癸巳蛇年送寒衣懷思之期 Offering of Winter Clothing to the Wanderings 2013

In Taoist Culture, there are 3 Major Days for the Taoists to show their Filial Piety, Gratitude and Thanksgiving to the Ancestors/Pass-on Members and also, to perform a Minor Concern to the Wanderings or Un-attended Souls. These 3 Major Days in Taoist Culture is known as The Three Gratitude Days for the Souls or San Da Ming Jie in Chinese (三大冥節).

So which are the 3 Days?

There are,

1 – Qing Ming Period aka The Tomb-sweeping Festival (清明節)
2 – The Seventh Month Celebration aka Zhong Yuan Festival (中元節)
3 – The Offering of Winter-clothing Day aka Han Yi Day (寒衣節)

For Qing Ming Period, usually it will falls in the Lunar 2 Month till Lunar 3 Month, whereas the Seventh Month Celebration will starts on the 1st Day till the Last Day of Lunar 7 Month.

And so, when is the Date for Winter-clothing Offering?

It actually falls on the 1st Day of Lunar 10 Month and this is why, in the Ancient Chinese Records, it is also known as Shi Yue Shuo Jie (十月朔節), meaning the Starting of the Lunar 10 Month or the starting of the Winter Season.

To know more on the Origin of the Offering of Winter Clothing Day, you all may wish to proceed to this Link (寒衣節的由來):

http://javewutaoismplace.blogspot.sg/2009/11/offering-of-winter-clothing-for-pass-on.html

For Year 2013, it falls on 03 Nov, a Sunday.

So how was this Offering of Winter Clothing being carried-out in the Ancient China?

According to the Ancient Records, the Offering of Winter Clothing are being categorised into 2 types,

1 – Home-based Offering (家中祭奠)
2 – Official/Governmental Offering (公眾祭奠)

For Home-based Offering, Descendants/Family Members must prepared the necessary Offerings (as below) for the Honouring of the Pass-on Members at Home or at the Graves,

1 – Incenses & Candles (香燭)
2 – Paper Offerings (including the Paper-bag of Winter-clothing 紙料/寒衣包袱)
3 – Scriptures (or engaged Taoist Masters for the Chanting 經懺)
4 – Seven Cooked Dishes (七道熟食)
5 – One bowl of Soup (湯料一碗)
6 – The Three Sacrificed Meat Offerings (Pig, Fish, Chicken/Duck 三牲)
7 – Cooked Rice (米飯)
8 – Wine/Chinese Tea (茶酒)
9 – Four sets of Bowls/Spoons/Chop-sticks (四副碗筷)

Once after All the Offerings are being prepared and placed in order on the Altar, the whole Family has to make 3 Kowtows to the Ancestors and after 3 rounds of Offering of Wine & Tea, the Burning-off of the Paper-offerings and Winter-clothing will be done. On the Paper-bag of Winter-clothing, the Names of Three Generations Ancestors will be indicated – meaning, Father, Grandfather & Great-grandfather (寒衣包袱之上書有祖上三代名諱).

After the Honouring of Ancestors, the Family Members will then gathered a bowl of Rice and some dishes from the Ancestor Honouring and then throw the bowl of Rice and the dishes onto the Main Road or at some Grass-areas nearby the House, this is to Offer the Food to the nearby Wanderings. For some Families, they will also burn some Paper-offerings at the Road-side, hoping that, after the Wanderings got the Offerings, they will “Blessed” on the People staying in the area. In Taoism, this is known as Ji Gu (濟孤).

For Official/Governmental Offering, this is usually being carried-out by the Area Officers or Magistrate Office (地方官/知縣/等) – The Offering reaches Peak in Ming Dynasty.

