Friday 28 December 2007

New Moon (Shuo), Full Moon (Wang) & Moon-hiding Period (Hui) in Chinese Custom (朔望晦三日之簡介)

Upon request, heres the explanation on the above mentioned periods.

 

New Moon, in Chinese known as Shuo Ri (朔日), meaning a new start of a Month, definitely will be on the 1st Day.

 

Full Moon, in Chinese known as Wang Ri (望日), meaning the mid of a Month, usually falls on 15th Day or sometime, on the 16th Day.

 

Moon-hiding Period, in Chinese known as Hui Ri (晦日), meaning the ending of a Month or the Moon wont be seen for the next 8-10days, etc (Hui Ri can also meant the Lunar Eclispe 月蝕日).

 

In the Ancient Era (Chinese History), on Shuo Wang Days, the Officers or the Imperial Court would stop operation/handling of cases, meaning these 2 days were considered as the weekends for the Official Departments (古時,朔望二日為朝廷不辦公之日).

 

While having the break, Officers would do whatever they wanted to do or settled issues that they wish to settle, such as showering (according to the calculation of Ancient Auspicious Dates, a person only shower at an average of 90++ days in a year, meaning 4 days 1 shower, but if the day that they planned to shower is not an auspicious day, the showering will need to be postponed), getting necessities, visiting of friends or paying respect to Deities at home or in the Temples.

 

Due to practices being passed down by our Ancestors, today on Shuo & Wang Ri, folks still follow the custom of paying respect to the Deities at home or visit Temples (and of cos, due to different influences on Religious Teaching, Shou Wang Day become very Religious, etc).

 

Whereas on the Hui Ri, in the Ancient Era, folks would stop working or have a rest and they would stayed at home to pay respect to Ancestors, Di Ji Zhu (地基主) or Hou Fang Gong (后方公).

 

So what is Di Ji Zhu & Hou Fang Gong?

 

Di Ji Zhu, the Protecting Spirits that stayed in one home to protect the people staying inside the physical house.

 

Hou Fang Gong, the wandering Souls that do not have offerings from families or relatives.

 

Why Only on Hui Ri, then the folks pay respect to Di Ji Zhu, Hou Fang Gong or Ancestors?

 

According to folks belief, Hui Ri is the day that mark an end of the whole month, which is consider as the Extreme Yin Day before it turn to a new start for a New Month – the Extreme Yang Day. And so, due to such saying, folks will tend to pay respect to the Yin Element Spirits or Deities on the Month-end (different contexts will have different explanation on the paying respect to the Yin Element Spirits or Deities, such as because they are low-ranking Spirits, they can only get offerings on the last day, etc).

 

Today, in Hokkien Custom, some of the Hokkiens still practice that, we address this Ceremony as Bai Yue Wei aka Pai Ghuey Buey (拜月尾/作月尾).

 

So during the Bai Yue Wei, what shall one self/family prepare?

 

Usually for Bai Yue Wei, simple dishes or offerings needed to be prepared.

 

Such as cooked rice, 2 dishes – usually are vegetables & cooked chicken (not necessary to be in a whole), one set of fruits and some quantity of incense-papers.

 

Set up a temporary Altar in the kitchen or backyard, placed all the Offerings on the Altar and then start to ask the Di Ji Zhu & Hou Fang Gong to come and have their offerings. Usually for such paying of respect, no requests are to be made. Just simply offer incenses and then, after 15 minutes, burn off the Incense-papers and its consider end.

 

 

30 comments:

  1. 后方公 is known as "Aw Ber Gong" in Hokkien, is it?

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  2. Yup, Au Buey Kong refers to the wandering souls or the Di Ji Zhu aka Tey Kee Chu

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  3. wow!...thx alot bro!
    you've clear my doubts about Aw Buey Kong. This question have been wondering in my mind since young as my grandmother carried on this traditions from my great-grandmother.
    So you mean aw buey kong is not a diety at all?
    its a group of wondering souls who does not protect my home/kitchen?

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  4. Welcome.

    Yup, Au Buey Kong is not Deities but they are just groups of wandering suffering souls that needed offerings from Mortals in-order for them to get release from sufferings and wait for their reborn.

    For some cultivated souls, they are possible to be appointed as Di Ji Zhu in someday....

