Friday 2 January 2009

Paying Respect to Deities & Ancestors on La Ba Festival (道教臘八聖節祭祀禮)

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Tomorrow, the 8th Day of Lunar 12 Month (3 Jan 2009), is our Taoist La Ba Festival.

On this Day, besides the consuming of the La Ba Porridge (臘八粥), as a Taoist or Chinese, we will need to pay our respect to the Deities and Ancestors, best timing will be from 09.00 - 11.00Am.

(La Ba Festival Info: http://javewu.multiply.com/reviews/item/78)

For those who does not have any Altar at home, you are encouraged to visit any Temples that are around you to make your offerings to the Deities.

And so, what to prepare?

You can just get some simple Fruit Offerings, such as Oranges (桔子), Apples (蘋果) or Pears (香梨) and with a Fa Gao aka Huat Kueh (發糕).

Remember to get a set of Good Incenses (long in length, as to request for Longevity 長壽香).

And also, the necessary Paper-offerings. Due to we encourage People to cut down the burning of Papers, so each Family can just prepared 3 sets (3 stacks 三疊) for each Paper-type.

So what Papers to prepare?

Here there are, for Deities:

1) Tian Gong Jin


2) Shou Jin


3) Gui Ren Zhi


For Ancestors will be:

1) Zu Jin


2) Zu Yin


15 Minutes after the Offering, oneself can retrieved the Papers and then burnt them off.

If you wished to keep away the Fruit and Kueh Offerings on the Altar, you can do so, if not, just leave them on the Altar till the next day.

19 comments:

  1. Shifu, what is the purpose of the Tian Gong Jin?

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is mend for High-position Deities and also to show our highest respect to the Various Heavenly Deities.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shifu, If I worship for the deities, I always only burnt shou jin, is it ok?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Its ok, but when Big Days, you can add in Tian Gong Jin.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi java,
    have some clarification...

    for the gui ren zhi set, there are 3 kinds of stack

    1, all the same gui ren zhi 60pc one stack
    2, gui ren zhi set with different paper and hu of qui ren (different store,different content) but only one pc included as you shown in picture
    3, 3pc of the same kind as in you post,according to the shop owner, 3 pc can be considered 1 stack
    which of the 3 do you mean?
    as for the sending of the kitchen god, you also mention to offer 3 tien gong jin, 3 shou jin, 3 qui ren zhi (same qui ren zhi set as the above?) and the same 3 3 3 stack jin for ushering wealth god (lunar 5 day) but instead of 3 shou jin, should burn chai shen jin and paste the free red paper in altar,
    question,
    1, what do you mean by chai shen jin?, go lo chai jin, guang gong jin,and fu de zheng shen jin are only available in market,(their face in the jin) which can be appropriate to use?
    2. can we use any chai shen jin even thou we dont have that particular deity in the altar? i.e, i just bought a guang gong jin for preparation of the event, the store told me can be use, bec he is considered chai shen,any chai shen will accept his currency, if not, the chai shen can make trade/convert it in heaven with guang gong for his currency.
    3.at the back, the free red paper, the fude and guang dont have their face, but only Chinese words, do we have to stick it at the altar or can we just get from tian gong jin which come with the fu lu shou face? Many thanks

    ReplyDelete
  6. 1, all the same gui ren zhi 60pc one stack

    Ans: Good Incense-paper Shops, they will prepare 3 pcs stack for people to buy, you can try your best to find them in the Market, if not, but the whole stack and then whenever you need to use, take out 3 pcs.

    2, gui ren zhi set with different paper and hu of qui ren (different store,different content) but only one pc included as you shown in picture

    Ans: No matter what is included inside, we only need the Gui Ren Zhi and the Yellow Spiritual Petition, pls do refer to the old posting on how to use the Gui Ren Zhi and the Yellow Spiritual Petition.

    3, 3pc of the same kind as in you post,according to the shop owner, 3 pc can be considered 1 stack
    which of the 3 do you mean?

    Ans: You can get the answer in Pt 1.

    as for the sending of the kitchen god, you also mention to offer 3 tien gong jin, 3 shou jin, 3 qui ren zhi (same qui ren zhi set as the above?) and the same 3 3 3 stack jin for ushering wealth god (lunar 5 day) but instead of 3 shou jin, should burn chai shen jin and paste the free red paper in altar,

    Ans: No, unless you cant find Shou Jin at your area, if not only use Normal Shou Jin for all Celebrations and Events.

    1, what do you mean by chai shen jin?, go lo chai jin, guang gong jin,and fu de zheng shen jin are only available in market,(their face in the jin) which can be appropriate to use?

    Ans: No, unless you cant find Shou Jin at your area, if not only use Normal Shou Jin for all Celebrations and Events.

    2. can we use any chai shen jin even thou we dont have that particular deity in the altar? i.e, i just bought a guang gong jin for preparation of the event, the store told me can be use, bec he is considered chai shen,any chai shen will accept his currency, if not, the chai shen can make trade/convert it in heaven with guang gong for his currency.

    Ans: Unless you cant find Shou Jin at your area, if not only use Normal Shou Jin for all Celebrations and Events.

