THE ANCIENT TAOIST PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCITY
IF YOU DO ME A FAVOR, I WILL RETURN A GREATER FAVOR TO YOU BUT IF YOU HURT ME, I WILL NOT OFFER THE OTHER CHEEK. IF YOU INSULT ME, I WILL PUNCH YOU; IF YOU PUNCH ME, I WILL BREAK YOUR ARM; IF YOU BREAK MY ARM, I WILL BREAK YOUR LEG; AND IF YOU BREAK MY LEG, I WILL PUT YOU IN A COFFIN
Important Note: There is consultation fee and ritual service charge when You seek help. The consultation fee & service charge are quite expensive and not anybody can afford it, or interested to pay for it. Kindly ask how much is the consultation service and ritual service fee when You seek help.
This is a praying guide for the Western Folks, who want to understand how the Chinese pray to Taoist Deities and how You can pray in the way You like that suit Your Western Culture.
The Chinese Way Of Praying To Taoist Deities
1) Every morning and evening, light up incense sticks/ cones and then WALK TO THE WINDOW OR DOOR WHICH YOU CAN LOOK UP TO THE SKY and pay respect to GREAT JADE EMPEROR 1ST, after that then walk back to the altar and pray / pay respect and say Your wishes to the Deity or Deities on the Altar.
2) On the 1st and 15th of every Chinese Lunar Month, put 3 small Chinese Tea Cups and pour Chinese Tea into them and do offerings of 1 type of fruits or 3 type of fruits and pray to the Deity or Deities. You CAN EAT the fruits after the Prayer.
3) When the incense sticks are almost finish burning, You can start to burn the proper joss paper /joss money catered to the specific deity / deities. Taoist deities have their own
set of joss paper being offered to them. If You don't know what type of joss papers to be burnt and offered to the deities You are praying to, You can go to Chinese Joss Papers Shop for help. There are different packets of joss papers mixed and match and packed nicely to cater for each and every deities.
CHINESE JOSS PAPERS (金纸)
4) Get hold of the specific Mantra/Mantras or specific chants in English ( if You don't know Chinese) of the particular diety or the deities and understand the teachings of the individual Deities. Recite the Mantra or read the teachings of the diety or deities when You have the time while facing the Deity/Deities. If You don't have the time or not interested in Chanting, at least You must know the teaching of the particular deity/dieties.
5) Find out the celebration day (Birthday / The Day of enlightenment etc) of each and every individual deities on the Altar You are praying to. Do offerings and burn joss/paper money to the deity / deities like how You do on every 1st and 15th of every Lunar Month.
Guide For The Western Folks
For Western Folks, You might have difficulty to obtain joss papers in Your country. You may check out whether there are Chinese Joss Paper Shops in China-Town.
If Joss Papers are not available, You may want to Email the owner of this Blog for help.
However, You do not need to follow exactly the way how Chinese pray to Taoist Deities. The above is just a general guide on how the Chinese pray.
Example ... When Hindus pray to Chinese Deities, they will use burning lamp (Indian Style) and rotate around the Chinese Deity Statues and ring the bell while chanting with Hindu Mantra. When Chinese pray to Hindu Deities, they will use 3 joss sticks to pray to them.
Most importantly, the Taoist Deity Statues on the altar MUST BE CONSECRATED.
If not, You must at least have Your Taoist Altar spiritually-empowered with a Special Multi-Purpose Talisman - The "36 Heavenly Warriors" Talismans.
Other than that, what matter most is Your Heart, Mind and Soul in Your trust, faith and believe that the deities have the power to protect You and bring Your prosperity.
How You will like to decorate Your Altar is up to Your own liking.
TAOISM never force anyone to follow exactly the "Standard Way Of Praying". Deities/ Gods / Saints of different faith are allowed to be placed together and then blend into Your own Culture and pray the way You feel comfortable with.
Most Western Folks and the Chinese Folks who migrated to Western Countries, plus also the Filipino Chinese, often place the non-consecrated Deity Statues onto their Taoist Altars. Taoist Altar, without Consecrated Deity Statues, is only good to look at and has no spiritual power and no spiritual protection.
You might not want to replace the Unconsecrated Deity Statues with consecrated ones.
There is a simple remedy to "spiritually activate" the whole altar immediately and that is to frame up and hang a piece of Multi-Purpose "36 Heavenly Warriors" Talisman on the Altar.
