With a blink on the eyes, its again the End of the Lunar Year and its again the La Ba Festival.
For Xin Mao Year, La Ba Festival falls on 1st of Jan 2012, a Sunday.
In Taoism, the earliest record of the Celebration of La Ba Festival was far in Zhou Dynasty.
And in Taoist Myth Records, it was believed to be the Anniversary of the Day when Nv Wa created the Grains for the Living Beings – the 8th Day after World was created.
To understand more on La Ba Festival, feel free to visit the following link for more information:
http://javewu.multiply.com/reviews/item/78
This Year, due to Jave’s tight schedule, LSM Heavenly Lord Tai Yi’s Celebration (太乙救苦天尊) had to delay till 30th of Lunar 11 Month (辛卯年農曆十一月卅日).
As usual, the Celebration was conducted at Vabien Lee’s aka Li Huo Jun (禮火君) Taoist Premises.
On the 29th Day of Lunar 11 Month, after having an early Xmas Dinner with Jave’s Mum, Sis-in-law Cherie, Niece Lele, Jave, Royce and Vabien, we all went back home to do the last minute preparation for the upcoming Celebration.
In the early morning of 30th Day, Jave arrived at Vabien’s place at about 10.00Am and upon arrival, all Offerings were ready except the last touch-up on the Paper “Spiritual Officer (送表官)” that was wrongly done by the Paper-offering Master.
At around 11.00Am, the 1st round of Ritual started. Everyone was there to chant the Qing Jing Jing (太上清靜經). Upon completion, a short break was taken and followed by the Manifestation Anniversary Honouring dedicated to Heavenly Lord Tai Yi.
This Year, it was a bit special as we dedicated an Altar for the Honouring of the various Generations Ancestors of our Members and Family.
After 2 hours of Ritual, we proceed with the Sending Off of the Ancestors and last, present our Anniversary Gifts to the Deities.
With the Sending Off of the Paper Offerings, the Celebration dedicated to Lord Tai Yi for Year 2011 was conducted successfully.
Just before we proceed to do preparation for the upcoming Rituals, Vabien was there to Thank the Earth Deity (安土地神).
Million Thanks to Vabien and Royce for sharing with us the Pictures.
Zi Bu Yu (子不語), an ancient classic compiled by Mister Yuan Mei (袁枚), a Poet and also Stories Writer, whom was born in Qing Dynasty (清朝) - AD1716 to 1797.
Zi Bu Yu was not only a book of different compilation of Strange Tales, but it also included stories of Deities & Spirits, especially a lot of stories on Cheng Huang aka City Deities (城隍尊神) and Lord of Feng Du (酆都大帝).
For those who enjoy stories on Strange Tales, Deities and Spirits, this is indeed an interesting book to read for the pass-time.
On the 1st Day of Lunar 12 Month of Xin Mao Year (辛卯年臘月初一日), 25 Dec 2011, LSM (正一龍山門) was being engaged to conduct a simple Thanksgiving Ceremony dedicating to the Main Deities of Long Guan Dian (新加坡龍觀殿) located at Admiralty.
At about 11.00Am, Jave arrived at Long Guan Dian and most of the Offerings were being prepared by Taoist Jerry and his Family. Without further delay, the Thanksgiving Ceremony started by conducting a simple Reporting to the Celestial Realm.
Upon completion with the Reporting the Thanksgiving Ceremony began and everyone was advised to offer the 1st round of Incenses to the Deities as a form of Respect.
With that, the Ushering in of the Deities, Chanting and Thanksgiving was conducted.
By 1.00Pm, the whole Thanksgiving Ceremony ended successfully and after a short chit-chat session, Royce and Jave left Long Guan Dian to proceed with another appointment.
In here, Jave will like to take this opportunity to Thank Taoist Jerry, Jerry’s Mother and Florence for making this Ceremony a Wonderful and Successful one.
And also, Million Thanks for Royce to rush down to take photos to share with all of us.
Happy Dong Zhi Day to all of you here (恭祝各界。冬至快樂).
Its again the arrival of Dong Zhi Day. As usual, Jave Wu had to follow the Tradition to prepare the Sweet Dumplings aka Tang Yuan (湯圓) for the Honouring of Long Shan Men’s Deities & Ancestors (正一龍山門壇上聖真與歷代祖師).
After rushing back from Office, Jave started to do the cooking and once the cooking was done, Jave had offered 3 Bowls of the Sweet Dumplings to the Deities and the Ancestors.
