Tuesday 20 November 2012

Introduction of the Taoist Twenty Offerings (道教二十供簡介)


Here, I will be doing the last 5 Offerings to complete the Official Taoist 20 Offerings.

In the previous introduction, the Official Taoist Fifteen Offerings had been introduced (Incense, Flowers, Lamp/Candles, Water, Fruit, Tea, Food, Gems, Beads, Cloth/Clothing, Music, Taoist Scriptures, Taoist Classics, Taoist Headgear & Taoist Spiritual Command Objects).
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In here, the last Five Offerings will be introduced and with the previous Official Taoist Fifteen Offerings, these 20 items are known as the Official Twenty Offerings of Taoism (道教二十供).

So, what are other Five Offerings?

Here they are:

Writing Apparatus, Taoist Seals, Natural Mineral, Herbs & Preserved Food Items.

So what are the meanings behind these Five Offerings?

Here're the brief intros on the meanings:

Writing Apparatus represents Accumulating of Wisdom or Opening of Knowledge. (筆代表智慧)

Taoist Seals represents Self Recognition or Taking Refuge-under. (印代表皈依)

Natural Mineral represents Physically/Health Cultivation (內丹修煉). For some extend, such Natural Mineral will be used in Taoist Rituals for certain Spiritual Task, such as Cinnabar (硃砂) used for Dotting of new statues. (丹代表修精)

Herbs represents Healing of Physical Health & to main the Balance of Energies in one’s Physical Body. (草代表煉氣)

Preserved Food Items represents Awaking of the Inner hindrance energy of Oneself. In Taoism, the most simplest way of maintaining a Well-balanced Physical Health is thru the “producing” of Saliva - 生津提神. (津代表盈神)

So when can we do the Twenty Offerings?

Usually only used in Big Festivals, Anniversary Celebrations & Grand Ceremonies.
 

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