Video on Taoist Ritual - Rising of Heavenly Lanterns (道教揚幡天燈科儀短片)

In here, you all will be watching the Video on Taoist Ritual of Rising the Heavenly Lanterns conducted by the Senior High Priest in Taiwan.

In the Video, you will see how the Taoist Priests performed the Reporting and then slowly Rise the Lanterns & Flags up to the Tall-pole. This is to indicate that this Premises is having Ritual/Ceremony and also to Invite or Usher in the Deities.

In Taoism, there are a few types of such Rituals, mostly meant for Deities, Salvation & Blessing-requesting Rituals.

Hope you all Enjoy.

Shang Qing Sect Mao Shan School Ancestor - Wei Hua Cun (上清宗茅山派祖師魏華存)

 

Alot of People have been mistaken that the Founder of Shang Qing Sect Mao Shan School, is a Guy. To be correct, the Founder shall be a Lady, known as Wei Hua Cun.

In here, I will like to do a quick Introduction on High Priestess Wei Hua Cun to all of you.

Priestess Wei Hua Cun aka Wei Xian An (魏贤安), born in Jin Dynasty at AD 251 (晉朝公元二五一年). Hometown in China Shan Dong Province Ji Ning City Ren Cheng Area (中國山东省济宁市任城).

Since young, Wei Hua Cun had been reading Taoist Texts, Articles & chanting of Scriptures, by the age of 12, she was able to memorize & recite ALL the Phrases & Sentences out without looking at Books. With her indepth Knowledge of Taoist Skills & Information, Wei Hua Cun started to make Vows & Promises in assisting People & doing Preaching on the Teaching of Taoism.

By the time she reached 20 years old, Wei Hua Cun was able to go around the Forested Areas to collect Herbs & Plants to make them into Pills & Chinese Medicine. Whenever she's invented a New Pill or Medicine, she would first do trying on consuming them and if no side-effects appeared, she would shared the Pill or Medicine with the People that she knew.

Due to her long period of consuming such Herbs & Plants, Wei Hua Cun's Physical Body started to have changes, such as, she No need to consume much Physical Food Stuffs, such as Grains, Vegetables or Fruits.

By the time she reached 24 years old, her Father forced her to marry to a Scholar known as Liu Wen (刘文). Her Father's objective was to stop her Cultivation and also, to disconnect her from the Day-dreaming of becoming Immortal.

After her Marriage, Wei Hua Cun had to stop her Cultivation and inventing of Pills & Medicine. During the 1st & 2nd year of her Marriage, she gave birth to 2 Sons, both known as Liu Pu (刘璞) & Liu Xia (刘瑕) - which later both of them became Leaders of Shang Qing Sect.

In AD288, at the age of 37, one day while Wei Hua Cun was staying at home doing her reading, suddenly she saw a Group of Immortals & Deities decending from the Heavenly Realm. At the moment, she was shocked, but knowing that they were Spiritual Beings, Wei Hua Cun immediately prepared the Altar & Incenses to usher them into her house.

After entering into her house, one of the Deities took out a bundle of Books & Spiritual Objects and then pass to her. Upon receiving the items, Wei Hua Cun was in a puzzled and just as she was about to start asking, an Immortal known as Immortal Qing Xu Wang Bao (清虚真人王褒) approached her and told her that, they were here to impart her the necessary Training & Skills in-order for her to do her Preaching in the future.

Knowing that, Wei Hua Cun was moved and immdiately kneeled down infront of Immortal Wang Bao to acknowledge him as the Master. From then, at certain period of the Month, the various Deities would descend into her house to guide on her in the Learning.

After years of Training, after mastering the Hidden Secret of the Spiritual Skills, Wei Hua Cun recorded them in the very 1st Scripture of Shang Qing Sect, which was known as Shang Qing Jing (上清经). From then, ALL the descendants had to master it without fail in-order to promote the Culture of Taoist Shang Qing Sect's Teaching.

In her Late Years, Wei Hua Cun spent most of her time performing re-arranging & editing for the Ancient Taoist Scripture Huang Ting Jing (黄庭经).

AD 334 (晉朝公元三三四年), Wei Hua Cun got her gaining of Immortal-hood and on the Day of her departure, many People witnessed her ascending into the Heavenly Realm. After her Immortal-hood, she was being bestowed with an Official Title known as Zi Xu Yuan Jun Nan Yue Wei Fu Ren (紫虚元君南岳魏夫人).

Due to Shang Qing Sect 9th Leader Tao Hong Jin (九代宗师陶弘景) stationed at Mt Mao aka Mao Shan (茅山), so in Taoist Records, Shang Qing Sect also being addressed as Mao Shan School (茅山派). This is also the Period that Shang Qing Sect merge in the San Mao Ancestors (三茅真君) into their Honouring.

