พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าการปรึกษาพระได้ 'แนวทาง' ตามหลักกฎแห่งกรรม ส่วนหมอดูมัก 'ฟันธง' วันเวลา ผู้ที่นิยมหมอดูมักเป็นศรัทธาจริตที่ต้องการคำตอบและการปลอบใจ ส่วนความมั่นใจของหมอดูมาจากศาสตร์ของเขาที่ระบุช่วงเวลา แต่ผลจริงขึ้นอยู่กับสัดส่วนของกุศลอกุศลภายในตัวPra Ajarn explains that consulting a monk gives 'a direction' based on the law of karma, while a fortune-teller tends to give a definite verdict of times and dates. Those drawn to fortune-tellers are often of the faith-type, wanting answers and reassurance; the fortune-teller's confidence comes from their craft, but the real outcome depends on the proportion of wholesome and unwholesome within.
Someone observed that people who study Buddhism still like to visit fortune-tellers, and asked about the difference between consulting a monk and a fortune-teller — since a monk gives only a direction based on the law of karma, without pinning down dates, whereas a fortune-teller gives a definite verdict.
A Monk Gives Direction; A Fortune-Teller Gives a Definite Answer
Those who go to fortune-tellers tend to be of the (saddhā-carita), with less reasoning and more belief — somewhere between blind credulity and belief unaccompanied by reasoning. Yet one can't say it's entirely without reason, because where there is a real possibility, it is a kind of law of karma. People want to know their future — whether things will go well or badly — so they can prepare. But some keep shopping among fortune-tellers until they find one who says what they want to hear, to reassure themselves.
The Faith-Type: Wanting to Hear the Future More Than the Method of Practice
Those with a bit more discernment come to a monk, who gives a direction grounded in wisdom, whereas the fortune-teller's is grounded in credulity. Strangely, if a monk could foretell the future, people would be delighted — yet they don't want to hear how they should practice. Conversely, a monk who teaches the correct method of practice draws little interest; people want only to hear about their own future.
On Ordination and a Fortune-Teller's Verdict
Someone related that after ordaining, they were sent a fortune-teller's audio clip saying they had ordained too briefly, so the merit wouldn't bear fruit — they needed to ordain longer. Pra Ajarn explained that what matters more is how pure the mind was during ordination. If the mind is very pure, ordaining long yields much merit; but if the mind isn't pure, even a long ordination yields little. Someone who ordains three days with a pure mind gains more merit than one who ordains three months without . The fortune-teller, however, declared flatly that the ordination was too short, drawing on their own craft.
A Fortune-Teller's Confidence Comes From Their Craft; The Real Outcome Lies in the Proportion of Wholesome and Unwholesome
The fortune-teller's confidence comes from their craft, which specifies times and periods. Practicing that trade, they must be confident in it, and must reinforce others' confidence in their craft. But the real outcome depends on the proportion of wholesome and unwholesome within us. For some matters that can't be helped, Luang Phor said to await the next Buddha to come — meaning help is given as far as it can be. Ordinarily people rely on the three inner natural forces to guide them, and when uncertain, they turn to a fortune-teller.