Introduction on Combining of Urn (Incense) for Deities (香火添合爐簡介)

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Combining of Urn for Deities aka Xiang Huo Tian He Lu (香火添合爐), meaning adding the invited-back Incenses or the Incenses Powder (represents distributing the Lineage of the Temple 香火綿傳), from any Temples into the Urn at home or at own Temple.

In our Taoist Culture, there are 2 types of Combining of Urn, one is what I'm doing introduction here and another one is for the Passed-on or Ancestors after certain years of Offering on separate Altar 對年合爐或小祥合爐 (will do introduction after Lunar New Year).

How do one self or a group Invite the Incenses or the Incenses Powder from the other Temples?

Once a person or a group agreed on Inviting the Incenses or so from the other Temples (求香火對象廟宇), the person or the group will need to inform the Temple on which Day, what Time and Where one self or the group are from are going down to do the Invitation.

If the Temple agreed on distributing out of the Lineage, the Temple will reply back and permission will be granted, if not, one self or the group cannot force the Temple and have to look for another Temple that allowed the distributing.

On the Day of Inviting the Incense, the Main Deity (Statue or a Flag to represent 自家主神以神像或令旗代之) of the Home or the Temple will need to arrive at the Temple of Inviting the Incense to show the gratitude and seek permission.

After seeking the permission from the Main Deity of the Temple that one self or the group intended to invite the Incense, the Owner or the Member of the Temple will pass the Incenses or the Powder or a New Urn to the requested one self or group. After receiving the Incense or Powder or Urn, the one self or the group will need to pay respect to the Main Deity again and then leave the Temple (for those who can afford to engage a Spiritual Master or Priest (道法職人員) to conduct the Ceremony, it will be best, cos Only such people know the actual way of Communicating with the Deities and the Three Realms 三界神明, etc).

So after Inviting back, what shall be done?

After Inviting back, the Main Deity that being invited out must be placed onto the Main Seat first, follow by making reports to the other Deities in the Home or the Temple on what is happening, etc.

After reporting, the Incenses that Invited back must be placed into the Main Urn or the Invited-back Incense Powder must be added into the Urn or the Powder in the New Urn that being issued out must be Pour & Mix into the Main Urn of the Home or Temple to represent the Combining of the Incenses for Deities.

After the Combining, another round of reporting will be made to the Deities of the Home or Temple on the Completion of the Combining. And the rest of the Family Members or the Temple Members can offer Incenses into the Urn.

So what are the Post-activities?

Usually within the 3 Days, offering of Incenses and the lighting of Candles cannot stop (三天以內香火不斷), and also, no touching of the Urn or stirring of the Powder in the Urn un-necessarily (新合爐香火不宜隨意碰動).

So usually when is the best timing to do the Combining of Urn?

This will need to go according to the few Ancient Dates that being passed-down by Heavenly Master Xu Xun (許遜天師). The Dates are able to retrieve from the Book written by Heavenly Master Xu Xun – known as Yu Xia Ji (玉匣記).

Or, such Combining of Urn can be done on the Birthday Celebration of Deities (神誕慶典) or on the San Yuan Festival (三元佳節).