The Taoist Altar
- The Sacred Lamp. Placed in the center of the altar, in front of a picture or statue of the deity being honored, is the...
- Two Candles. To the left and right of the Sacred Lamp are two tall candles which represent the moon/Yin and sun/Yang.
- Three Cups. In front of the Sacred Lamp are three cups. The cup on the left contains water, which represents Yang,...
Full Answer
What are the elements of a Taoist altar?
Although altars vary depending on the sect and ceremony being practiced, most Taoist altars have the following elements: Placed in the center of the altar, in front of a picture or statue of the deity being honored, is the Sacred Lamp, which represents the light of Tao (the root of Wuji).
How do you set up an altar in a temple?
Steps Place on the altar a statue or an image of the deity being honoured. Have a sacred lamp. A Sacred Lamp should be placed in front of the statue/image. Light candles. Placed to the left and right of the sacred lamp should be two candles. Place three cups. In front of the sacred lamp there should be three cups.
Do Taoists bless the statues of Chinese gods?
With the Chinese god statues for example: Guan Yu, Ma zu, etc., then it is necessary to get some Taoists to bless these statues. Thanks! Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
How do you place a sacred lamp in a tea ceremony?
Place three cups. In front of the sacred lamp there should be three cups. The cup on the left should contain water, which represents Yang. The cup on the right should contain tea, which represents Yin. The center cup should contain grains of uncooked rice, which represents the union of Yin and Yang.
What do you put on a Chinese altar?
The Sacred Lamp. Placed in the center of the altar, in front of a picture or statue of the deity being honored, is the Sacred Lamp, which represents the light of Tao (the root of Wuji). ... Two Candles. Taoist religious altar. ... Three Cups. In front of the Sacred Lamp are three cups. ... Five Plates of Fruit. ... An Incense Burner.
How do I place an altar at home?
Where should you place an altar in your home? If you are not sure about the placement of your Catholic home altar, then it is advisable to have it in your living room facing the main door or the entrance. Since the deity protects the house, this placement ensures that He is always looking after you.
What are the symbols of Taoism?
Symbols Eight Immortals of TaoismFlower Basket. ... Castanets. ... Gourd and Iron Crutch. ... Flute. ... Musical Instrument (Yu Kü) ... Lotus. ... Sword and Taoist fly-brush. ... Fan.
Do Taoists believe in souls?
In Taoism one's soul or energy is considered to be interlocked with the vital energy, which is what nourishes your soul. Ridding the body of impurities can increase this energy. Aside from these requirements, you must lead an upright, moral and good-hearted life.
Which direction should altar be?
The layout of the elements on each of the eight directional altars is always the same; the only thing that changes is the wall your chosen altar is placed against and the corresponding aspiration. The air element will always be placed in the northwest.
Which way does an altar face?
The east end is where the altar is placed, often within an apse. The façade and main entrance are accordingly at the west end.
What are the colors of Taoism?
Before the Five Elements Theory was used and according to Taoists' believe, there were only two colors: opposing, yet complementary principles, black and white, yin- yang.
What are the 3 main beliefs of Taoism?
The 'Three Jewels of Tao' (Chinese: 三寶; pinyin: sānbǎo) refer to the three virtues of taoism: compassion, kindness, love. ... moderation, simplicity, frugality. ... humility, modesty.
Does Taoism have a holy book?
Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is a religion and a philosophy from ancient China that has influenced folk and national belief. Taoism has been connected to the philosopher Lao Tzu, who around 500 B.C.E. wrote the main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching.
What do Taoist believe happens after death?
In Taoism perspective, life after death refers to the belief that one will die and be reborn in another being based on their previous lives. This interpretation, he said, should encourage human beings to do good and benefit others because their virtues will spread positive energy.
What is heaven in Taoism?
In Taoism and Confucianism, Tiān (the celestial aspect of the cosmos, often translated as "Heaven") is mentioned in relationship to its complementary aspect of Dì (地, often translated as "Earth").
How do I become a Taoist?
But unlike most religions, modern philosophical Taoism does not require any specific form of belief or initiation. Becoming a Taoist can be as simple as reading Taoist texts to become familiar with Taoist beliefs. Certain practices – like attending temple, observing feng shui, and meditating – are considered Taoist.
What is the spiritual significance of altars?
An altar is a raised area in a house of worship where people can honor God with offerings. It is prominent in the Bible as "God's table," a sacred place for sacrifices and gifts offered up to God.
What the Bible Says About altars?