    This is why, in the past, when paying respect to Au Buay Kong, the elders will advise not to make any requests, cos Au Buay Kong wont be able to fulfill or once they fulfill the requests, some in returns will be needed.

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  5. i see i see..
    I mistaken it as another kitchen deity(other than Zhao Shen) which look after the kitchen or the home.
    But i always request for prosperity, smooth sailing, etc..

    I'm a Buddhist,but this 'once a month' praying had been passed down from my ancestor, so what shall i say when praying?

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  6. As a Buddhist, it will be best that you can recite the Wang Sheng Zhou for the Ancestors, some folks Buddhist will offer Wang Sheng Qian.

    But if you are paying respect to Di Ji Zhu, then Wang Sheng Zhou & Wang Sheng Qian wont be allowed, cos Di Ji Zhu is already consider a Semi-Deity in the Chinese Deity System.

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  7. aw buay gong might become di ji zhu?? hmmm is di ji zhu = tu di gong?? then how abt 五方五土龍神﹐唐番地主財神﹐the 地主 = 地基主?

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  8. Di Ji Zhu is not Tu Di Gong, but the task that Di Ji Zhu hold is quite similar to Tu Di Gong, just that, Di Ji Zhu's ranking is much more lower than Tu Di Gong.

    Wu Fang Wu Tu Long Shen are the Dragon Deities that hidden under the Earth or so-called the crust of the Planet Earth to hold against the collasping of the Earth. Each direction, there is one main Dragon Deity and accompany with many other small Dragon Deities.

    Tang Fan Di Zhu Cai Shen refers to Chinese & Non-Chinese Spirits that protect against the area (this is how Natok Kong come about).

    Di Zhu is quite similar to Di Ji, just that Di Ji stay in one premises whereas Di Zhu over-look after a bigger surface-area/plot of land.

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  9. oic. then is natoh gong taoist or muslim? non-chinese spirits in the sense that even they are not taoist?

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  10. Natoh Gong is neither Taoist or Muslim, cos Islam do not have physical form of Deities and in Taoism, Natoh Gong is a non-cultivated Spirits for our Heaven to accept.

    And so, we can only respect them as a form of Good-Spirits that look after the Mortals :P

    Non-Chinese can be Taoist, but Non-Taoist cannot be Taoist.. hope u understand this :P

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  11. ha ooo....ok understood-ed =0 btw this thread helps me alot in understanding wats aw buay gong cause everytime ask my grandma and mum, they will say little boi dun ask so much =_=''' thanks!

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  12. Wahahahaha, I'm sure you not the only one who being treated as little boi by the Ah Mas & Mamas.. wahahaha..

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  13. ok next time i'll chant the Wang Sheng Zhou.

    haha i was always treated as a little boy when praying. my grandmother treated me as a greenhorn when i help her to buy the incense paper and end up she told me i bought the wrong one -_-"
    The older generation seems a little typical when comes to those praying ceremony. Just like praying to Aw buay gong; yesterday when i ask my aunt about it, she told me that my great grandmother said that Aw buay gong is some bla bla bla deity from the nether world. But thanks to bro javewu, you've enlighten me about this myth.

    hmmm 1 last question :)
    when praying to Aw buey gong/wondering souls, can i say that i'm liberating them?

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  14. Yes, can say so...

    In Taoism, once such souls got enough of their offerings from the mortals and much of their sins or debts are being cleared, they will be able to go for a new reborn or the souls will disperse to go back to the Source in the Northern Heaven or Eastern Palace.

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  15. icic.
    It's somehow totally different from Buddhism.
    now i know what to do when doing the offering the Aw buey gong.
    thx jave!

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  16. Yup, this is the differences between the 2 Religions, especially in Offering, Rituals/Ceremonies.

    Hope that all Au Buey Kong will be blessed and salvaged.

    Wu Liang Shou.

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  17. Master Jave, why is the Wang Sheng Zhou helpful for di ji zhu? The Wang Sheng Zhou creates karmic link between souls and Amitabha Buddha, so the Di Ji Zhu can choose to go to Amitabha's paradise instead of Taoist Heaven?