After Mao Shan School started to "walk" into Commoners' Society, different Off-spring Lineage started to Pop-up.

Till today, some of the Major Sub-Groups are still operating, such as,

1) Feng Yang School (鳳陽分派) - Founder Jiang Yun (鳳陽開山祖師姜芸)
2) Liu Ren School (六壬分派) - Founder Li Bo (六壬開山祖師李播)
3) Jin Ying School (金英分派) - Founder Jin Ying (金英開山祖師金英)
4) Bai Lian School (白蓮分派) - Founder Wang Sen (白蓮開山祖師王森)
5) Bai Lian School (百連分派) - Founder Bao Sheng (百連開山祖師寶生)

But due the Skills that being Imparted to these Sub-Groups are being mix with Folks Skills, so the Original Shang Qing Sect's Spiritual Skills are no longer able to be seen in them.

For High Res Pictures, please proceed to this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taoism_deity_singapore_2007/photos/album/164017948/pic/list

Video on Introducing of the Honouring of Northern Dipper (道教禮斗介紹短片)

In here, you all will be watching a Video on the Introduction of the Taoist Ritual Li Dou aka Honouring of the Northern Dipper (禮斗).

In this Video, you will see the various Items that needed for the Ritual and also, the Dates that this Ritual will be conducted.

Hope you all Enjoy.

Jurong East Feng Shan Si Celebration (裕廊東鳳山寺慶典)

Start:	Oct 8, '09 8:00p
End:	Oct 10, '09 10:00p
Location:	Singapore, Jurong East, West

Jurong East Feng Shan Si (裕廊東鳳山寺 an Old Taoist Group of about 60 years) will be having a Taoist Celebration, dedicating to Guang Ze Zun Wang (廣澤尊王), on 08 Oct to 10 Oct at the Event Space located at Jurong East Street 31 (Jurong East Ave 1), near to Block 319 & 320.

For those who are interested in Participating in their Taoist Ritual, please be there on 09 Oct & 10 Oct.

On 08 Oct will be the Settling & Summoning of Spiritual Armies (安營).

Timing from Morning 9.00Am onwards.

Map at: http://www.streetdirectory.com/asia_travel/travel/travel_id_3462/travel_site_111339/

Video on Honouring the Northern Dipper & Changing of Luck (道教禮斗及改運科儀短片)

In here, you all will be watching a Video Clip on the Honouring of Northern Dipper & Changing of Luck Ritual.

This is a Rarely seen Grand Ritual in South East Asia. In the Ritual, the Taoist Priests will recite a few Mantras & Sentences and then advise the Taoists to burn off the Paper Offerings & Talismans in-order to Eliminate the Negative Lucks.

Hope you all Enjoy.

Hidden Obstacles & Issues that Sintuas have (道教神壇隱危多)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Other

As most of our local Taoists & Chinese know that, recently, Sintuas (神壇 Folks Taoist Religious Groups) in Singapore are facing quite a lot of un-expected Issues, such as Political Issues & also, arguements among Main Stream Taoism & them.

While I was being engaged to visit to such Sintuas to do some advising and observing, I realised quite a number of Hidden Obstacles & Issues that lead to Human & Spiritual Factors.

Such Obstacles & Issues are as followed:

1) Engaging Non-Taoist Priests/Masters/Teachers to perform the necessary Rituals/Ceremonies during their Main Celebration/Important Dates.

If such will be continued, First Issue that the Sintua will faced will be, Deities leaving the Statues and then, encountering Spiritual Armies to go into a Chaotic Situation.

2) Did Engaged Taoist Priests/Masters to perform the Full-Cycle Enhancing Ritual/Ceremony (十二年輪補法事). This is a Rare Taoist Ritual/Ceremony, for the moment, only left with very Senior Taoist Priests knowing of the Methods & Skills in performing it.

If this Full-Cycle Enhancing Ritual/Ceremony is not being conducted, then the Annual Taoist Ritual/Ceremony conducted at the Sintua/Temple is considered as Useless.

3) Honouring Five Directional Spiritual Armies (五營神兵), but yet, using the Non-Taoist Ways of giving Offering.

This is one of the Serious Issues. Many Sintuas tend to Skip-steps or being Lazy, whenever the Honouring of Spiritual Armies is needed, they will just use Vegetarian Dishes or worst, just using Fruits to honour them. This is actually bringing DISASTER to the Sintua.

Another issue is that, DO NOT play Non-Taoist Music/Chanting on the Main Altar & Five Directional Spiritual Armies' Altar, this will cause alot of Un-necessary Distraction and might End-up, Arguement & Dis-agreement.

4) Blindly-followed what the Upper Generation pass-down to them. Especially ways of Conducting Spiritual Skills & Chanting.

