Year 2009 Opening of Heavenly Gate aka Tian Men Kai (己丑年天門開又稱天貺日)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Other

In Taoist Culture, every year during the Lunar 6 Month, the Taoist or Chinese will celebrate 1 very important Festival on the 6th Day of Lunar 6 Month (2009 falls on 27 July).

This Day is known as Opening of Heavenly Gate, Tian Men Kai (天門開) or Tian Kuang Ri (天貺日). In Chinese Culture, this Day is also known as Half Year Festival aka Ban Nian Jie (半年節).

In South East Asia, due to the mis-interpretation and misconception, the Opening of Heavenly Gate is being celebrate on the 7th Day of Lunar 6 Month, which is not that Official & Accurate. Recent Years, due to Commercialization, many Folks are using this Opportunity to make Money by holding Un-necessary Events & Blessing Ceremonies, which somehow contribute to Degrading & Distorting of the Culture of Tian Kuang Ri.

According to Chinese History, the Celebration of Tian Kuang Ri aka Tian Men Kai was only being fixed after Song Dynasty (this is a Day that being Bestowed by Song Emperor Zhen Zong 宋真宗祥符四年 on AD 1011, before AD 1011, Tian Men Kai is usually being celebrated on the 1st Day or 15th Day of Lunar 6 Month).

So does Really the Heavenly Gate opened on this Day?

This is just a Myth that the folks believed in, to be more exact, Heavenly Gate does not have the process of Opening or Closing.

In Taoist Context, the "Heavenly Gate" or so-called the Entrance to the Heavenly/Spiritual Realm is located at the Eastern Hemisphere, in between the 2 Stars in the Green Formation (東方青龍角宿二星) - in Western Astrology, these 2 Stars are located in Spica Formation (室女α星). And this is why, during Tian Kuang Ri, when Taoist Priests performed the Sending of Spiritual Petition to the Heavenly Realm, the Taoist Priests will have to step the Dipper-steps towards the Eastern Direction and then conduct the Burning-off the Spiritual Petition facing the East.

In most of the Chinese Myths, Heavenly Gate always being illustrated in the Southern Hemisphere (南天門), which is not Accurate.

So what is the actual meaning of this Tian Kuang Ri aka Tian Men Kai?

According to records and the Objective that being fixed by the Song Empire, actually Tian Kuang Ri is a Day for the Taoists to pay respect to the Heaven and other Deities and also, for Jade Emperor of Heaven (玉皇大天尊) to send his Officials to the Mortal Realm to distribute out the necessary Blessing to the Living Beings according to their Credits and Merits accumulated thru-out the past 6 Months (another Day of such Events will be on the 25th Day of Lunar 12 Month).

Due to this Tian Kuang Ri belief, this is why in our Taoist or Chinese Society, in the Spiritual Theory, we have a Theory of Luck will only changed after every 6 Lunar Months.

Tian Kuang Ri has another meaning of, Heaven gives out the Necessary Gifts/Rewards to the Necessary groups of Beings, such as Sick, Poor, Cultivated People or "Badies (its time for them to Receive the Rewards of what they have Accumulated)".

So how will the Taoists or Chinese Celebrates this Day?

For Taoists, we will visit Temples to pay Respect to Heaven & Jade Emperor of Heaven and then, do certain Chanting or Reciting of Scriptures or Mantras.

For Chinese, they will visit Temples to do requesting of Lucks and also, to do reprimanding of one self Debts, Sins and Evil-doing, once the Reprimanding is done, then they will do another round of Luck-requesting.

For those whose Requests being fulfilled within the 6 Months, they will need to return to the Temple to show their Gratitude to the Heaven or Deities before 25th Day of Lunar 12 Month.

For the Folks, on this Day, they will bring out their Clothing, Paintings, Books or some Valuable-stuffs to do Sun-bathing. Why they do so? Folks believed that by doing the Sun-bathing, the Objects will be blessed by Heaven and all these Objects will be able to last longer.

