Manifestation Anniversay aka Birthday of Ling Bao Tian Zun (靈寶天尊萬壽日)

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18 Day of Lunar 5 Month (農曆五月十八日或夏至日), a day for the Taoist to celebrate the Manifestation Annivesary of Ling Bao Tian Zun (靈寶天尊).

In Taoism, this is an Important Day for the Taoists to pay their sincere & faithful respect to Ling Bao Tian Zun (靈寶天尊)﹐ one of the San Qing aka Three Supreme One (三清道祖).

Ling Bao Tian Zun, same as Yuan Shi Tian Zun, is one of the Three manifestations of Yuan Shi Tian Wang (元始天王) aka the Initial Gust of Miracle Energy or Force before the Universe & Dimensions existed. After Yuan Shi Tian Wang reaches a certain stage of manifestation, he manifested the very first Manifestation Energy to create Yuan Shi Tian Zun (元始天尊) and then followed by Manifesting Ling Bao Tian Zun (靈寶天尊) and last, Dao De Tian Zun.

So on this Day, what shall one self prepared?

For a Taoist, the things that needed to be prepared are very simple.

Just prepared the Taoist Five Offerings (道教五供) or the most, the Ten Offerings (道教十供), once ready, place them on the Altar that set-up facing the Heaven (with an Urn, 2 Candles and some simple paper-offerings).

After setting up, one self can start the honouring to Ling Bao Tian Zun.

Sincerely make a short report Ling Bao Tian Zun who you are, what is the event today and after the report, make 3 times of kneeling down, each time of the kneeling down, make 3 kowtows (which make 9 kowtows after the whole honouring).

Once the kneeling & kowtow are done, stand-up and make a simple bow and then leave the spot.

Besides doing the honouring, this is a Day that the Taoists will do chanting & reciting or perform Taoist Rituals/Ceremonies. On this Day, all chanting & reciting of Scriptures & Mantras, the credits & merits will be enhanced & multiplied.

For normal Chinese who wished to pay respect to Ling Bao Tian Zun, this will be encouraged. Just prepare the items that one self usually prepared for honouring the Home Deities. After preparation, place the items on the Main Altar or if one self wish to set up a Temp Altar facing the Heaven, this will be best.

Follow the procedure that being mentioned above.

If at home, one self is not able to do the honouring, can visit Temples that dedicate Altar to Ling Bao Tian Zun or San Qing.

So when can remove the Altar?

For those who wish to set-up the Altar till the next day, this is encouraged, if not, can remove the Altar on the very day, after the whole family pay respect to Ling Bao Tian Zun.

After removing the Altar, do not discard the Five or Ten offerings, one self can transfer the offerings to the Main Altar to continue offered to the Main Deities.