This can also considered as One of the Worst Thing in some Sintuas. Chanting without knowing the Actual meaning or Performing the Spiritual Skills without knowing Why or When is needed, etc.

5) Engaging Non-recognised or Un-official People to guide on the New Mediums or Committee Members in the Sintua.

This will somehow create Future Arguements & Fightings in the Sintuas. Worst, it will cause the Sintua to Break-up and end up the Sintua's Name disappear from our Local History.

According to the Ancient Mediumship Records (for Human serving Deities as in Medium-form), there are 3 Things that A Master/Teacher shall know:

5.1) Decree from Heaven aka Tian Ling (天令), if the Person who you Engaged is not able to perform this Inviting of Heavenly Decree and show it to you All, then this Person is not being Officially Trained or is a Con-man

5.2) Hand-symbol aka Mudra of Meng Wei (盟威訣), a Trained Mediumship Master or Teacher must at least go thru the Official Taoism Training. If the Person is not able to show you the Mudra, then he is just a Folks Con-man that use the Name of Master to go around making Trouble for the Mediums, so do be careful

5.3) The Taoist Six Mantras aka Liu Shen Zhou (六神咒), this is again the Basic Mantras that the a Mediumship Master/Teacher MUST know in-order to issue Talismans to a New Medium or a Medium who has not being getting In-trance for years. If the Person is not able to tell you what are the 6 Mantras, then it is a Con-man again

Summarizing:

For those who are Interested in Opening Up of Sintuas or Maintaining of Sintuas, my Advise is that, get the Correct Person & Official Person to get Advises. Do not think that ALL these are Troublesome or Un-necessary.

Some People will only Regret & Put-blames on Others when things happened and why, dont such People do their Best to Prevent it.

Last of ALL, ALL the BEST to ALL Sintuas.

Video on Taiwan Pu Du Ceremony 02 (台灣小普法事短片)

In here, you all will be watching a Series of 2 Video Clips on the 7th Month Salvation Ritual aka Xiao Pu (小普), coducted on 22nd of Aug 2009.

In Video 1, you will see the Taoist Priests conducting the Simple Scale Salvation Ritual for a Temple and also the Sending Off of the Wanderings.

In Video 2, you will see the Taoist Priests returning back to the Temple to do Reporting and Round-up the Salvation Ritual.

Video on Taiwan Pu Du Ceremony 01 (台灣小普法事短片)

In here, you all will be watching a Series of 2 Video Clips on the 7th Month Salvation Ritual aka Xiao Pu (小普), coducted on 22nd of Aug 2009.

In Video 1, you will see the Taoist Priests conducting the Simple Scale Salvation Ritual for a Temple and also the Sending Off of the Wanderings.

In Video 2, you will see the Taoist Priests returning back to the Temple to do Reporting and Round-up the Salvation Ritual.

Manifestation Anniversary of Heavenly Lord Pu Hua (普化天尊千秋聖誕)

5th Day of Lunar 8 Month is considered as the Official Manifestation Anniversary of Heavenly Lord Pu Hua aka Pu Hua Tian Zun (普化天尊).

On this Day, Taoists will chant the Taoist Scripture Yu Su Bao Jing (玉樞寶經) that dedicated to Pu Hua Tian Zun.

Besides that, this is also a Day that Taoists will request for Eliminating of Sins & Debts from Pu Hua Tian Zun.

In Singapore, Oneself can visit Wan Shou Shan Guan Yin Tang (萬壽山觀音堂) located at Telok Blangah Height, infront of Blk 54, to honour Pu Hua Tian Zun.

Sintua Aid School SAS (道教神壇文化質詢院)

Start:	Sep 20, '09
End:	Dec 31, '09
Location:	All Over Singapore

Dear All,

Due to the recent Unpleasant Comments made on Sintua's Culture, many Sintuas in Singapore & Malaysia are being affected seriously and now, some of the Sintuas in Singapore are being forced to Stop Operating and faces House Unit being confiscated.

In here, with the Encouragement & Supports by various Sintuas, Temples & Taoist Elders, Long Shan Men had decided to Set-up a Long-term Sintua Aid School aka SAS.

In SAS, various Taoist Priests, Masters & Teachers will be sent out to assist existing Sintuas to do some necessary Arrangements in-order to avoid breaking the Laws & also to protect the Rights of the Sintua Culture. Besides that, SAS will also assist New Sintuas in Setting-up and also to train Newly Mediums with the necessary Basic Taoist Knowledge & also the Religious Ceremonies' Culture & Teaching.

Currently, SAS has started to assist quite a few Sintuas in doing some necessary arrangements.

For those who wished to know more, please PM me or Email me at javecxwu@gmail.com