Date: 30 April 1999
Location: Xian Sheng’s house at 202 Taman Melawati.
(A) 24-hour fasting allows us to experience our soul.
Xian Sheng explained that the body and soul are interlocked with each other. Consequently, our actions cannot be solely attributed to the body; rather, both the soul and the body act in unison.
Xian Sheng raised the question of why, in Baitiangong, we must pray to the CREATOR with all three—mind, body and soul.
Xian Sheng questioned whether an individual could perform an action (right or wrong) without any conscious thought. He noted that prior to committing an action (immoral or wrong), an inner consciousness would often advise the individual against it. That moral consciousness originated directly from the individual’s mind.
Some actions originate from the soul, but the body executes the action. Xian Sheng explained that the soul and the body may occasionally exist in a state of contradiction regarding specific actions. He advised followers never to dismiss the reality that the soul and body do not always operate in perfect unison.
Xian Sheng said that sometimes, during states of dreaming, the soul might be undergoing a spiritual examination regarding fear, being plunged into a frightening realm while the physical body remained lying on the bed. Sometimes it was the body undergoing an examination, and sometimes it was the soul undergoing an examination.
Nevertheless, we cannot argue why the soul did not carry the body along for the examination, or why the examination was confined to the soul alone. Xian Sheng explained that the reason was to allow us to know that the body and soul were separate entities, as the body slept while the soul underwent the examination in the spiritual realm.
Xian Sheng explained that the clearest demonstration of the soul undergoing a spiritual examination is when we fast for 24 hours without food and water. In states of sleep, some may experience their soul partaking in food, only to suddenly realise they were fasting and immediately stop eating. Xian Sheng clarified that such realisations originated from the soul rather than the physical body, as the body remained asleep. He noted that the soul would even reject and spit out the food. Sometimes, the actions of the soul could manifest physically: a sleeping individual might physically spit, causing their saliva to land on a partner lying beside them in bed.
What Xian Sheng described actually happened, and a follower confirmed experiencing it too. Despite the laughter, Xian Sheng confirmed that it was real and actually happened, which demonstrated that the soul could affect the body.
In summary, Xian Sheng reiterated that the body and soul operated in unison. He explained that the consciousness originating from the mind encompassed both good and evil consciousness, each exerting its influence over our choices. However, the final decision rested entirely with us.
Sometimes, when we intend to pursue a particular course of action, our soul may not agree with us. Indeed, the soul exerts its own consciousness to challenge the body’s inclinations.
Xian Sheng explained that every individual was required to undergo various forms and separate categories of examinations for both the physical body and the soul. He noted that we would also undergo examinations during our dreams.
Xian Sheng noted that Baitiangong followers were fortunate to have the opportunity to realise that their soul is separated from their body. He observed that many individuals lacked such a spiritual insight because their fasting was limited to a half-day. Some fasting practices are wet fasting, where individuals consume water but abstain from food. In contrast, Baitiangong followers practice a dry fast—abstaining from both food and water for a minimum of 24 hours. Xian Sheng explained that this practice enables followers to directly experience the autonomous nature of their soul during sleep, an experience unavailable to those practising partial or daylight-only fasts.
(B) We can control our soul in a dream state and fly like Superman.
Xian Sheng occasionally encouraged followers to observe a 24-hour fast on the 1st and 15th days of the Chinese lunar month. He clarified that while undertaking a fast on these specific days was not compulsory, he noted that it was good for them to make this a standard practice.
Given that two such opportunities occurred each month—on the 1st and 15th days—Xian Sheng suggested that followers attempt to fast on at least one of these dates. He emphasised making the attempt specifically so that followers might observe whether they could experience their soul undergoing an examination on fasting, while the body fasted, noting that the outcome might well surprise them.
When followers dreamt of consuming food while sleeping during a fast, it indicated that their soul was prompting them to eat. Xian Sheng explained that such experiences enabled followers to become aware of their soul’s distinct presence.
The realisation that the soul does not necessarily comply with the body during a fast is an experience that is not only limited to us. Xian Sheng recounted that he had once shared in a sermon how his own soul prompted him to drink water while he was fasting. He expressed mild astonishment that his soul dared to suggest drinking during a fast; nevertheless, being fully cognisant of his situation, Xian Sheng simply brushed the consciousness aside.