Activate a Taoist Altar with "36 Heavenly Warriors" Talisman
The only setback is once the "36 Heavenly Warriors" Talisman is taken out from the Taoist Altar, it become spiritually powerless again. The Taoist Altar is solely depending on the Talisman to empower the Altar.
"36 Heavenly Warriors" Talismans
a.k.a Protection All In one Talisman
"36 Heavenly Warriors" Talisman is more than just a Talisman to activate a Taoist Altar.
Have You been told by Self-Proclaimed Feng-Shui "Gurus" to buy their Feng-Shui Artifacts?
Have You already bought Feng-Shui Artifacts?
Are You praying to unconsecrated Taoist/Chinese Deities or Buddha Statues/Figurines/Images?
Are You planning to buy Taoist/Chinese Deities or Buddha Statues/Figurines/Images to pray to?
“Eye-Opening” Ceremony - 开光点眼 (Consecration of Deity Statues)
An “eye-opening” ceremony - 开光点眼 (Consecration of Deity Statues ) is performed either by a Taoist priest or directly from the Deity ( while in trance of a Taoist Medium) on newly carved sculptures of deities to endow them with spiritual properties.
Cinnabar - a burnt red colored ore of mercury which is considered holy and eliminates evil influences
Blood from a white rooster’s cockscomb - white roosters symbolize nobility, power and reverence, white symbolizes purity, and cockscombs symbolizes supremacy, and the blood of a cockscomb symbolizes the supreme life
Different Taoist Sects have slightly different ways of consecrating Deity Statues. Generally, a Taoist master, or a diety (while in-trance of spirit medium) may:
1) Use a blush to collect the blood from a white rooster’s cockscomb (by cutting the rooster’s cockscomb with a ritual sword) or just use the cinnabar and dot specific parts of the deity statue, while chanting consecration incantation and burning of talismans.
Use a blush to collect the blood from a white rooster’s cockscomb
2) Mix Cinnabar with blood from a white rooster’s cockscomb. The mixture of Cinnabar and blood of rooster will then be used for dotting process.
Mix Cinnabar with blood from a white rooster’s cockscomb
3) Insert "5 treasures" and some cases, include life insects (usually hornets) into the deity statue and then dot specific parts of the deity statue with the blood from a white rooster’s cockscomb or just cinnabar, while chanting consecration incantation and burning of talismans. Hornets are mainly inserted into Warrior Deity Statues only.
Insert "5 treasures" and life hornets into the deity statue
4) Will only use the cinnabar to dot specific parts of the deity statue, while chanting consecration incantation and burning of talismans, without using the blood from white cock's crown and no inserting insects or sacred ingredients into the statue.
Only use the cinnabar to dot specific parts of the deity statue
IMPORTANT:
In
order to be blessed and be protected by Taoist/Buddhist Deities or call
upon the spiritual power of deity to protect Your house or office from
dark energy or black magic and to improve luck or to ask Lottery (Pick 3
/ Pick 4/ Lotto ) Numbers, the Taoist/Buddhist Deity Statues You pray
to must have been consecrated by a Taoist Master.
Many
Western Folks were told by the Caucasian Feng-Shui "Gurus" or even
English-Educated Know-Nothing-But-Act-Guru Chinese FengShui "Masters" to
buy their Feng Shui Artifacts, which have not been consecrated.
When
Your Taoist /Buddhist Deity Statues/Figurines/Images have not been
consecrated, You are praying to empty shells. Worse still, if You have
been lighting up joss sticks or incense sticks and make offerings to a
Taoist/Buddhist Deity Statue, which has not been consecrated before, it
may has already been resided by a malevolent spirit.
Unconsecrated
Taoist /Buddhist Deity Statues/Figurines/Images are just empty shells
which are only good to make Your House/Office look like a Chinese
Restaurant. These "Empty Shells" will not protect Your Home/office and
will not help in improving the Feng-Shui Energy of Your Home/Office.
Many
Self-Proclaimed Caucasians and Chinese Feng-Shui "Masters" in the West
sell You Feng-Shui Artifacts to make a lot of Money for themselves but
never even know the importance of pumping spiritual energy of particular
selected deity into the statues/figurines/artifacts/images.