    In the Buddhist temple I go to, the Shifus would chant Di Zang Pusa's sutra, because in it Di Zang Pusa says that he will help Di Ji Zhu/Tu Di (Earth deity) fulfill their tasks if Buddhists chant his name/sutra. :-P

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  18. To be honest, Buddhist Wang Shen Zhou is only mend for those who are Indian or those who take Refuge under the Theravada Buddhism. To others are just a form of Chanting that give out Positive Heat.

    In Taoism, we do have Wang Shen Zhou, but we dont use it Lonely, cos we know of the Result, so we needed to do it a Proper & Upright way. But in other Faiths, No such thing. So I quite pity them who are Blindly followed.

    Anyway, Buddhist stuffs, I dont wish to comment much, cos they themselves know it Well. So in the future, you better try to enquiry such things with the Monks.

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  19. Ah, I see. But can the positive heat be comforting or beneficial to those souls who are suffering?

    But you're right, Master Jave: even the Buddhist Shifus say that Di Ji Zhu is NOT the same as Tu Di Gong, and they also encourage being thankful/mindful of the spirits around, not to worship them, but just to have harmony.

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  20. This type of Heat can only exist for a very short moment, unlike the Positive Spiritual Energies. Once Spiritual Energies are being generated, such Energies will manifest into different form of Needs for the Wanderings, in-order to assist them to Get rid of the Un-necessary thoughts & craving.

    So the 2 type of Energies are different.

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  21. Ah, I see. Thank you Master Jave!

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  22. Hi Shifu and all, who read this posting.
    Well, I really want to know about your opinion (I am not joking).
    I think as follows:
    If someone live in western countries (Europe or USA), the Di Ji Zhu of his home is most probably western spirit.
    - Does the spirit like also the offering e.g. rice, other chinese meals, chinese kuehs? The western spirit should like western meal like bread, steak, Kentucky Fried Chicken, spaghetti, etc.
    - Does the spirit know about incense paper?
    - and does the incense paper is also valuable for the western Di Ji Zhu in western spirit world?
    - Is there a way to know, whether the Di Ji Zhu of a house a western or eastern/chinese spirit?

    Once again, I am not joking.
    Any opinions are welcomed! And Thank you in advance.

    Best regards,
    Yang

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  23. Hi Yang,

    1st of All, I must clarify something, the food that we offered to them will turn to Energy for the Di Ji Zhu.

    2ndly, of cos you can change the Food accordingly to the Place that you stay in, but one thing you cant change is the Paper Offering. Cos Paper Offering is not mend for them to spend on buying items but such Paper Offerings will turn into Light & Heat Energies that will assist the Di Ji Zhu in getting their Immortal-hood in a shorter period.

    3rd, Di Ji Zhu will only appear when you really faithful in honouring them, if not, they wont appear for someone to see them.

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  24. Hi Shifu Jave, thank you for the clarification. It really make sense and I can realize some facts now.
    Food will turn to energy also for us (not only for spirit).
    About the existance of immortalhood of spirit the western would also agree, since they believe the spirit of mortal will go to heaven or hell after death in Eternity. (sidetrack: they don't believe in reborn/reincarnation). The western understand and practice also Light and Heat Energy to help spirit, e.g. they put and lit candles on the grave of their ancestors/relatives.

    If we can't know whether the Di Ji Zhu is a western or eastern spirit, which language should be used to honour/invite them? Does Di Ji Zhu have also such "power of knowledge in language" like higher level deities? OR do ALL spirits/creatures in spiritual world have ability to understand "language" by sensing the energy/aura?

    Best regards,
    Yang

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  25. Yes, to be more accurate, in Taoism, we also do not have Reborn or Re-incarnation as in a "Whole Mortal Form". This Theory only exist in Buddhism rather then in Taoism.

    Ways of Communicating to these type of Beings is by Heart-talking, meaning you say your Words in your Heart while holding the Incenses, once the Message is being emitted out from the Heart thru the Incenses and then reaches the Beings, they will be able to understand what you want to tell them.

    In the Spiritual Realm, Beings there are not being restricted by Time, Languages or Actions.

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  26. Hi JaveWu,

    Tomorrow is the 15th day according to the calendar but its not completely full,the full moon is on Monday the 16th.
    Should i follow the calendar or the exact day when the moon is 100% full (full moon) when offering or paying respect?
    I have noticed that it falls frequently on the 16th.

    Thanks.

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  27. We will follow the traditional way which is doing the honouring on every 15th Day.

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