Xian Sheng explained that achieving the awareness that the soul is distinct from the body is not an instantaneous occurrence. Rather, it requires years of cultivation (fasting being the best training) before we achieve this realisation that we are sleeping and that we are dreaming.
Upon achieving this level of self-awareness, Xian Sheng provided an example where we could exercise autonomy within a dream state. We no longer needed to fear jumping off a 17th-storey building because we knew that we were just dreaming, that our soul could not die in a dream, and that we would gently descend, floating downward like Superman.
When we know that we are in a dream state, we could choose to fly because our soul could do so safely in our dreams. Consequently, we would be able to control the spiritual examination for our soul, and we would no longer need to fear within our dreams. We would know that our soul is immortal and could not die (like our physical body).
Xian Sheng inquired whether anyone present had experienced dreams in which they flew, whereupon 2 followers raised their hands. Sister Vera shared that she had dreamt of walking rapidly above the ground, akin to the Airwalk trend popular on social media. Xian Sheng commented that given time and continued cultivation, followers would eventually develop the ability to control the actions of their soul within dream states.
(C) Glimpse into the future.
Xian Sheng said that one day, he might grant a special request to the followers to glimpse into the future. He quoted, “If you say it does not exist, it exists. If you say it exists, it does not exist.” (A reverse Schrödinger’s Cat effect.)
Xian Sheng reaffirmed his quotation, “We live to go through an examination in life, and we die to live,” which implied that the future is shaped based on our present actions. Nevertheless, Xian Sheng questioned if GOD wanted us to have a glimpse of the future, a glimpse of what is yet to come; is there then a possible future?
Xian Sheng asked if the followers remembered that he had mentioned in past sermons that he had won the lottery for first prize, second prize and third prize on three separate occasions.
Sister Vera Yap recounted an experience in which she dreamt of seeing a first-prize lottery number on a signboard. Having noted the number down, she purchased a ticket for 50 cents, as purchasing lottery tickets was not a regular habit of hers. Although she did not secure the first prize, she won a consolation prize of RM70. However, she was certain that the number she saw was for the first prize. Xian Sheng subsequently verified that Sister Vera Yap had indeed seen the winning number prior to its official announcement.
Xian Sheng recounted the circumstances surrounding his second-prize lottery win. He saw the number in a future newspaper publication that listed lottery numbers for first, second and third prizes. However, he was determined to target the second prize because he had previously won the first prize. He wanted to know whether he could actually win the second prize on this occasion. Ultimately, Xian Sheng did indeed win the second prize in the lottery.
When Xian Sheng wanted to win the first prize, he recalled that the number appeared before him within a completely white environment during meditation. He bought that number and won the first prize. Subsequently, when he intended to target the second prize, a future, unpublished newspaper appeared to him. Although the page contained numerous numbers, he found himself unable to recall any of them, with the sole exception of the specific number for the second prize.
Xian Sheng noted that winning the third prize was the strangest of them all. The number that appeared to him for the third prize was 0002—a combination that most lottery participants would rarely consider purchasing, but he disregarded the odds and bought the number anyway, which ultimately proved to be the actual third-prize winner. Sister Wong Chew Peng expressed her disbelief that a number such as 0002 could be selected. Nevertheless, because Xian Sheng had specifically intended to target the third prize during that draw, that precise combination appeared to him. Xian Sheng reminded followers that because all four-digit lottery numbers are selected at random, 0002 carries an equal probability of being drawn.
Sister Wong Chew Peng sought confirmation whether all three winning numbers had appeared to Xian Sheng prior to their official publication in the newspapers. Sister Vera Yap admonished her for the query, noting that such a question inadvertently implied Xian Sheng had merely referenced past, already published lottery results to serve as his examples.
It turned out that it was not only Sister Wong Chew Peng who was sceptical of Xian Sheng seeing future lottery numbers. Xian Sheng himself was sceptical, even though he experienced future visions for himself three consecutive times. Xian Sheng rationalised that it could be because he spoke about it and wanted it so intensely that he manifested the numbers in his mind, obtaining the winning prizes through a process similar to the Law of Attraction.
(D) Win at Mahjong from dawn to dusk.
Xian Sheng’s scepticism regarding his foresight of lottery numbers led him to experiment with playing Mahjong, as he wanted to be fully awake and alert to witness the tiles turn in his favour. He said that it was as if he intended to challenge the higher powers by demanding that he must win from dawn to dusk. Upon hearing this, his followers expressed their surprise at the sheer boldness of such a demand.