In the Morning of the 1st Day of Lunar 10 Month (農曆十月初一日早晨), the Officer will arrived at the Temple dedicated to Lord Cheng Huang aka City Deity (城隍尊神) and made a report on the Objective of the Day’s Event and then, the Constables (衙差) will shift the statue of Lord Cheng Huang onto a prepared Sedan-chair and on the Sedan Chair (大紅轎), there are 1 or 2 plaque(s) with the words written on it – Feng Zhi Si Gu (匾書有 - 奉旨祀孤), meaning this Offerings to the Wanderings is being Authorised and Granted by the Emperor. In Ming Dynasty (明朝), The Lunar 10 Month Procession of Lord Cheng Huang is also known as Fang Gui Shou Ji Ri (放鬼受濟日), meaning Releasing of Souls for Salvation.

Once the statue of Lord Cheng Huang is being invited on the Sedan-chair and secured firmly, the Officer will lead the way and starts the Procession of going round the whole Village/Town/City (遊境濟孤).

During the Procession, the Officer will stop at certain areas/corners and ordered the Constables to burn some Paper-offerings, this is to show the “Concern” for those un-attended Souls or Suffering Wanderings in the Area. By doing so, the Officer hopes that the Wanderings will not disturb the Mortals living in the Area.

After the whole Procession was done, the Officer will lead the Sedan-chair back to the Temple and ushered Lord Cheng Huang back onto the Altar and on the very night, simple Dinner will be held at the Area/Village/City for the People staying around, this is to celebrate that Harvesting had completed and a Year is about to end.

In Summary

Due to lost of Interest in Chinese Culture, lost of Recognition in Root-Culture and the Down-fall of Taoist Culture, many such Traditional Practices are gone or being forgotten by a lot of the Taoists/Chinese.

Shall Oneself still continue such a Culture?

Is Oneself doing it for Fun?
Is this Culture important to Oneself/Us?

I think this is something that worth many of us to sit down and ponder over it.

Last of All, hope to see more Taoists/Chinese get involved in this Culture before it is gone.

Theme Song for Han Yi Festival (寒衣節主題曲﹕孟姜女):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKuy_0zkBaw&feature=colike
http://youtu.be/SF3a0vfUR5w

馬來西亞吉隆坡開光儀式 The Dotting Ceremony at Kuala Lumpur 2013

 

很感謝馬來西亞吉隆坡的佘同道之邀﹐讓小道有機會前往該宅中舉行安神儀式。

 

這三天﹐真的受到佘同道及家人的熱情款待﹐小道實感榮幸。

 

希望過不久﹐還能前往一訪﹐好好的敘敘舊。

 

三無量。

感恩心。

 

正一三十代張虛靖天師之宋詞南鄉子 The Song Dynasty Poem of 30th Heavenly Master Zhang Xu Jing

在此﹐與各方同道好友分享一首由正一三十代張虛靖天師所作的宋詞。

The Song Dynasty Poem composed by 30th Heavenly Master Zhang Xu Jing.

南鄉子˙張繼先

無奈這群迷。
味色聲中若系羈。
盡任改頭兼換面，何悲。
不染伊時不管伊。

春去又秋兮。
莫遣空逾十二時。
好把自然真妙旨，修為。
塵事縈仍道甚希。

正一龍山門恭迎張虛靖天師聖駕 LSM ushering the 30th Heavenly Master Zhang Xu Jing

欣逢薩守堅天師聖誕﹐本門假此吉日良辰﹐於壇中設案獻供﹐恭迎嗣漢正一三十代張虛靖天師聖駕﹐座鎮本門壇上。

願虛靖天師護佑﹐本門弟子能興道順勢﹐一切平安。

三無量。
正一心。

癸巳蛇年南極長生大帝下降之期 Heavenly Emperor Chang Sheng Descending Day 2013

農曆九月廿五日為南極長生大帝下降拔度九幽一切苦靈並為眾生解厄之日。

南極太薇長生大帝又稱高上神霄玉清真王﹐相傳為元始天王第九位兒子﹐名為畢方。

在一般記載中﹐南極長生大帝又被公認為”壽星”﹐能為一切眾生添壽延年﹐就因如此﹐南極長生大帝常顯”老人相”。

25th Day of Lunar 9 Month is known as the Descending Day of Heavenly Emperor Chang Sheng, the 9th Son of Great Supreme Lord Yuan Shi.