For Buddhist Folks:
1)
If You are self-cultivating in Buddhist Teaching and looking upon the
Buddha/Bodhisattva Statue as a form of reminder to concentrate on
personal cultivation, then Your Buddha/Bodhisattva Statue need no
consecration. You can just let the Statue be an "Empty Shell".
2)
If You are expecting the Spiritual Power of Buddha/Bodhisattva to come
and protect You and look after the house, protect from bad energy and
such, then the Buddha/Bodhisattva Statue must be consecrated.
For Taoist Folks:
Being
a Taoist, the Deity statues/figurines/artifacts/images must be
consecrated. If You are practicing Taoist-Sorcery or Taoist Talisman
Drawings or doing Taoist Magic, You need to call upon the power
of the particular Deity , which in order to do so, the Deity
statues/figurines/artifacts/images must be consecrated.
WARNING:
Once
the Deity statues/figurines/artifacts/images have been consecrated, it
is no more an ordinary artifact, it contains the spiritual power of that
particular deity. You must treat the stuff with respect, placing it on
altar and not to throw around house/office.
What to do now?
You may ..
1) Change the unconsecrated Deity Statues to consecrated ones
2) Bring Your unconsecrated Deity Statues to a Taoist Master or Taoist Temple for Consecration
3) Frame and Hang the "36 Heavenly Warriors" Talisman to immediately "activate" Your Taoist Altar
Day by day, more and more Western Folks are getting interested to learn more about Taoism, or already proclaim to be a Taoist and want to set up a Taoist Altar at home, or set it in his own Tai Chi / Chinese Martial Art Training Hall.
This Article is to teach the Western Folks, who are planning to start praying to Taoist Deities, or already praying but not sure whether they have set up the Taoist Altar correctly.
Most Western Folks and the Chinese Folks who migrated to Western Countries, plus also the Filipino Chinese, often place the non-consecrated Deity Statues onto their Taoist Altars.
1st of all, let's see how Altar of non-consecrated Taoist Deities look like... Taoist Altar - with non-consecrated Deity Statues
Most Western Folks and the Chinese Folks who migrated to Western Countries, plus also the Filipino Chinese often end up with this type of Taoist Altar , which is non spiritually empowered (non-consecrated) deity statues. There is nothing wrong in setting up this type of Taoist Altar, but it is only good to look at and has no spiritual power and no spiritual protection. This type of altar is good for You to sit near or next to it while reading some Taoist Books, listen to Taoist Music and appreciate Tao.
Taoist Altar - with consecrated Deity Statues
Taoist Altar is spiritually-empowered only when the Deity Statues are consecrated. Spiritually-empowered Taoist Altar is a must have for Folks who want to have his home to be blessed by the Deities. Only spiritually empowered Taoist Altar can protect the family from Evil Spirits, get rid of Black Magic Attack and bring prosperity and wealth into home, office and business.
Before You set up Your Taoist Altar, make sure the Taoist Deity Statues are consecrated. A Taoist Altar, without consecrated Deity Statues, is only good to look at but has no spiritual power and no spiritual protection. Before You learn about how to set up a Taoist Altar...
Check out how Taoist Deity Statues are consecrated:
1) Heavenly Deities must always be placed together in Odd Numbers - 1 deity, 3 deities , 5 deities etc. Praying to Hell Deities, can be in Even Numbers, example: Tua Ya Peh and Di Yah Peh are always worshiped together. Place the Deity or Deities in the middle of Altar. If intend to pray to Heavenly Deities and also Hell Deities , separate them apart. The Heavenly Deities on Top and Hell Deities below the Altar or Hell Deities can also be on Your Right Hand Side.
2) Lighting Stands or Lamps (shape like candles) are placed on each end , left and right on the Altar. And should be switched on 24hrs every day. When home / office lights are switched off, the Lights from the Lamps on the Altar are still brightly shining.
3) Incense Urn will be placed right in front and middle of the altar. When You are facing the Altar, make sure the Incense Urn does not cover the bodies and faces of the Deity Statues. If the incense urn will cover the view of bodies and faces of Deity Statues, add a wooden block below the Deity Statue to lift up above the incense urn.
4) For praying to Deities in Taoist Way, using of joss sticks must be in odd numbers. 1 joss stick, 3 joss sticks , 5 joss sticks... 3 joss sticks are the norm. For Buddhist way, a small incense urn can be used to contain the circular shape incense sticks or incense cones.