As advised, in each bowl of the Dumpling, it must contain 9 or 12 quantity of the Tang Yuan (for Leap Lunar Month for the upcoming Years will be 13), 9 to represent Long Term & Prosperity, 12 to represent Smoothness for the next Lunar New Year 一碗湯圓應有九或十二粒。九者長久富貴﹐十二者一年興旺 – 如果來年有閏月則是十三粒).
Dong Zhi Day (冬至日) aka Winter Solstice Festival, in Year 2011, it falls on 22 Dec, a Thursday (辛卯年農曆十一月廿八日).
For those who have yet to perform your Thanksgiving to Lord Tai Sui (答謝太歲lease remember to do so before Dong Zhi arrived.
For more info on Winter Solstice Festival, you all may wish to proceed to the following links:
Introduction on Winter Solstice Festival (冬至年節簡介):
http://javewu.multiply.com/reviews/item/231
Do’s & Don’ts on Winter Solstice Day (冬至之禁忌):
http://javewu.multiply.com/reviews/item/342
A lot of People had been requesting Jave to post something on Nv Wa and today, in here, Jave will like to do a short intro on her.
Nv Wa, a Lady Immortal that existed far before the Universe was being formed.
According to Taoist Ancient Records, Nv Wa was one of the Manifestation of Yuan Shi Tian Wang (元始天王) and after the Universe was formed, she was being appointed to stay in the Earth to look after the movements of the various Stars or Planets.
In some Myths, Nv Wa was known as the Daughter of the Heavenly Emperor (天帝) – during that Era, there wasn’t any Deities being appointed as Jade Emperor of Heaven yet (玉皇大天尊).
Soon after Nv Wa had descended herself into the Planet Earth – after Lord Pan Gu had opened up the “World” (盤古開天地), Nv Wa found out that this Planet Earth was quite “Empty & Quiet” without any “Beings” living in it and so, on the 7th Day after the “World” was formed, Nv Wa created “Human Beings”, which now, on the 7th Day of the New Lunar Calendar (農曆大年初七日), we addressed it as Human Day aka Ren Ri (人日).
In here is the list of Beings that Nv Wa had created on the 8 Days:
1 – Rooster (初一造雞)
2 – Dog (初二造狗)
3 – Pig (初三造豬)
4 – Goat (初四造羊)
5 – Cow (初五造牛)
6 – Horse (初六造馬)
7 – Human (初七造人)
8 – Grains (初八造穀)
For Day 8, till now, we still celebrate it on the 8th Day of Lunar 12 Month (臘月初八日) by eating the Congee that was cooked with 8 different types of Grains, Fruits or Herbs –which was known as La Ba Congee (臘八粥).
People might asked, why we celebrate Ren Ri during Lunar New Year and for Day 8, we celebrate during Lunar 12 Month?
This was due to the change in the Lunar Calendar during Shang & Qin Dynasty. To be more accurate, in Shang & Qin Dynasty, our Lunar New Year should fall on Lunar 11 Month or Lunar 12 Month. So for those who are still following the Ancient Traditions, for Day 8 Celebration, it was fixed on the 8th Day of Lunar 12 Month.
Why Nv Wa needed to mend the Heaven?
After many many Decades after Nv Wa had created All Living Beings, all the Beings were living in a Safe and Harmony environment until one day, where the Lord of Fire aka Zhu Rong (祝融) and Lord of Water aka Gong Gong (共工) started to fight and after Gong Gong knew that he was about to lose the battle, he knocked himself onto the Pillar of Heaven – Mt Bu Zhou (不周山), causing the Heaven to break-up and a hole was formed.
From then, disaster had landed onto the Earth causing the Living Beings to suffer.
Just as all the Living Beings were about to get eliminated by the disasters, Nv Wa descended into the Earth again to assist the Living Beings by getting totally swept off in the disasters.
Upon entering into the Earth, Nv Wa started to collect different colours soil and cultivated them into Spiritual Stones and once after the Cultivation was completed, she flew to the hole where Mt Bu Zhou had collapsed to mend it. From then, the Earth returned to it’s calm state again.
Due to the disasters that the Living Beings had encountered, Living Beings started to have fear and fright.
Due to the fighting that Zhu Rong & Gong Gong had shown to the Living Beings, all Living Beings started to have jealousy, craving and desire.
Soon after the Earth had settled down, the behaviour of the Living Beings changed which deeply upset Nv Wa, from then, she returned back to the Heavenly Realm and do not want to return to the Earth again no matter how the Living Beings had suffered from any form of Disasters.
So did Nv Wa returned back to Earth?