In the Early Days (in Singapore), Old people who had bought their Shou Yi (壽衣 the Apparel for their Funeral) to keep, on this Day, they would bring out one piece (out of the 7 Layers) to do Sun-bathing. Why they do so? The Old people believed that by doing so, their Age-span would be prolonged by 1-3 years. If they didn’t do that, meaning that on that year, it might be their Last Year staying in this Mortal Realm.

Besides the Sun-bathing for the Items, Taoists will also do Copying of Taoist Scriptures (抄經) at Home. This is the time that Taoists can shows their Respects & Gratitude to the Big Dao.

On this Day, Taoists & Chinese will use Glutinous Rice Powder (Red, White is Forbidden for this Day) to make Sweet Dumplings aka Tang Yuan (湯圓). Consuming of Tang Yuan on this Day is to request for Blessing on Reunion & also for Ushering in New Hopes for the Next 6 Months.

So how can one self Celebrates this Day in this Modern Society?

Its very simple, just get some simple Offerings (as followed) to any Temple. Sincerely pay your respect and I’m sure your Request will be heard by the Heaven.

Here the offerings go:

1) 1 set of 3 Long Incenses (長壽香一副)
2) 1 pair of Red Candles (紅燭一對)
3) 1 set of Fruits (5 Quantity 生果五顆)
4) 1 set of Loose Flowers (鮮花一盤)
5) 1 or 3 set(s) of Tian Gong Jin (Big Josspaper 天公/太極金三疊)
6) 1 or 3 set(s) of Shou Jin (Normal Josspaper 大壽/三寶金三疊)

Upon reaching the Temple, place All the offerings on the Main Altar or at the Jade Emperors Altar, then proceed to the Whole Temple to pay respect to the Other Deities and then return to the Altar where you placed the Offerings, sincerely make a Bow and then Kneel down on the Kneeling-pad and start your Requesting:

1) Start with the Offering of Incense Mantra:

祝香神咒 (Incenses Offering Mantra)

道由心學。心假香傳。
Dao You Xin Xue, Xin Jia Xiang Chuan

香爇玉爐。心存帝前。
Xiang Re Yu Lu, Xin Cun Di Qian

真靈下盼。仙旆臨軒。
Zhen Ling Xia Pan, Xian Pei Lin Xuan

令民關告。逕達九天.。
Ling Min Guan Gao, Jing Da Jiu Tian (Bow 鞠躬)

Then Recite Yu Huang Da Tian Zun's Praise Mantra (玉皇大天尊寶誥)

太上弥罗无上天。妙有玄真境。
Tai Shang Mi Luo Wu Shang Tian. Miao You Xuan Zhen Jing

渺渺紫金阙。太微玉清宮。
Miao Miao Zi Jin Que. Tai Wei Yu Qing Gong

无极无上圣。廓落法光明。
Wu Ji Wu Shang Sheng. Kuo Luo Fa Guang Ming

寂寂浩无宗。玄範总十方。
Ji Ji Hao Wu Zong. Xuan Fan Zong Shi Fang

湛寂真常道。恢漠大神通。
Zhan Ji Zhen Chang Dao. Huo Mo Da Shen Tong

玉皇大天尊。玄穹高上帝。
Yu Huang Da Tian Zun. Xuan Qiong Gao Shang Di (Bow 鞠躬)

2) Report your name and where you stayed
3) Report what is the event Today
4) Report what is your Request (remember to request for those that is possible to fulfill)
5) Once the report is done, sincerely make 3 Bows and then stand-up and place your Incenses into the Urn
6) Make a Bow and leave the Spot
7) After 10 - 15 Minutes, retrieve the Josspapers and proceed to do the Sending-off
8) Once the Burning is done, retrieve the Offerings and then leave the Temple

Remember, once the Request is being fulfilled within the 6 Months, please return to the Temple again to show your Gratitude.