Activate Your Taoist Altar - With "36 Heavenly Warriors" Talisman
Most Western Folks and the Chinese Folks who migrated to Western Countries, plus also the Filipino Chinese often end up with a Taoist Altar full of non-consecrated Deities Statues. You may want to replace them with consecrated ones. - Consecration of Taoist Deity Statues
Chinese folks in South-East-Asia ( Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand) can bring their non-consecrated to a Taoist Master or Taoist Temple to have Your non-consecrated Deity Statues to go through consecration ceremony. You may have to pay a fee for consecration service by a Taoist Master, or , if You get it done by a Deity ( while in trance of a Taoist Medium) in the temple, You may just give donation in any amount You like.
If You are not intending to replace the unconsecrated Taoist deity statues with new consecrated ones, there is a simple remedy to "spiritually activate" the whole altar immediately and that is to frame up and hang a piece of Multi-Purpose "36 Heavenly Warriors" Talisman on the Altar.
Most Western Folks, who are interested in Taoism and want to understand more about Taoist Ritual , have never heard and never seen a Taoist Black Command Flag (黑令旗) before, until they read this article.
Many Chinese Folks who visit a Taoist Temple might have seen the Taoist Black Command Flag but do not know the meaning and purpose of it.
This article will explain the importance and usage of Taoist Black Command Flag.
In Taiwan, there are many different types of Taoist Black Command Flags used in temples.
Taoist Black Command Flag needs to be spiritually activated(开光) before it has spiritual power, or else, it is just a piece of cloth. The Taoist Black Flag has the power to invite Deities and summon celestial army for assistance. Wandering Spirits happen to see the Black Taoist Flag will run helter-skelter.
The most common Taoist Black Command Flag is a black color flag with just a Ba-Gua ( 八卦 - Eight Trigrams) symbol printed on it. It may look simple but it has tremendous spiritual power to command and control spirit beings. This simple design Bagua on Black Flag is the Taoist Black Flag often seen in Taoist Temples in Singapore, Malaysia , Indonesia and Thailand.
Common usages of Taoist Black Command Flag:
To invite/ask the Deity for help
When a Taoist Black Command Flag is seen placed in front of a Taoist temple, it often means that there is Tang-Ki Worship going on. Whenever there is a need to summon deities to the temple for Spirit Medium Possession , the Taoist Black Command Flag must be present right in front of the temple.
For Cleansing/Purifying & Clearing the Way for the Deity
When a Deity (possessed by a Taoist Medium) is on a tour of inspection, every places that pass by the Deity is first cleansed by the Black Command Flag, by swaying it along the path to expel the evil spirits to prevent them from interfering.
Support and Protect the Spirit Medium while performing Body Piercing or self-mortification
When spirit mediums are performing body piercing or self-mortification with sharp poles,skewers or swords, Taoist Black Command Flags are often seen raise up facing the Spirit Mediums to protect their bodies from getting injured while doing the act of self-mortification.
Used during exorcism
Taoist Black Command Flags are carried by Taoist Exorcist or Taoist Medium during exorcism. The black bagua flag has the power to command celestial soldiers to come forward to punish evil spirits.
WARNING:
If You intend to own a Taoist Command Flag （黑令旗）, You'd better know what You are doing.
If You just want to keep it as a keepsake or souvenir , get one that is not consecrated, so that You can bring out to appreciate it anytime You want.
If You are already trained in any path of sorcery or witchcraft, You may get a consecrated one, in order to invite Taoist deities and command and control ghosts/spirits.Consecrated Taoist Command Flag is a spiritual tool and need to place it on the Altar when not in use.
This article is written to educate the kids and adult folks who are interested in Onmyodo and dreaming of learning it. It is to tell the truth where it originates. This is for the purpose of "Remember the source of water when You are drinking it" (饮水思源).
There are kids and adults from the west and even Englished-educated , westernized Chinese , who are very anti-China and anti-Chinese and very pro-Japan and later they found out all the Ofuda (御札 or お札o-fuda, a charm) / Omamori ((お守り or 御守 - A portable form of o-fuda) contains Chinese Characters written on them and start to question whether they are produced in China and then desperately searching fruitlessly for Japanese Talismans written in Japanese Language.
This article is also to Give credit where credit is due. So next time when You see and hear Onmyodo, You will always remember - "This is Taoist Magic, Taoist Divination and Taoist Metaphysics of the Ancient Chinese".
