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Taoist
Religion Service
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In
the halls or temples of
Taoism, people will often
see the Taoists singing
the ancient songs and
dancing in the mandala,
with colorful clothes
and some kinds of religion
service wares in hand,
which is the Taoist service
rite, Taoist Rite, or
Attending the religion
service to the letter
of rules. "Fast "
refers to that the attendant
should have a bath and
change clothes, not eat
meat or drink wine, not
sleep with one's better
half before the rite,
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to show one's piousness.
Taoism absorbed this for
the purpose of clearing
the mind by eating vegetables
and cleaning the body
by having a bath, in other
words, fasting. Doing
good things to get rid
of the evil thought, conforming
to god to keep healthy,
and then cultivating,
are the three stages of
fasting. Taoism has paid
more attention to fasting
and set a series of rules
to direct fasting process.
Jiao was sacrifice, an
old rite. Taoism has absorbed
and developed this meaning
of sacrifice, by which
to communicate with gods.
Jiao also has many rules
in the process and rite.
Jiao has many other names,
for people pray for what,
there will be some relative
kind Jiao, for example,
a Jiao to pray for rain.
At first, the rules of
fasting were different
from that of Jiao, but
after several dynasties'
combination, fasting and
Jiao combined into one,
the pronoun of Taoist
rites.
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Fasting
and Jiao rules
refer to the rules
and regulations
that Taoist religion
service should
observe. The following
are some services
that the Taoists
often attend:
I, Morning and
Evening Lesson
in the Mandala,
is a must for
the Taoists living
in the temple,
whose purpose
is to exercise
body and cultivate
mind, to pray
for good fortune,
to stabilize one's
mind to be a Taoist,
to release souls
from purgatory,
and to demonstrate
the management
of the temples.
II, Welcoming
ceremony for the
founder is to
welcome Zhenwu
ascend the mandala,
to demonstrate
his great power,
to the effect
of protecting
scriptures,
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Taoism,
and temples and halls,
so as to keep the Taoist
temples and halls quiet
forever.
III, Fete for the singles
is a rite done in the
evening lesson, to sacrifice
the single ghosts and
release souls from purgatory
for them.
IV, Birthday ceremony
is the rite to celebrate
the birthday of the founder
of Taoism, Zhang-Sanfeng.
V, Celebration ceremony
is also the rite to celebrate
the birthday of the founder
of Taoism, Zhang-Sanfeng,
which is done at day.
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VI,
Meeting the emperor
rite is used on
the morning, the
midnight point,
on 25th of the
twelfth month
of the lunar calendar,
to meet the Jade
Emperor of Heaven,
by which to ask
the emperor to
descend to the
mortal world and
bring good fortune
to humans and
keep them healthy
and longevous.
VII, Big-turning
rite is to demonstrate
the power of Taoism,
to get rid of
all evils and
release all creatures
in the world,
which is at the
end of service.
VIII, Sending
letter (melting
letter, or burning
application) rite,
is a very important
rite in the fasting
and Jiao, widely
used in all kinds
of big service,
by which, Taoists
send their application
letters to Jade
Emperor, to invite
all gods descend
to the mandala
and bring fortune
and preserve humans'
life and release
souls for the
dead.
IX, Water-and-fire
tempering rite
is a common rite
to release souls
for the dead.
X, Lamp rite is
also a commonly
used rite done
in the evening
after the sun
has set, with
lamp as the religion
service ware,
by which to light
the world and
perish the darkness.
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