Xian Sheng recounted the events of the 4-player Mahjong session he shared with three partners, during which his partners continuously lost to him from dawn until dusk. Though visibly frustrated and fuming with anger, his partners persisted, unwilling to accept that Xian Sheng could win every consecutive round. They insisted on rotating seating arrangements, forcing Xian Sheng to continuously change seats across the East, South, West and North positions. Ultimately, out of intense frustration, one player slammed his fists onto the table, overturning it.
The player who had slammed his fists onto the Mahjong table, overturning it, was an employee of Selangor Bus surnamed Yap, though he was better known as Ah Seong. Xian Sheng subsequently learned that he had passed away.
One of Xian Sheng’s former Mahjong partners was a woman who has since passed away, though her husband, Loo Peng Nam, remains alive. Xian Sheng had been searching for him for a long time since he relocated from his residence in Kepong and had recently managed to locate him. Regrettably, he was afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease—the same cognitive condition suffered by former United States President Ronald Reagan—and could no longer recognise his own son. His condition had deteriorated to such an extent that he failed to recognise himself in a photograph, mistaking his own image for that of his brother.
Xian Sheng expressed deep disappointment in Peter Loo, a remisier and the son of his former Mahjong partner, Loo Peng Nam. Xian Sheng had invited Loo Peng Nam to his Chinese New Year Open House so that they could get reacquainted, as Loo Peng Nam was also one of his Mahjong partners. Xian Sheng had requested that Peter Loo transport his father to the event. The sense of disappointment arose when Peter Loo failed to fulfil this request.
Xian Sheng reiterated that his three Mahjong partners on that miraculous day were the wife, Ah Seong, and a third person whose identity Xian Sheng could not recall, though he was certain that person had since passed away. Despite witnessing what amounted to a miracle, his partners refused to accept the possibility of losing every single round. They attempted to alter their fortune by rotating seating positions, yet their efforts proved futile, culminating in rising frustration and, ultimately, fists being slammed onto the table.
Xian Sheng briefly outlined the stakes involved in playing a 4-player Mahjong. A single session among four players could accumulate total stakes reaching as high as RM2,900, based on an initial ante of RM6. Additionally, players typically contributed a house commission, or “water money,” amounting to RM100 per person per session.
That Mahjong session in the 1970s involved very high stakes, where his partners suffered relentless losses until one player ultimately slammed his fists onto the table. This decisive moment led Xian Sheng to fully realise that what he experienced was real and true indeed. Xian Sheng warned that the ability to foresee future lottery numbers and win at Mahjong is not something to be trivialised.
(E) Xian Sheng felt fear for the first time.
Xian Sheng explained that his extraordinary experience with meditation ended with him being locked into his cross-legged position on the third day of meditation. It was during this moment that he was presented with the blank White Book, remaining completely immovable despite all his efforts to break free. Refer to The White Book. He could not move despite all of his struggles.
Xian Sheng recounted that he had never feared any person or circumstance throughout his life, as demonstrated during the tragic May 13 incident in 1969, when he voluntarily drove a pregnant woman to the hospital to give birth while others refused to venture out. Nevertheless, he experienced fear for the very first time in his life during meditation, when he found himself completely unable to move his body.
To illustrate how completely deserted the Kuala Lumpur city centre was during the May 13 tragedy, Xian Sheng noted that he and his 2 colleagues, both armed with pistols, could easily have broken into any bank they chose and taken all the money without a single soul knowing. Fortunately, they did not harbour such bad thoughts.
Xian Sheng was fully aware that opportunistic individuals harboured bad intentions to commit robbery across the deserted city during the 24-hour curfew. When he first entered the Chow Kit market area on 15 May, the buildings remained untouched; however, upon returning on 18 May, numerous buildings had been burnt down. He later learned that looters had systematically emptied these buildings before setting them ablaze. Xian Sheng instructed his followers to visualise a row of 6 4-storey shoplots—once stocked with televisions, furniture, electrical appliances, and various goods—completely stripped clean before being put to the torch.
Despite the tragedy of the situation, some individuals later suggested to Xian Sheng in hindsight that, given the deserted streets and the inevitable looting and destruction of these shoplots, he and his 2 Malay colleagues should have broken the locks themselves to secure a few televisions. They reasoned that Xian Sheng and his colleagues might as well have benefited from the items rather than abandoning them to looters, who systematically stripped the shops and burnt them to the ground.