The beginning of Onmyodo in Japan
In the 5th and 6th centuries, the principles of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements were transmitted to Japan from China via the Korean Peninsula, along with Buddhism and Confucianism.
While elements of both 'Religious Taoism' and at a later date, 'Philosophical Taoism' have had an unmistakable influence on Japanese religion, Taoism as a distinct, institutional tradition, never really gained a following amongst the Japanese people.
However, beliefs concerning the 'Taoist Immortals' and Taoist Paradises were 'adopted-in' to various streams of Japanese folk belief and mythology, along with Taoist mystical and medicinal practices.
Jugondo (呪禁道)
Jugondo (呪禁道) was concerned with issues such as the vanquishing of monsters; curing of disease; freeing people, places and objects from possession by spirits (evil or otherwise); dispersing of apparitions, etc.
A highly ritualistic discipline, it incorporated Chinese medical practices, Taoist spells and charms, magic invocations, and forms of hypnosis to induce mystical states in the practitioner. In these altered states, Jugondo practitioners would undertake feats such as fire-walking and pouring boiling water in their bare skin without harm.
Onmyōdō (陰陽道)
Onmyōdō (陰陽道 - （日文：おんみょうどう） also In'yōdō, lit. ‘The Way of Yin and Yang’) is a traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology, a mixture of natural science and occultism. It is based on the Chinese philosophies of Wu Xing and Yin and Yang. It was accepted as a practical system of divination. These practices were influenced further by Taoism, Buddhism and Shintoism, and evolved into the system of onmyōdō around the late 7th century. Onmyōdō was under the control of the imperial government, and later its courtiers, the Tsuchimikado family until the middle of the 19th century, at which point it became prohibited as superstition it was under control of the imperial government, and then later its courtiers, the Tsuchimikado family. The restrictions have been lifted, and as of 2006 anyone may study onmyōdō.
Yin-yang and the Five Elements, as well as the divisions of learning to which they were linked – astronomy, calendar-making, the reckoning of time, divination, and studies based on observation of nature – were amalgamated into fortune telling. This process of judging auspicious or harmful signs present in the natural world was accepted into Japanese society as a technique for predicting good or bad fortune in the human world. Such techniques were known mostly by Buddhist monks from mainland Asia who were knowledgeable in reading and writing Chinese. Over time demand from members of the imperial court who believed that onmyōdō divination would be helpful in decision-making made it necessary for the laity to perform the art, and onmyōji began to appear around the middle of the 7th century.
With the implementation of the ritsuryo system law codes in the 7th and 8th centuries, yin-yang techniques were put under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Onmyō (陰陽寮 Onmyō-ryō) in the Nakatsukasa-shō of the Imperial bureaucracy. The Bureau of Onmyō was responsible for overseeing the divinations of Onmyōdō, astrological observations, and the creation of calendars. Also, by law the Buddhist clergy was forbidden to practice astrology and fortune-telling; hence, government-controlled onmyōji came to monopolize the practice.
From the Heian period onward, as the ritsuryo system relaxed and the Fujiwara family rose to power, the society of the Imperial court took on a more formal shape, and adherence to rituals to placate the souls of the dead (御霊信仰 Goryō Shinkō) to combat the creation of vengeful ghosts (怨霊 onryō) burgeoned. Because onmyōji displayed methods that were believed to avert disasters with their skills of divination and magic, the practice afforded onmyōji influence over the personal lives of the Emperor and the nobility of the court. Consequently, popular awareness of onmyōdō gradually spread from court society to Japanese society as a whole, strengthening its development into a characteristically Japanese art.
Onmyōdō merged with other beliefs and occultism, and evolved from imported Chinese thought into a syncretism found only in Japan. Japanese Onmyōdō took in elements from Taoism (道教), which was transmitted to Japan at the same time as Onmyodo, including magical elements such as katatagae, monoimi, henbai, and ceremonies to Taoistic gods such as the Taizan Fukunsai. Elements of feng shui and the medical art of jukondō were incorporated as well, and as onmyōdō and Japanese Shinto mutually influenced each other, Onmyodo grew more distinctive. From the end of the 8th century onward, it was influenced by the magical elements of esoteric Buddhism and the Indian-derived astrology (Sukuyōdō - 宿曜占星術, a type of Indian Astrology based on the xiuyao jing 宿曜經) that were transmitted with it.