The Altar and its utensils were considered to be sacred, and the priests had to vest and wash their hands before touching them—even so much as removing the ashes from the altar. According to the Bible, the fire on the altar was lit directly by the hand of God and was not permitted to go out (Leviticus 6:12–13).
Why is it important to have an altar?
During Mass, it serves as a table to hold a copy of the Bible and the consecrated bread and wine that are distributed to worshipers. One to three cloths cover the altar, and a cross and candles may be placed on or near it. The altar is the focus of the Mass and represents the presence of Christ during the ceremony.
What is the purpose of an altar?
An altar is a structure with an upper surface for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Happy Lunar New Year 2018, Chinese New Year Celebration! The 2018 Chinese New Year begins on Friday, February 16. 2018 will be the first Year of the Earth Dog since 1958.
How To Make a Taoist Shrine or a Taoist Altar
Happy Lunar New Year 2018, Chinese New Year Celebration! The 2018 Chinese New Year begins on Friday, February 16. 2018 will be the first Year of the Earth Dog since 1958.
The Sacred Lamp
Placed in the center of the altar, in front of a picture or statue of the deity being honored, is the Sacred Lamp, which represents the light of Tao (the root of Wuji). This light of Tao, like the brightest of stars, shines both in the sky—illuminating the entire cosmos—and in the human body—illuminating our Original Nature.
Two Candles
To the left and right of the Sacred Lamp are two tall candles which represent the moon/Yin and sun/Yang. In terms of the human body, the two candles are original nature (Yuan Qi) and life (Hou Tian Qi), and also the two eyes. In the language of Inner Alchemy, they are the "Green Dragon and White Tiger copulating in the Yellow Hall."
Three Cups
In front of the Sacred Lamp are three cups. The cup on the left contains water, which represents Yang, or male generative energy. The cup on the right contains tea, which represents Yin, or female generative energy.
Five Plates of Fruit
In front of the three cups are placed five plates of fruit and five bowls of food. The plates of fruit represent the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) in their pre-natal, or Earlier Heaven form, characterized by a creative/supportive relationship between the elements.
An Incense Burner
In front of the five plates and five bowls is an incense burner, which represents the lower abdominal area of the human body, called the “stove” or lower Dantian.
Find a suitable location
When building an inside altar, you need to find a location in your house that feels important. From what I have seen, many houses in America have fireplaces or televisions in important locations. However, you don’t want to build your altar on top of a fireplace mantle, since the spirits may not like the added heat.
Pick a spirit to honor
Bowing to a statue may seem strange to you, but Daoists see everything in creation, including the deities, as just different manifestations of the Dao. The Daoist devotional practices, for me, are just another way of showing respect for the unfathomable mystery of the Dao.
Arrange your altar
Find a good quality shelf or table. If there is limited space, you can buy an altar cabinet that hangs on the wall. The altar should be in good condition and clean. I like to lay a decorative cloth over the altar. Your statue should go in the center of the altar, towards the back.
Dedicating the altar
Daoist temples have a special ritual used to “awaken” a statue by inviting the deity or immortal to inhabit it. Across China, people bring their statues to the temple for this ritual. Without access to a temple or priest, approaching the spirits yourself, with a pure intention and a sincere heart. Here’s one way to begin using your altar:
Bowing
Bowing is a way to show respect. This is how we bow in Daoist temples:
Purpose of an Altar in Taoism
Taoist altars are very unique and powerful, because their purpose is to communicate with the gods and also to do magic to utilize the god’s given powers.
Purpose
As we have said, the altar is a place to communicate with the gods and to do magic work which calls the gods for help. You can do that before you get the actual physical altar setup too – because your body is already an altar to start with. Before you have a physical altar, your body serves as a “place” or “medium” to communicate with the gods too.
Upper Deck
The upper deck of your altar is for the main gods with their statues and such. These are the positive powers that we work with all the time. The main god here we call him Jo Si, or Bagwa Jo Si, who is represented by the main big incense pot. His job is to connect you with the different gods from the celestial court, finding the right help and such.
Lower Deck
The lower deck is like the internal local department of your altar, we call the main god there our landlord, who is responsible for all the local activities going on in the altar and spiritual dimension of this location. He is like our guardian and also the big boss in the local altar system who govern the workers.
Essentials
No matter big or small altar, there are essentials that an altar must have to operate as an altar. You need a framed signage or statue of who you are worshipping, a table or platform to mark the “land” for the altar, an incense pot filled with white sand, incense to mark the time, some sort of fire source like candles.