On the descending day, Emperor Chang Sheng will conduct his Salvation task on the Suffering Soul and also, to Eliminate the Sins of those Poor Beings.

For Year 213, it falls on 29 Oct, a Tuesday.

Introduction of Heavenly Emperor Nan Ji Chang Sheng (四極六御之南極長生大帝簡介):

http://javewutaoismplace.blogspot.sg/2007/12/pictures-of-celestial-emperor-nan-ji_3918.html

癸巳蛇年西河薩守堅天師聖誕吉慶 Manifestation Anniversary of Heavenly Master Sa Shou Jian 2013

On the 23rd Day of Lunar 9 Month (農曆九月廿三日), it is considered as another Manifestation Anniversary for Heavenly Master Sa Shou Jian (為西河薩守堅天師聖誕).

This Year, 2013, it falls on 27 Oct, a Sunday.

To find out more on Heavenly Master Sa Shou Jian, please proceed to the following links:

Introduction of Heavenly Master Sa Shou Jian (西河薩守堅天師簡介):

http://javewutaoismplace.blogspot.sg/2007/12/pictures-of-heavenly-master-sa-shou-jian.html

Pictures of Heavenly Master Zhang Dao Ling (西河薩守堅天師照片):

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.402846776448842&type=1

Praise Incantation for the Four Heavenly Masters (四大天師寶誥):

http://javewutaoismplace.blogspot.sg/2007/10/praise-mantra-for-four-heavenly-masters.html

大道之作 The Universe of Us

用我們"空間"的六分鐘﹐來了解"元始天王"及"三清道祖"的偉大傑作﹐並明白"斗父天尊"及"斗姆元君"在"大爆炸"後所孕化出的滿天繁星。

這是多麼的壯觀啊。。。

三無量。
大道心。

Let's use 6 minutes to see how The Great Supreme Lord of Yuan Shi and The Three Pure Ones created this Universe (or this tiny Dimension) and also, understand how Dou Fu & Dou Mu (Parent of All Star Lords) "born" the Stars after the "Big Bang".

Do enjoy this wonderful Video.

http://youtu.be/tx2A1KeAeVo

正一四十七代天師張元慶大真人八字賜誥詩 The Eight Official Characters’ Poem of the 47th Heavenly Master Zhang

與此﹐與各方同道好友分享” 正一四十七代天師張元慶大真人八字賜誥詩”﹐希望大家會喜歡及用的著。

抱陰陽。煉炁入道為修。
真燮理。調炁化道為身。
養道德。行炁揚道為正。
素心思。納炁合道為教。

癸巳蛇年正一四十七代代張元慶天師得道紀念日 Immortality Attaining Anniversary of 47th Heavenly Master Zhang Yuan Qing 2013

農曆九月二十日為正一四十七代代張元慶天師大真人之沖舉得道紀念日。

張元慶天師﹐又名張玄慶﹐字天賜﹐稱號為七一丈人。

元慶天師生于明天順七年四月初六日﹐沖舉得道於明正德四年九月二十日﹐享壽四十七。

其賜號為” 保和養素繼祖守道真人”。

20^th Day of Lunar 9 Month is known as the Immortality Attaining Anniversary of the 47^th Heavenly Master Zhang Yuan Qing.

For Year 2013, it falls on 24 Oct, a Thursday.

癸巳蛇年六十四代張源先天師得道紀念日 Immortality Attaining Anniversary of 64th Heavenly Master Zhang Yuan Xian 2013

農曆九月十九日為正一六十四代張源先大真人之得道紀念日。

On this coming 19th Day of Lunar 9 Month (農曆九月十九日), it will be the Attaining-of-Immortal-hood Anniversary of the 64th Generation Heavenly Master Zhang Yuan Xian (六十四代張源先天師).

In Year 2013, it falls on 23 Oct, a Wednesday.

Heavenly Master Zhang Yuan Xian got his Immortal-hood in Year 2008 at the age of 78, leaving his Wife & Daughter to take over the supervision of Zheng Yi Sect.