    3.at the back, the free red paper, the fude and guang dont have their face, but only Chinese words, do we have to stick it at the altar or can we just get from tian gong jin which come with the fu lu shou face? Many thanks

    Ans: Dont get ur qns, what do you mean by No Faces?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Jave,
    1. In this site http://javewu.multiply.com/reviews/item/123
    you mention
    a, 13 – Paper-offerings, a type of Paper-offerings that are dedicated to Deity of Wealth, can get in any Incense-shops (財神紙料)
    qns,What its look like? when i ask the shop, they only got go lo chai jin, guang gong jin,and fu de zheng shen jin (their face in the jin) which one do you mean for us to use?

    b, After about 15 minutes, return back to burn-off the incense-paper. Remember not to burn the Deity of Wealth Picture that comes with the Paper-offerings. The picture is mend for one self to paste it on the Main Altar or anywhere that one self feel comfortable with.
    qns, is this the red one?what do you mean by wealth deity picture that's included? if our local shop sells not dty wealth picture, but that comes with it is a piece of paper with Chinese character, can we still post it in the altar?(can pm it). can we use instead of chai shen picture, will get the fulushou red paper that comes along with tian gong jin?
    qns, can we put 3 different chai shen jin total 3 stack, and put all 3 in the altar? so more different wealth deity paper in our altar?


    After the preparation, make a short report to Deity of Wealth that the New Year is coming, the family will be making invitation for another New Deity of Wealth (take note that, Deity of Wealth will also changed accordingly to the Element of the Lunar Year, not necessary for a same Deity of Wealth to stay on duty for a few constant years) in for the New Year and will sincerely invite the current Deity of Wealth back to the Heaven, thank him for the blessing of the Year.
    qns, you mean this year marshal zhao spirit will be different to the coming yr? or we have to change marshal zhao to quang gong or fan li depending on them whos in charge for the year?
    2. if we had marshal zhao cong ming, can we use the guang gong kim?(since it is cai shen kim according to the shop keeper)

    Many Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  8. just an add on question,
    on the 1 and 15, you offer the incense urn, and the 5 Taoist offering, how about incense paper? what kind and how many? + adding gui ren zhi would be better right? do you do it?
    on the 2 and 16, if you had fude zheng shen,do you do another round of incense urn smoke and 5 Taoist offering? how about incense paper? what kind and how many? do you have to do it all again or another round? do i have to add another gui ren zhi here?

    many thanks

    ReplyDelete
  9. what kind and how many? + adding gui ren zhi would be better right? do you do it?
    -i mean do you do/practice it at home?

    But for those who practice the old traditional way, they will still bring back the Red one and keep it. Not necessary to bring them around, but at least place them at the altar to receive the offering.
    - you mean post/paste it in the altar? and if we do it every month or twice a month, or burn 3 sets of gui ren zhi all 3 would be post in the altar? if ur wall would be full, can you just put it in the box beside the altar or the floor under the altar?

    can we include burning of Bai Jie aka 百解 during event when you suggest to burn gui ren zhi?
    during manifestation anniversary celebration/ all deity birthday, can we burn gui ren and bai jie beside buring it on the 1 and 15?

    Many Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  10. Do not get to worry and bother over the different types of Incense-paper that you are using.

    As an Official Taoist, we get whatever we can get in Incense-shop to offer to the Deities. As long as you are Sincere enough, the Papers that you get will transfer into a form of Positive Energies that will then reverse to you as a form of Positive Necessary Blessing.

    In your Country, it is totally Impossible to get the Upright & Accurate Paper Offerings, take my advise, just prepare the Tian Gong Jin and Shou Jin for the Offerings, they are enough.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ok, Thanks,
    will not do the wealth deity jin posting in the altar.
    how about for the qui ren zhi and Bai Jie
    1. do you burn it every 1 and 15 at home?
    2. if there is a birthday deity, do you burn it again?
    3. do you have to burn it also on the 2 and 16?
    4. when we do the the official Taoist 5 offering/or ordinary offering on 1 and 15 for the home deities, do we have to make another set of offering and burning on 2 and 16 for fude zheng shen if he is included in the home deities? - is this practice official?

    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  12. 1. do you burn it every 1 and 15 at home?

    Ans: You can burn it on these 2 days, without them, also can.

    2. if there is a birthday deity, do you burn it again?

    Ans: Can go without it if you want.

    3. do you have to burn it also on the 2 and 16?

    Ans: Not necessary

    4. when we do the the official Taoist 5 offering/or ordinary offering on 1 and 15 for the home deities, do we have to make another set of offering and burning on 2 and 16 for fude zheng shen if he is included in the home deities? - is this practice official?

    Ans: These Offerings can be offered everyday, if you find it not possible, then do it on the 1 & 15 days will do.

    ReplyDelete
  13. i mean we are required to do offering on the 1 and 15, but many elder say that its a must to do(/required) offering also for fude zhang shen on 2 and 16- is this saying official??

    thanks for your info and time in enlightening us :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just 3 - 5 sets Fruits Offering will do.

    Fu De Zheng Shen, only for certain group of People, not all needed to do so.+

    ReplyDelete
  15. how about in long shan men group, are we required?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks.
    btw sad to say in our country
    1. the sending and receiving hu of kitchen God is the same, in this case is it better not to do the event or still can do without the hu? or can reprint from your pix sample?
    2.we dont have the individual yellow paper to pair with gui ren zhi, but we got the whole set 3 in 1 Bai Jie paper, for the big event you mention to burn 3 stack of gui ren zhi, if we do it at home,can we burn 3 bai jie and pair with 1 red gui ren zhi or should be 3 red gui ren zhi also?i dont get the logic of putting the pair in the altar, then after 15min we separate the yellow to burn and red to make rounds in the incense urn and put it aside again in the altar to compile with the previous... or im misinterpreting or missing something...
    3.can you pls guide us where to put the residence address? something like what u did like this信士。(自己名字) -name。自命。(自己的農曆生日)XX年。XX月。XX日。XX時。-dob(Chinese or English birthdate,xxx(xxx)-residence address?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jave, if suppost it's guang ze zun wang birthday and manifastation day what should i buy for the ceremony?

    ReplyDelete
  18. You can refer to the Posting on Manifestation Anniversary of any Deities in the Review Section, just get the same items shown there, they are enough.

    ReplyDelete

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