Sunday 18 January 2009

Jade Emperor of Heaven Inspecting Mortal Realm for the Year (玉皇大天尊出巡祭祀簡介)

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After Sending Off our Dearest Kitchen Deity (灶君) back to Heaven for the Annual-Round-Off Reporting, on the 25th Day of Lunar 12 Month, the Big Boss - Jade Emperor of Heaven will be conducting an Inspection on the Mortal Realm.

Last Year, I had touched on the Simple & Basic Info on this Important Day (you can read the intro at: http://javewutaoismplace.blogspot.sg/2008/01/la-yue-customs-lunar-12-month-customs_9014.html), this Year, I will like to concentrate more on the Spiritual or so-called Religious Side of the Thanksgiving Ceremony.

For us as the Zheng Yi Taoists or Priests (正一門徒及道士), usually we will start the Offering or Ushering of Jade Emperor of Heaven's arrival on the 24th Night (around 11.00Pm in Singapore).

If oneself is not able to perform the Ushering on the 24th Night, then oneself can do it in the Morning on the 25th Day.

For those who does not have an Altar at Home and yet you wished to Usher-in the Deities to do Inspection & Blessing at your Home, remember to clean your home and switch-on most of the Lights at Home on the 24th Night. Make sure that your House is Clean and Smell-nice. Try to keep the Door (remember to lock your Gate as to prevent Thiefs coming in) & Window open. On the 25th Day, just visit any Official Temples to pay respect to the Deities to request for Blessing.

Do not argue or quarrel after 10.00Pm on the 24th Night. Try to stay Peace and Calm for the Day. Once the Deities arrived and the Inspection is being Done, certain Remarks will be made and recorded and this will contribute to the Luck-distribution for the Next New Lunar Year.

So what do we need to prepare (in whole)?

For those who does not have any Altar at home, then oneself wont need to prepare any Offerings.

For those who have Altars and wished to perform the Ushering Ceremony, in the following is a List of suggested Items that you and your Family can prepares:

Food Offerings

1) 1 Set of Fruits (一份水果 )

2) Nian Gao aka New Year Glutinous Rice Cake (年糕)

3) Fa Gao aka Huat Kueh (發糕)

4) 12 Bowls of Vegetarian Items (十二菜碗 6 Vege & 6 Cookie Items) - Hokkien Clan

5) Rice Wine aka Bai Mi Jiu (白米酒)

6) Chinese Tea (上等茶)

Incenses & Paper Offerings

1) 1 Set of Good Quality Long Incenses (長壽香 about 48 cm)

2) 1 Pack of Good Quality Short Incenses (平安香)

3) 1 Pair of Red Candles or Dou Zhu (紅燭/斗燭)

4) 1 Pair of Huang Gao Qian aka Diao Qian (黃高錢/吊錢)

5) 3 Stacks of Tian Gong Jin aka Tai Ji Jin (三份天公金/太極金 )

6) 3 Stacks of Shou Jin aka San Bao Jin (三份壽金/三寶金 )

7) 3 Stacks/Packs Da Gui Ren aka Men Wai Gui Ren Lu Ma Zhi (三份大貴人/門外貴人祿馬祇 )

8) 3 Stacks/Packs Gui Ren Zhi (三份貴人紙 )

9) 1 Set of San Jie Deng Liao (三界燈料/天公燈料)

10) 1 Set of Dou Jin aka Dipper Offering (一份斗金)

11) 1 Set of Jin Gong or Jin Tong aka Golden Basket (一份金貢/金桶)

12) Huang Qian Jia Ma (黃錢鉀馬)

Once All the necessary Offerings are being prepared, on the 24th Afternoon, you can actually lay them out onto the Altar.

When the timing strikes 11.00Pm, you can start to make Usher in the Deities.

For those who prefer to pay respect on the 25th Day Morning, you are encouraged to do that too. Remember to do it before 11.00Am. Best timing to start the honouring will be at 9.00Am.

Due to this time round, you are conducting the Ushering Ceremony, do not send off the Paper-offerings after 15 minutes. You shall at least serve 3 rounds of Tea & Wine before sending off the Paper Offerings.

