In Taoism, while paying respects and doing offerings for Deities, the Five Offerings will be presented.
And so, when are the Five Offerings started to be used in Taoism?
A lot of people might be wondering, are these Five Offerings a "duplicate product" from the other Religions?
To be honest and true, our Taoist Five Offerings can consider as the oldest set of Offerings invented for the Offerings for Deities far before any other Religions being imported into
So, what are consists in the Five Offerings?
Here they are:
Incense, Flowers, Lamp/Candles, Water & Fruit.
So any meaning behind these Five Offerings?
Of cos there're meaning behind, here's the brief intro on the meanings:
Incense represents Non-action or Action beyond Actions, in brief, All things are created or formed from Nothing or so-called Null. (香代表無為)
Flower represents Nature. Dao is a form of Nature and Nature is Dao. By offering Flowers to the Deities, one self will learn to appreciate how the Nature can change one self and affect the others. (花代表自然)
Lamp/Candle represents Accommodating & Respecting. By learning to accommodate things, one self will see the Light of Truth and by giving the necessary respecting to the others, one self will gain the respects and likes from the others. (燭代表順化)
Water represents Pureness, Calm & Peacefulness. Stillness of the Water is a form of silent cultivation. By reminding one self to stay calmness like Water, one self will always be blessed with the essence of Water – Peace & Pure. (水代表清靜)
Fruit represents Fullest or Successful. By withholding the Upright Teachings and promote the Correct Culture, one self will be able to see the "Fruits" of his/her efforts and hardship. By offering Fruits, one self will be able to bless with Successful and Fullest in everything he/she does or request. (果代表圓滿)
So when can we do the Five Offerings?
On the First & Fifteen Day of the Lunar Month or on any Big Festivals & Anniversary Celebrations.
Can we add more Offerings besides these Five Offerings?
Of cos you can. You can add any other Fruits Offerings or Traditional Cookies Offerings, as long as one self is comfortable with.
So what is the correct placement position?
Here's the arrangement for the Five Offerings:
i thot we always put the incense in the centre?
ReplyDeleteFor Five Offerings are different.
ReplyDeleteWhy incense is being placed at the extreme right?
cos that's the starting initial point of the whole set of the Offerings.
Whereas normal incense offering, we will need to place it in the center.
ooo. u mean those urn whereby i put sandalwood powder can be put on right?
ReplyDeleteNo, these offering and the urn is different.
ReplyDeleteFor the Five or Ten Offerings, we treat it as a form of offering, just like fruits or flowers.
Usually the incenses in the Five or Ten Offerings, we dont light it.
oooo. okok understood le
ReplyDeleteHahahaha.. ok ok.
ReplyDeletejave ,
ReplyDeletedo u light the candles ? cos u don light the incenses
toot qn rite.....
if i go temple , i k use this 5 offering ?
den the water & cup i take from the temple ?
The candle must be lighted, cos in the past, it shall be lamp.
ReplyDeleteOnce lamp is not lighted, lamp dont consider as lamp, and so, this practice is being passed down - to light the candle.
Go temple, of cos can. In the future, I will teach u of how to prepare the Ten Offerings for Temples and Sintua Celebrations.
Thank you for sharing..
ReplyDeleteWaiting the next ten offerings and the positionings :D
Sure, will do a write up on the Ten Offerings soon.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your site and it is very interesting Jave.
ReplyDeleteI got some picts I took in the Longshan Temple in Taipei. I don't know what was celebrated on that day, but I think I was on the right place at the right time, I'll never forget it... It was really crowded and there were many offerings to several deities everywhere in the temple. There were also magnificent and enormous cauldrons burning incense and I am still wondering about these cauldrons and their symbolism if any... If you are interested in some of the picts I took feel free to ask, I will post them on my site.
Thanks Liu :P
ReplyDeleteLook forward for the posting of your pictures.
Do keep me inform on ur posting, will love to see that.
Hi Shifu,
ReplyDeleteAfter offering the 5 Offerings, what do we do with them? Take for example the incenses, do we put back into the box or burn it and leave in the urn? How about the rest?
For the incenses, we will not reuse it, but you can used to burn it in the urn everyday or burn all at once while burning off the offered incense-paper.
ReplyDeleteFlowers, can used in shower or wash the whole house.
As for the Lamp/Candle, you will need to light it during the Offering, so just leave it till it naturally finish-burning.
Water, can drink it, if not, used it to do watering of Plants.
Fruit, eat it, if not, pass it to someone.
Oh I see...了解, 了解...Thanks a lot... :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome :p
ReplyDeletehi shifu dave.
ReplyDeletehappen to see yr blog. have read thru. learn alot of new things.
thanks for sharing.
btw, mi is ahyeow.
got something to share on this subj - five offerings
from the point of buddhism or buddhist, we placed the 5 offerings in another way, diff from taoist way of placing. would like to share with you. (i do not know where the reason for the placement, but it is definitely diff from taoist way of placing)
during big events.. the 5 offerings or 10 offerings we used is as follows:
香 (incense),花 (flower),灯 (lamp) ,水 (water) ,果 (fruits),茶 (tea),食 (food) ,宝 (sutra),珠 (any jewelleries),衣 (clothes)
the placement :衣,宝,茶,水,花 [incense burner] 香,灯,果,食,珠
thanks.
ahyeow
Thanks to you mingyeow for dropping by. Anything that concern about Non-Taoist Info, you can always PM. Thanks again for your support.
ReplyDeleteI got some questions below and hope you can get the answer for me.
ReplyDelete1) After the incense being offered/prayed, what should we do to it ? can we use it for normal prayer everyday ?
2) Then if we do not hv or use round incense, can we use the normal long incense to replace ?
3) After the flower being offered/prayed, what should we do to it ? Can we use it for shower ?
4) Does the Candle needed to be lighted during the praying/offering ??Then must it be lighted completed ?
5) what should we do to the water after praying/offering ? Can we drink it or use it for shower ?
6) Am I right to say the Fruit can be eat after offering/praying ? Any fruits will do right? need not must be Orange ?
Hope you can enlighten me for the abv. Thnaks
Let Vabien reply to your enquiries, I'm sure he is able to give you a good answer.
ReplyDeleteok, noted
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ReplyDeleteMore sharing by Taoist Royce Tan:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/jave.wu#!/media/set/?set=a.215581048461963.55443.100000302071316
waiting for your guidance in ten offerings. thanks
ReplyDeleteYou can refer to this link for the Ten Offerings intro:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000302071316#!/media/set/?set=a.215581048461963.55443.100000302071316
but I cannot open the link.
ReplyDeleteTry this: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.215581048461963.55443.100000302071316#!/photo.php?fbid=215582321795169&set=a.215581048461963.55443.100000302071316&type=1&theater
ReplyDeleteok thank you very much
ReplyDeleteYou are welcomed.
ReplyDelete