn’t contacted for a long time. Both Wan Ilal and his son tragically lost their lives when the bus they were travelling in overturned in Mecca. Prior to receiving the title Datuk, En Wan Ilal and Xian Sheng were members of an anti-dadah (anti-drugs) committee in Jinjang. Wan Ilal had previously served as the Assistant District Officer of Jinjang (ADO) and later went on to become the Director General of Lands and Mines.
  3. Xian Sheng explained that the Anti-Dadah Committee is a government body dedicated to combating drug abuse in Malaysia. He warned that if he discovered any followers in possession of cocaine or heroin, he would not hesitate to report them, even if they are Baitiangong followers. He proposed that those with these drugs should immediately dispose of them before he found out and report them to the committee.
  4. When it comes to items that are harmful to people, Xian Sheng will not show any sympathy towards anyone owning them.
  5. Xian Sheng recalled an incident where a Baitiangong follower was detained by the police. The mother phoned Xian Sheng and asked him to help her son. Instead of agreeing to help procure the release of her son, Xian Sheng told her that her son deserved to be arrested and thrown into the lockup. He also advised her not to bail her son out and let him remain detained. If she were to request Xian Sheng to go to the police station, he would slap his son twice in the face and subsequently request the police officer to detain him longer.
  6. He emphasised that he literally said that in their phone conversation. He repeated the conversation again with the addition that the mother admitted to Xian Sheng that her son had done something wrong. This prompted Xian Sheng to say that her son was rightfully detained for doing something wrong. Xian Sheng laughed when he related that the mother got the shock of her life.
  7. When the mother sought clarification, Xian Sheng told her that her son had done something wrong and deserved to be detained for 24 hours. Hopefully, the detention would awaken him, and he would change his wrongful ways. However, if her son did not change his ways, then she would have doomed him for being an irresponsible mother.
  8. Xian Sheng knew the officer in charge of that police station, and he could have easily asked for the son to be released. However, it was not the right move, as the son deserved to be detained for doing wrong. Xian Sheng added that there is nothing wrong with being detained; on the contrary, it is good if it helps someone to wake up from their predicament.
  9. Xian Sheng said he was arrested back in 1983. A follower mentioned that Xian Sheng was unjustly arrested. However, Xian Sheng felt that he was not treated unjustly; instead, he described it as a beautiful experience. The followers laughed when he explained that he had the opportunity to experience imprisonment without committing any criminal offences. He claimed bragging rights to being imprisoned without any crimes. Xian Sheng joked that while most people are imprisoned for committing offences, he is imprisoned for doing nothing wrong. (Xian Sheng was imprisoned for praying to the CREATOR.)
  10. He joked about knowing the bitter taste of prison life. Therefore, he understands the bitterness Anwar Ibrahim felt in prison. Nonetheless, he stated that Anwar’s imprisonment holds little significance, as the day will arrive when he will be exonerated of the charges and emerge as a free man. Xian Sheng emphasised that Anwar would walk away as a free man if he was innocent.
  11. The real issue is that we should not commit any crimes that would warrant imprisonment. However, if we were incarcerated for doing a good deed, then it holds little consequence. Anyone who commits criminal acts deserves to be imprisoned.
  1. This decision is rooted in the familiarity of these two days within the Chinese community. The cultural belief linking lunar phases to human behaviour played a minor role in the decision-making. Nonetheless, fasting would help to alleviate these psychosomatic symptoms as fasting requires the mental discipline to think good, see good, hear good along with bodily abstinence from eating, cursing, smoking, alcohol, sexual intercourse and other undesirable habits.
  2. The Geneva Conventions do not condone soldiers obeying orders from their commanding officers to kill and rape civilians. Article 3 specifically prohibits murder, mutilation, torture, the taking of hostages, unfair trial, and cruel, humiliating and degrading treatment. According to International Humanitarian Law, Rule 155 states: Obeying a superior order does not relieve a subordinate of criminal responsibility if the subordinate knew that the act ordered was unlawful or should have known because of the manifestly unlawful nature of the act ordered.
  3. SCAH had indeed accepted bookings in both 1981 and 1982 but cancelled the 1982 booking at the last minute on Saturday, 2 October 1982. The venue was officially renamed the KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) in 2006.
  4. When Lim Keng Yaik was expelled from MCA in 1973, he had already resigned from his government positions as senator and cabinet member. He did not carry over these posts to Gerakan, which was an opposition party at the time.
  5. The Mind-Body connection explains that our thoughts can significantly affect our body. When a person is fasting, the digestive system goes into a relaxed state. Xian Sheng explained that all of GOD's creation has consciousness, and we can assume that in a relaxed state, the mind-body connection is greatly amplified, and our good consciousness would also greatly affect our blood.
  6. While the adherents are allowed to speak, they must do so respectfully and align with the Biblical teachings. In other words, they cannot object or question the Bible.
  7. "矛盾" describes the contradictory nature between the irrational behaviour exhibited by individuals and the absence of a rational basis for their actions, often in response to religious influence without logical justification.
  8. This enactment mirrors the story of Abraham stoning the devil and symbolises the rejection of Satan's temptations. It's worth noting that until 2004, the jamarāt were tall pillars, but Saudi authorities replaced them with walls for safety reasons after the 2004 Hajj.