Each round of the Tea & Wine shall be 15 minutes apart. After every round of Offering the Tea & Wine, make 3 kowtows to the Deities, request your Blessing while you are making your Respect. Do not make any Un-necessary Un-realistic Requests.

Once the 3 rounds of Tea & Wine are being Offered, send off the Paper-offerings. After sending off of the Paper-offerings, retrieved the Food items and distribute them out to Family Members and Friends. Allowed them to get the necessary Blessings too.

Remain the Nian Gao, Fa Gao and 1 set of Oranges on the Altar, only retrieved them on the 26th Day.

Once all these are being done, the Ushering Ceremony for the Year will considered Fully & Smoothly ended.

17 comments:

  1. Hi Jave, thanks for this update post, been looking forward to it. have some clarification
    1,1 Pack of Good Quality Short Incenses (平安香) - after placing it in the altar, do we burn this together with the incense paper?or we set it aside and can light/use on praying on our ordinary daily praying? or can break in to pieces and put it in the incense urn for cleansing during big day?
    2.1 Pair of Red Candles or Dou Zhu (紅燭/斗燭) - do we light it during offering in the altar?
    3.1 Pair of Huang Gao Qian aka Diao Qian (黃高錢/吊錢) - you mean literal two yellow piece of paper?
    4.3 Stacks/Packs Da Gui Ren aka Men Wai Gui Ren Lu Ma Zhi (三份大貴人/門外貴人祿馬祇 ) - 1 stack how many piece of red paper? only red paper right?
    5. 3 Stacks/Packs Gui Ren Zhi (三份貴人紙 ) - 1 pack is 1 red and 3 yellow page right? if we dont have the individual 3 page, can we substitute it for Bai Jie since BAi Jie is compost of the 3 with the picture of master Zhang?
    6.1 Set of San Jie Deng Liao (三界燈料/天公燈料) - we dont have this, but an alternative is the box in this picture were the drawing/picture of the dragon, 3 pc of this dragon drawing with differnt chi character in their mouth - can i use it?
    7.1 Set of Dou Jin aka Dipper Offering (一份斗金) -dont have in market,but is this similar to the Zu Jin and Zu Yin that is being compile?will one set of each of 100 pc will do?bec it look very similar.
    8.1 Set of Jin Gong or Jin Tong aka Golden Basket (一份金貢/金桶) -dont have is it ok?
    9.Huang Qian Jia Ma (黃錢鉀馬) - how many pc? is it equal to the number of your deities at home? or 1 pack? (how many pc is one pack do you mean?in our market only 20pc.
    many thnks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Jave, thanks for this update post, been looking forward to it. have some clarification
    1,1 Pack of Good Quality Short Incenses (平安香) - after placing it in the altar, do we burn this together with the incense paper?or we set it aside and can light/use on praying on our ordinary daily praying? or can break in to pieces and put it in the incense urn for cleansing during big day?
    2.1 Pair of Red Candles or Dou Zhu (紅燭/斗燭) - do we light it during offering in the altar?
    3.1 Pair of Huang Gao Qian aka Diao Qian (黃高錢/吊錢) - you mean literal two yellow piece of paper?
    4.3 Stacks/Packs Da Gui Ren aka Men Wai Gui Ren Lu Ma Zhi (三份大貴人/門外貴人祿馬祇 ) - 1 stack how many piece of red paper? only red paper right?
    5. 3 Stacks/Packs Gui Ren Zhi (三份貴人紙 ) - 1 pack is 1 red and 3 yellow page right? if we dont have the individual 3 page, can we substitute it for Bai Jie since BAi Jie is compost of the 3 with the picture of master Zhang?
    6.1 Set of San Jie Deng Liao (三界燈料/天公燈料) - we dont have this, but an alternative is the box in this picture were the drawing/picture of the dragon, 3 pc of this dragon drawing with differnt chi character in their mouth - can i use it?
    7.1 Set of Dou Jin aka Dipper Offering (一份斗金) -dont have in market,but is this similar to the Zu Jin and Zu Yin that is being compile?will one set of each of 100 pc will do?bec it look very similar.
    8.1 Set of Jin Gong or Jin Tong aka Golden Basket (一份金貢/金桶) -dont have is it ok?
    9.Huang Qian Jia Ma (黃錢鉀馬) - how many pc? is it equal to the number of your deities at home? or 1 pack? (how many pc is one pack do you mean?in our market only 20pc.
    many thnks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. wat is 天公燈料? every yr, i will buy a set of that to pray on Jade Emperor's Birthday. what is inside all those ar???

