The Process of Cultivation: Are Deities Here to Visit or to Test Us?

Is the process of cultivation about encountering deities and Buddhas, or is it a test?

We often hear people who have been practicing for a while say that they have seen deities or Buddhas manifest, either to teach them, to guide them in their tasks, or to prophesy events that are about to happen.
It seems they begin to believe that they possess extraordinary divine powers as if they are superior beings with deities as their support. They take pride in these abilities, thinking they can do anything. But at this moment, can you discern whether this is a true deity or just an illusion?

The well-known story tells us that when the Buddha was meditating, demonic spirits manifested to shake his resolve, but the Buddha remained unfazed and focused solely on his practice, thus achieving enlightenment.

You might say, “I am so focused on my cultivation; of course I would have spiritual powers.” But is this really spiritual power? We all know that
the human body and mind have infinite potential waiting to be developed. The human body carries positive and negative ions; when encountering deities or Buddhas, it’s like our bodies act as radios.
When you turn on the receiving waves, you can pick up signals from matching frequencies. However, these frequencies may not necessarily come from true deities; they could also be entities from the spirit world.
This happens because you are fixated on certain deities and their powers appearing before you, which disturbs your mind and prevents you from concentrating fully on developing your deeper potential.

Are there no deities? Of course there are! But consider this: the reason why deities become deities is due to their immense spiritual power. Do they need someone else to accomplish their tasks?
Or do they require someone to contribute money? Do they instruct you to go here and there seeking spiritual powers? Reflecting back… The reason why gods undergo numerous trials and tribulations to attain divinity is not so that a mortal has to run around everywhere providing cash and treasures for them to use extravagantly.
Do powerful gods really need your money to pass through barriers??
The matter of gold and silver is not merely a mortal’s habit; if you read the Bible, Buddhist scriptures, Taoist texts, the Quran, or Tibetan scriptures… which of these texts instructs you to use money for divine favors?

They do not teach you merely to accumulate blessings by being kind-hearted towards others, honoring your parents, maintaining family ties, or upholding morality for future generations. So does God need you to convert wealth into offerings for favors?
Converting gold and silver in exchange for higher-level spiritual powers— the answer is: absolutely not. Deities show compassion; because of your diligent practice,
when you encounter moments of confusion or difficulties ahead of you, they will timely illuminate a lamp of wisdom for you—helping you understand whether you’re on the right path at that moment,
and whether it’s suitable for yourself—but they will never ask for contributions in exchange for shortcuts that benefit only oneself rather than altruistic actions.

For example: Guan Sheng Di Jun (Lord Guan) is one of the most commonly worshipped deities among Chinese people; however, his key teachings emphasize:
The heart of a mortal is divine; divinity resides within the heart. If one has no guilt in their heart then there’s no guilt towards God; if one deceives themselves then it’s akin to deceiving God. Therefore a gentleman should be cautious in solitude—do not think that darkness can hide deceit nor neglect leaks in one’s house; every action and stillness is observed by divine beings.
Additionally: Being loyal and filial resonates with heaven and earth—it’s not just about holding fast in vegetarianism for divine manifestations… Blessings come with rightful returns while misfortunes do not invade; if one does not eat vegetarian food nor believes in strange doctrines—the underworld equates with city gods; three treasures shine like sun and moon—relieving those in urgent need resolves grievances.
This plainly illustrates that becoming a deity or Buddha means receiving moral offerings as the highest form of respect—it must align with morality at every step without guilt so as to roam freely between heaven and earth.

If gods desire something—they can manifest it instantly without needing mortal offerings from humans; hence such an answer becomes very clear: absolutely not!