According to "Late Han Dynasty Records", the 1st "Altar" that being set-up was after Emperor Huan get onto the throne (which was abt 1800++ years ago).
In the records, it goes like this:
On the 18th year of Emperor Huan on throne, he grow great interest in Spiritual and Immortality actions. On the 8th Year of Yan Xi Period, he instructed his staffs to set up a Shrine in Country Chen Province Ku, for Lao Zi. On the 9th Year, he, went personally to pay respect to Lao Zi. During the ceremony, he uses Wen Chu (can be describe as study-table or book-rack) as Altar, Golden plated utensils as carriage for offerings, having a chair/seat with decorated stuffs like Hua Gai (an old form of umbrella, represent Grand and Royalty) and last, with Jiao Tian Yue (regard as the 1st form of Taoist Music).
(桓帝即位十八年，好神仙事。延熹八年，初使中常侍之陈国苦县祠老子。九年，亲祠老子于濯龙。文罽(櫥)为坛，饰淳金扣器，设华盖之坐，用郊天乐也。)
So from here, we can know that actually the so-called 1st Altar was being set-up in abt 1800++ years ago, not only that, the Taoist Music was also being created at that period.
And why before that period, no Altars were being found?
In some records, earlier than Emperor Huan's period, such ceremonies were usually carried out in the field, "Altars" were usually made by soil/sand pile. The so-called "Priests" were all stood in-front of the soil/sand pile while they were doing their rituals.
well its been so many yrs back so sadly to say most everythgin has been destroyed... also following the reveloutions and the wars many has been lost...
ReplyDeletein accordence to history, Shi Huang Ti burned the books of lao zi and confucious... not only that many other forms of reading material were all burnt to ashes...
after that the biggest change over was during the revelation of Mao Tze Tung... he too burn books and revelation of the red book so much thigns has been destroyed since then....
But lucky thing to say is that, some of the records are being secretly "export" to some other parts of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan during the revolution, if not, I think we wont have much information today.
ReplyDeleteyes yes to what my research is that very much of the scriptures and ideas and mantras have been kept in secret passages within china and till today no one had found it yet....
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