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tian Gong Deng Liao, the more Official addressing term shall be San Jie Deng Liao.

    Inside the Deng Liao, there will be Spiritual Petitions and Special Spiritual Money Paper-offerings for the San Guan.

    All these will assist oneself to eliminate the access Debts and Sins and request for new & good blessings for oneself or the Family.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shifu, does the Jade Emperor only check on Taoists? What about non-Taoist/Chinese (example, Buddhists), will they be checked on?

    Also, if a family has non-Taoist altars (Example, Buddhist or Christian), then no need to do this?

    ReplyDelete
  6. No need. Cos all these People are not in Records.

    ReplyDelete
  7. but i once open up the packets.. if i m not wrong, the deng liao has 12 packets of different size. inside each pack is only yellow paper.. no petitions.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Jave, been looking forward to this post.wanted to clarify something...
    1.1 Pack of Good Quality Short Incenses (平安香) - do we include this in burning? or do we set it aside to reuse it on praying? or break into pc and use it in the incense urn for cleaning during big day?
    2. 1 Pair of Red Candles or Dou Zhu (紅燭/斗燭) - do we light it during offering?
    3. 1 Pair of Huang Gao Qian aka Diao Qian (黃高錢/吊錢) - you mean literal 2 pc of this yellow paper?
    4. 3 Stacks/Packs Da Gui Ren aka Men Wai Gui Ren Lu Ma Zhi (三份大貴人/門外貴人祿馬祇 ) -in 1 pack,all same drawing, how many pc?
    5. 3 Stacks/Packs Gui Ren Zhi (三份貴人紙 ) - this 4 page, one red and 3 yellow, for the 3 page yellow can we use Bai Jie since they are the same,only put together?
    6.1 Set of San Jie Deng Liao (三界燈料/天公燈料) - can we use only the printed dragon box/holder?
    7. 1 Set of Dou Jin aka Dipper Offering (一份斗金) - is this compose of compile Zu Jin and Zu Yin? is this total to 1 pack, 100 pc each?
    8. Huang Qian Jia Ma (黃錢鉀馬) - to many to use this celebration? (some say its equivalent to the number of deity you have ie. 7 deity means use 7 pc) and if 1 pack, that how many pc, ours is just 20 pc.
    Many Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hmmm? not possible. Where you got it from?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just get whatever you can.

    Pls refer to the old posting that i have reply you.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh. How can a person be included in the record? For example, if I'm Buddhist and then I pay respect to Jade Emperor (like some people who go to mix-temples), or pray for someone who's not Taoist, will that work?

    ReplyDelete
  12. We will encourage people to find their Original Root.

    If you are a Chinese, you will be born as Taoist, but if half way in your Family Lineage, the Belief swift to other Religions, then things will changed and for Non Taoists to pay respect to Taoist Deities, it will defeat the purpose. Cos different Religions have different Teaching and Religious System.

    So I will encourage Buddhist to be Buddhist and Taoist to be an Official Taoist, no mixing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Within another 1 - 1.5 Hours, Jade Emperor of Heaven will be performing his Official Inspection in this Mortal Realm.

    Remember to pay your Sincere & Faithful Respect to All the Deities. May Heaven Blessed on the World for Peace and also All Mortals with Good Health and Life.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Javewu,
    When having no altar then its really no need to set a temporary table/altar on this day?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Jave,
    For those who have no altar what can we do beside the cleaning and setting the lights on the 24th night?
    If no altar and no food offerings are being made,can i still offer incense to Jade Emperor and the Deities?

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Of cos you are allowed to offer the Incenses to the Deities.

    ReplyDelete

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