A saint to protect your life

The woman bowed to the old monk and asked:

• Master, does the temple still hold the star offerings today?
  The old monk, bustling about rummaging through a mess of scriptures without looking back at the woman, replied:
• This temple doesn't hold star offerings, because in Buddhism there are no scriptures about the stars.
  The woman asked anxiously:
• Master, then what if there's a clash or bad luck this year? I see many places holding star offerings. Now that the season of star offerings has passed I don't know whom to ask; please, Master, make the star-misfortune offering for me.
  The old monk, still not bothering to look up, replied:
• Here I don't make star offerings, but I do pray for A SAINT TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE THROUGH THE YEAR. Open the book and see which venerable bodhisattva your birth year matches, and I'll take the card with that figure's image, write your name underneath, and chant sutras for you; then you take the PROTECTOR card home, put it on the altar at home and venerate it all year, remembering to bow properly every day. With a saint protecting your life, you'll be safe and fortunate all year.
• How wonderful! Please look up which venerable bodhisattva I match and take the card for me.
• The book is on the table there; look up the stem and branch, and whether male or female, and you'll find the saint protecting your life this year.

The woman opened the very old book and leafed through it, muttering:

• Kỷ is on this side, Mùi on this side, female on this side. The saint protecting life in 2019 is the Venerable Sivali.
  The woman turned to ask the monk:
• The saint protecting my life this year is the Venerable Sivali. What does that mean, Master?
  The old monk, still not looking up, replied:
• The Venerable Sivali was an extraordinarily outstanding arhat in the time when the Buddha was alive. He had great merit in matters of wealth and fortune. If he protects your life this year, you'll be safe all year and have good luck with wealth and fortune.
  The woman exclaimed:
• How happy I am! So where do I take his card from now?
  The old monk pointed to the box by the shelf:
• That box over there. Bring it here and I'll write your name on it and chant sutras for you tonight. Remember to come back after the chanting and take it home to venerate through this year, all right?

The woman hurried over, opened the box, rummaged around and pulled out a large card printed with the image of the Venerable Sivali, and brought it back to give to the old monk. The old monk asked her name and age and wrote them under the card, then stacked it on the pile of cards already there. He said:

• You may go home. Come back this evening after the chanting and take the card home.
• Master, how much is it?
  The old monk grew irritated:
• This is a temple, and you ask the price as if it were a sales service. I'm so angry I won't make the offering.
• Yes, yes, I'm sorry, but I'd like to make a small offering.
• Offerings are as your heart guides you; put them in the merit box in the main hall over there. 👳‍♂️

What has principle, origin and merit will surely have better results than what is irrational. Everyone is anxious at the start of the year, but looking for something more reasonable and right to rely on will be better for the mind and for life.