She is the second Guan Yin that I will never sell. She came right after my first Lotus on Water gallery was set up.
She is carved in milky white jade, more than a foot tall. She wears a crown of authority, her left hand holding Ruyi (a treasure that grants your hearts desires), her right hand holding a ball (that looks like a crystal ball that sees into future).
Both eyes closed, she has a serene smile that is full of dignity. She perpetually has a glow on her face from the time she came till now.
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| The second Guanyin now sits on the main shelf of the first gallery, overlooking clients getting their blessings here. |
The first day she came, I placed her at the lowest level of the shelves, for a few reasons.
Firstly, because she was rather heavy, the lowest level of the shelves would be able to carry more weight.
Secondly, we did not have a warehouse yet then. Now that we have a warehouse, all new items have got to be stored there to be inspected and tested by the gemstone gemologist, and also to have the value ascertained, price tags fixed before we would place them at the display cabinet.
At that time, we placed our new items at the most inconspicuous corners. After all that need to be done were done, we will then fix the price tags and they were ready to be sold.
On that day, a client came. She stood in the middle of the gallery and looked around her. But when her head turned towards the direction of this Guan Yin, she was startled. I asked her what happened. She said she saw a white lady stood up from that corner.
I walked with this client towards this Guan Yin. When she saw it, she said, "Yes! It was from this statue that the white lady stood up, walked towards me and disappeared."
I stretched out my hands towards the Guan Yin and relaxed my muscle to sense it. It was a sensation of warmth, almost to heat that I felt. Not the kind of cold and terrifying fright that would accompany bad vibes.
I felt this Guan Yin wanted to be placed at a position that is higher and not be made to sit here at an obscure low corner.
So I had her placed at one cabinet that is much higher
A few days later, I sent her to the gemologist for inspection and identification. Many days have passed and no news came from the gemologist. So I called him to hurry. After all, we were suppose to sell this Guan Yin. And I won't sell anything without first have it's quality ascertained by the gemologist.
The gemologist told me that he could not really test what is the material of the Guan Yin. He just could not see it from the surface inspection. I thought in my heart, it's strange because this gemologist has inspected much bigger and heavier jade stone and could ascertain the result straight away (for instance, our 850 kilogram raw jadeite that is siting in our gallery).
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| The 850kg raw jadeite of Lotus on Water. |
Then I asked the gemologist what could he do? He said he may have to cut a piece (probably from the back or bottom) for him to inspect better. I told him if he needed to do so, do it.
But the next day, this Guan Yin was sent back to me. Again without the inspection report.
I called the gemologist again to find out what has happened.
He said a strange thing has happened. Before he tried to chop a piece of specimen from the Guan Yin, he first tried weighing it to see how heavy it is. Once he placed the Guan Yin onto the balance, the balance bent. He cannot weigh the Guan Yin.
Strange. He has used his balance to weigh even heavier things, those that needed two people to carry. And the balance worked perfectly well. But this Guan Yin, although quite heavy, only needed one man to carry. And the balance has bent.
Luckily he has not started trying to chop a piece of material from this Guan Yin. I don't know what would happen to him.
This Guan Yin refused to be weighed and valued.
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| Not to be weighed, not to be valued, not to be measured. |
I am not a person who is capable of bending my principals and regulations easily. I believe that regulations ought to be created carefully and administered consistently. Since this Guan Yin refused to be weighed and inspected by the gemologist, we cannot sell it. I placed her in my gallery and prayed to her for blessings and protection.
From that day onward, my business flourished. I was still seeing clients at those time. Clients have to book two weeks in advance during cool season and three months in advance during peak season. People in Singapore, even those in Europe rumored that my words is as strong as the prophets. Whatever I say, even as a joke, will come into reality. I wondered if that has to do with the ball that she holds in her hand. But in any case, I have learned to curb my tongue, even my witty jokes from then onward.
I have a tarot card reader who is my client. She came to my gallery while I was away doing feng shui. While waiting for me, she took out a pair of "L" shape metal sticks. Holding the shorter end in each fist, she goes to every corner of my gallery. She told my staff, that when the sticks meet bad qi, they will turn inward and cross each other. When the sticks meet good qi, they will turn outward away from each other.
Every corner she went to is good qi, the sticks turned wide apart. But when she came to this Guan Yin, the two sticks just stopped. Unmovable. This Guan Yin refused to be tested this way as well.
Not only did she refuse to be measured, her blessing for us is unmeasurable as well. She has granted us many wishes that were laid before her. And the items that has got the blessing ritual done in front of here were extremely powerful.
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| May the blessings received by our clients be unmeasurable and unimaginable as well. |
Lotus on Water present director, Mr Kan, was just a part-timer then, he wanted a scholarship to go to Peking University in Beijing to study Chinese Language and Literature. His wish was granted. He was overwhelmed by the command of language of the locals. He prayed that he will have good result when he compete against them. He was the top student when he graduated.
A lot of people were curious with the unimaginable progress of Lotus on Water. They are curious about the many miracles that accompany the collections we sell. They came to ask, even bribed our staffs to find out...
Is it the kind of quality your Master used to make the items that make them so powerful? Is it the image that your master have carved that created the miracle? Was it the special vermillion that your Master use? Where did he get it? Did your Master do anything to the items in the warehouse before he brings out to the gallery? Is there any special rituals he is using?
These are the kind of questions they have asked and tried emulating.
Frankly, I am one who believe in scientific and logical ways of doing things, just like I have always insisted a scientific inspection before an item is even placed on the shelves. It's a responsibility to client as well as a respect to the deities. That's why I stubbornly reject using colored glass and fake jade to carve Guan Yin.
Thus I personally make sure that every step will be done with care and seriousness.
However, exactly which part has created the magic? How did the sum add up to the final miracles that happened in our clients lives? I cannot tell.
Like this Guan Yin who refused to be weighed and measured, the miraculous results always outweigh the price we pay. And the result is unmeasurable.
-- Master Yun Long Zi, 5 May 2014. The start of summer.
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| Where is the "magic"? |