Onmyōji (陰陽師)
Onmyōji (陰陽師, also In'yōji) was one of the classifications of civil servants belonging to the Bureau of Onmyō in ancient Japan's ritsuryo system. People with this title were professional practitioners of onmyōdō.
Onmyōji were specialists in magic and divination. Their court responsibilities ranged from tasks such as keeping track of the calendar, to mystical duties such as divination and protection of the capital from evil spirits. They could divine auspicious or harmful influences in the earth, and were instrumental in the moving of capitals. It is said that an onmyōji could also summon and control shikigami.
Famous onmyōji include Kamo no Yasunori and Abe no Seimei (921–1005). After Seimei's death the emperor had a shrine erected at his home in Kyoto.
Onmyōji had political clout during the Heian period, but in later times when the imperial court fell into decline, their state patronage was lost completely. In modern day Japan onmyōji are defined as a type of Shinto priest, and although there are many that claim to be mediums and spiritualists, the onmyōji continues to be a hallmark occult figure.
Abe no Seimei (安倍晴明)
Seimei's life is well recorded in Japan History. Immediately after his death, however, legends arose. Many legends of Seimei were originally written in the Konjaku Monogatarishu, and by the Edo period there were many stories in circulation that focused on his heroic acts.
Abe no Seimei was a descendant of the poet Abe no Nakamaro and a disciple of Kamo no Tadayuki (賀茂忠行) and Kamo no Yasunori (茂賀保憲), 10th-century diviners of the Heian court. He became Kamo no Yasunori's successor in astrology and divination, while Yasunori's son took on the lesser responsibility of devising the calendar.Seimei's duties included analyzing strange events, conducting exorcisms, warding against evil spirits, and performing various rites of geomancy. He was said to be especially skilled in divining the sex of fetuses and finding lost objects. According to the Konjaku Monogatarishu, he correctly predicted the abdication of Emperor Kazan based on his observation of celestial phenomena.
Seimei's reputation grew sufficiently that, from the late 10th century, the Onmyōryō, the government ministry of onmyōdō, was controlled by the Abe clan. The Kamo clan likewise became the hereditary keepers of the calendar.
The mystical symbol of the equidistant five-pointed star, referred to in the West as a pentagram, is known in Japan as the Seiman or the Seal of Abe no Seimei.
According to legend, Abe no Seimei was not entirely human. His father, Abe no Yasuna, was human, but his mother, Kuzunoha, was a kitsune (a "fox spirit"). At a very early age, no later than five, he was allegedly able to command weak oni to do his bidding. His mother entrusted Seimei to Kamo no Tadayuki so that he would live a proper human life and not become evil himself.
The Heian period, especially the time when Seimei lived, was a time of peace. Many of his legends revolve around a series of magical battles with a rival, Ashiya Doman, who often tried to embarrass Seimei so that he could usurp his position. One noted story involved Doman and the young Seimei in a divination duel to reveal the contents of a particular box. Doman had another person put fifteen mandarin oranges into the box and "divined" that there were fifteen oranges in it. Seimei saw through the ruse, transformed the oranges into rats, and stated that fifteen rats were in the box. When the rats were revealed, Doman was shocked and defeated.
Seimei is involved in numerous other tales as well. He appears as a minor character in the Heike Monogatari and is said to be responsible for divining the location of the Shuten-dōji, a powerful oni purportedly slain by Minamoto no Yorimitsu.He is sometimes said to be the onmyōji who discovered Tamamo no Mae's true nature, although the time of the Tamamo no Mae story does not coincide with Seimei's lifetime; other sources credit the act to a descendant, Abe no Yasuchika.
Abe no Seimei wrote 2 books: Senji Ryakketsu (占事略决) and Kinugyokutoshū (金烏玉兎集) , both are written in Kanji , Chinese Characters.
Senji Ryakketsu (占事略决)
Senji Ryakketsu (占事略决, lit. The Summary to Judgements of Divinations) is one of the texts written by Abe no Seimei.
The text contains thirty-six chapters (36 fortune-telling techniques) and total of nine thousands Chinese Characters. Many of these divinations relate to normal daily lives such as determining the gender of an unborn child, finding lost or missing objects, and advice on how to lead one's personal life.
Kinugyokutoshū (金烏玉兎集)
Kinugyokutoshū (金烏玉兎集/三国相伝陰陽輨轄簠簋内伝金烏玉兎集, "The book of the golden crow and the jade rabbit") is the most important book of Onmyodo. To the Chinese, it is also known as "簠簋袖衷傳".