From then, Nv Wa had not returned to Earth but due to her compassionate, she manifested into different forms and allowing her forms to enter into the Earth to assist the Living Beings, such forms were known as:
1 – Jiu Tian Xuan Nv aka The Immortal Maiden of the Ninth Heaven (九天玄女)
2 – Mother Lord Li Shan ala Li Shan Lao Mu (黎山老姆)
3 – Mother Earth aka Di Mu Yuan Jun (地姆元君)
On the 18th Day of Lunar 11 Month (農曆葭月十八日), it was the Anniversary of Duke Tan of He Bi Shan Temple (何碧山宮), in some contexts, Duke Tan was also known as Kai Zhang Sheng Wang aka Duke Kai Zhang (開漳聖王), which was the Ancestor Patron of the Tan Clan and Hokkien People (陳氏及福建籍貫之先祖).
On that Day, the Anniversary Honouring Respect was conducted in the Morning by Pu Ji Taoist Group (普濟道壇) and in the Afternoon, Jave arrived at the Temple with Heavenly Master Zhang Dao Ling (張祖天師) from Mt Long Hu Tian Shi Fu (龍虎山天師府) and after the Honouring of the Spiritual Armies (犒賞三軍), Jave was there to do the chanting dedicating to Heavenly Lord Tai Yi aka Salvation Lord (太乙救苦天尊).
On that very night, Lion Dance Performance was being engaged and after the Performance, it was time for Bro Kokhwa to send back the Immortal Red Boy (紅孩兒) back to the Opera Stage.
Next day, which was the 19th Day of Lunar 11 Month (農曆葭月十九日), another round of Rewarding of the Spiritual Armies was conducted and also, Chanting dedicated to Duke Tan was also being carried out.
At 9.45Pm, the sending off of the Guest Deities (恭送眾神) was being conducted and the whole Celebration marked an end after the burning off of the Paper Offerings.
Million Thanks to Royce for sharing with us the Pictures.
On 10 Dec 2011 aka 16th Day of Lunar 11 Month, a Saturday, the Full Lunar Eclipse occurred from 7.00pm till 1.00am of 11 Dec.
While Vabien and I were discussing on the upcoming event for End of Year, we also took this opportunity to take pictures on the "changes" of the Moon.
Last 2 pictures were taken when the Moon started to "reveal" itself.
Thanks to Vabien for sharing with us the pictures.
| Start: | Dec 10, '11 6:00p |
| End: | Dec 11, '11 01:00a |
| Location: | All Over the World |
Dear All,
There will be a Full Lunar Eclipse on this coming Saturday, which is 10 Dec 2011 aka 16th Day of Lunar 11 Month.
For those who are interested in looking at the Lunar Eclipse, please do standby after 6.00Pm.
| Start: | Dec 25, '11 |
| End: | Jan 15, '12 |
| Location: | All Over Singapore |
Dear All,
Its again the Period for us, the Taoists to conduct our Thanksgiving to All Deities that had look after us for the past 12 Months.
This Year, as usual, LSM will conduct the Thanksgiving Ritual for Temples, Sintuas and Homes for the various Grades Taoists.
For those who are interested, please do pick a Date from the following list for LSM to conduct the Ritual at your Premises:
1) 25 Dec (Sun) - 1st Day of Lunar 12 Month
2) 31 Dec (Sat) - 7th Day of Lunar 12 Month
3) 01 Jan (Sun) - 8th Day of Lunar 12 Month
4) 07 Jan (Sat) - 14th Day of Lunar 12 Month
5) 08 Jan (Sun) - 15th Day of Lunar 12 Month
6) 14 Jan (Sat) - 21st Day of Lunar 12 Month
7) 15 Jan (Sun) - 22nd Day of Lunar 12 Month
With Great Honour, LSM was able to invite the Statue of Heavenly Master Zhang from China Si Han Tian Shi Fu (正一嗣漢張天師) to station in our HQ.
With the great assistance that Taoist High Priest Master Le from Tian Shi Fu (勒道長), we were able to get this wonderful Statue, Million Thanks to him and we appreciated this superb effort.
On every 11th Day of Lunar 11 Month of every Lunar Year (農曆十一月十一日), it is consider as the Important Day of LSM.
This is the Day that all descendants of LSM needed to pay their respect to Heavenly Lord Tai Yi (太乙救苦天尊).
As usual, Jave was on leave from my course and conducted a simple Honouring dedicated to Lord Tai Yi.
By having such an Auspicious Day, Jave had also conducted the enhancing of the Banners dedicating to the 5 Immortal Assistants of Lord Tai Yi (東極青華五方童子聖幡), preparing for this End of Month Ancestors Salvation Ceremony conducted at Fei Jie Fu (正一龍山飛捷府).