Xian Sheng asked Brother Robert Yap whether he was aware of the incident. Brother Robert Yap replied that he was well aware of it. Xian Sheng clarified that he was referring specifically to the row of shoplots facing the market. The owner of that row of shoplots was Xian Sheng’s friend, Ng Soon Hin, who had rented them out to the retail tenants.
(F) The body and soul are partners in sin.
Brother Phuah Kim Yean sought clarification regarding Xian Sheng’s earlier explanation of how the soul challenges the physical body by projecting its consciousness through the brain to stop a particular action.
Xian Sheng began by explaining that we must understand that the soul possesses its own distinct brain. When the soul departs from the physical body, it carries its consciousness with it. Consequently, once the soul returns and becomes interlocked with the body again, two separate consciousnesses emerge to challenge one another.
Brother Phuah further refined his question, asking that since the soul is autonomous and controls its own decisions, if the soul actively resists a sinful act yet the physical body commits it regardless, whether it is fair that the soul must carry the burden of that sin upon death.
Xian Sheng concurred with Brother Phuah’s reasoning. He elaborated by pointing out that the body’s physical brain resides within the head, and similarly, the soul’s brain is located inside the head, unless the soul carries it outward (e.g., during meditation or upon death). While interlocked, these two brains function as a single united brain, although their respective consciousnesses continue to challenge each other. Xian Sheng then posed a critical question: “In the end, who decides?”
The ultimate decision is reached jointly by the soul and the body. Xian Sheng explained that without a general consensus between the two, no action can possibly be executed. Consequently, for any action to occur in the end, both the soul and the body must come to an agreement and proceed together, even if the original inclination of one entity ultimately had to be set aside.
Sometimes, the soul may receive a sudden realisation that it had previously lived a past life. This realisation is specifically to make the soul aware that it had come from hell.
In the past, many individuals were well aware that they had come from hell. Nevertheless, they persisted in repeating their sinful deeds. Consequently, both the physical body and the soul are complicit in committing sinful deeds.
Sister Wong Chew Peng suggested that both the body and soul become complicit simply because the individual lacks understanding. Xian Sheng countered this notion, explaining that it is not a lack of understanding but rather that they refuse to understand.
Sister Wong Chew Peng then supported her argument by asserting that such individuals merely lack spiritual knowledge. Xian Sheng disagreed that they lack spiritual knowledge and explained that the fundamental reason is that they plainly refuse to understand.
Xian Sheng stressed that every living individual inherently possesses spiritual knowledge—a truth that remains an inescapable fact. However, people flatly refuse to accept it as reality. One sister concurred, adding that they simply do not wish to listen or learn further in order to discover this reality.
Brother Phuah Kim Yean sought to clarify his understanding that despite the constant internal struggle of consciousness, involving good consciousness and evil consciousness, between the soul and the body within our brains, they ultimately act as one. Xian Sheng confirmed that once an agreement is reached, both the body and the soul inevitably act in total unison.
Brother Phuah sought further clarification on the mechanism by which the body and soul negotiate the moral dimensions—the good and evil—of any proposed action. Xian Sheng affirmed that a negotiation takes place. He likened the process to a business transaction where one partner insists on proceeding while the other partner refuses. They continue to negotiate back and forth until a final agreement is reached, at which point they execute the action together.
Xian Sheng clapped his hands together to visually demonstrate that it takes 2—the soul and the physical body working in complete unison—to carry out any action.
(G) Everyone possesses spiritual knowledge; they just dismiss it.
Sister Wong Chew Peng asked Xian Sheng whether his explanation regarding spiritual knowledge applied solely to individuals who pray to the CREATOR or whether it applied to everyone universally. She further questioned whether there was any difference in the manner in which spiritual knowledge manifests to each individual. Xian Sheng replied that individuals who do not pray to the CREATOR should also know, stressing that there is no excuse for not knowing about it.
Sister Lim Yew Eng suggested that although everyone possesses spiritual knowledge, people simply lack the understanding of how to make good use of it. Xian Sheng strongly disagreed with her view, stating that people simply do not want to pursue, study, or investigate the matter further, and that they do not bother to make any effort to understand it.
Xian Sheng said that certain individuals are fully aware of his presence, yet choose not to approach him to seek the answers that would fulfil their spiritual knowledge. He added that some consider themselves very smart, believing they already possess all the answers.