The saying of "金乌玉兔"(Golden Crow , Jade Rabbit) was written in the book Huai Nan Zi (淮南子) , one of the Ancient Chinese Philosophical Classic.
The title "金烏玉兎集" has hidden meaing. 金烏 - Golden Crow (or 3 legged crow), means the Sun. 玉兎 - Jade Rabbit , means the Moon. From this explanation, they represent The Yin and The Yang, therefore the hidden meaning of Kinugyokutoshū "金烏玉兎集" is "The Book of Yin and Yang".
Seal of Abe no Seimei (晴明紋)
"Seimei Kikyō" is a pentagram used by Abe no Seimei as the symbol of the Onmyoryo (Bureau of Taoist Geomancy) associated with the Five Chinese Elements - Metal , Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.
Shikigami(式神) - Divine Spirits in Onmyodo
Shikigami (式神 or しきがみ、しきじん, also read as Shiki-no-kami, 式の神) in Japanese means a kind of divine spirits from Japanese folklore. The belief of shikigami originates from Onmyōdō.
Abe no Seimei is often depicted with one or more shikigami, or servant spirits. Men of great spiritual power could call upon the aid of spirits to serve them. Seimei is often depicted with twelve shikigami （十二式神).
The 12 Shikigami （十二式神) found in Onmyodo is exactly the same 12 Divine Heavenly Spirits (十二天將) found in 六壬神课 （Liu Ren Shen Ke - The Liu Ren Divination Method) - one of the Chinese metaphysics.
In Onmyodo, Shikigami are said to be invisible most of the time, but they can be made visible by banning them into small, folded and artfully cut paper manikins. There are also shikigami that can show themselves as animals or birds. They must be conjured during a complex ceremony and their power is connected to the spiritual force of their master. If the evoker is well introduced and has lots of experience, his Shiki can possess animals and even people and manipulate them. But if the evoker is careless, his shikigami may get out of control in time, gaining its own will and consciousness. In this case the shikigami will raid its own master and kill him in revenge. Normally shikigami are conjured to exercise risky orders for their masters, such as spying around, stealing and enemy tracking
Divination Method in Onmyodo
Divination methods used in Onmydo is known as rikujin-shikisen (六壬式占). It is actually Da Liu Ren (大六壬), one of the Chinese Divination methods.
Shikisen was widely used by practitioners of Onmyōdō in the Nara period until the mid-sixteenth century where it was replaced by ekisen (易占) - 易经 (Book of Changes).
Ofuda (御札 or お札) / Omamori (お守り or 御守)
Ofuda (御札 or お札 or おふだ - o-fuda, a charm) is a type of household amulet or talisman hung in the house for protection. It is to protect the family in residence from general harm, such as a disease. A more specific ofuda may be placed near particular objects such as one for kitchen to protect from accidental fire.
Omamori ((お守り or 御守) is a portable form of Ofuda, typically given out wrapped in a small bag made of decorated cloth. Omamori are often spotted on bags, hung on cellphone straps, in cars, etc.
Omamori have changed over the years from being made mostly of paper and/or wood to being made out all types of materials nowadays (i.e. bumper decals, bicycle reflectors, credit cards, etc.). Modern commercialism has also taken over a small part of the creations of omamori. Usually this happens when more popular shrines and temples cannot keep up with the high demand for certain charms. They then turn to factories to manufacture the omamori. However, priests have been known to complain about the quality and authenticity of the product these factories produce.
There are modern commercial versions for these that are typically not spiritual in nature and are not issued by a shrine or temple. They do not confer protection or need to be replaced every year. It has become popular for stores in Japan to feature generic omamori with popular characters such as Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, Snoopy, Kewpie, etc.
Ofuda and Omamori must be written in Cloud Script or Chinese Characters. Only Cloud Script and Chinese Characters can be used in Oriental Talismans (Chinese, Japan, Korea). Modern Languages cannot be used in Talismans, which will not bring any spiritual power. Japanese and Koreans Spiritual Masters know this as well.
Using Chinese Characters in Ofuda does not mean they are made in China, but because they are needed to be used in Talisman Writing.
Taijou Shinsen Chintaku Reifu (太上神仙鎮宅霊符)
The most well known talismans found in Onmyodo are a collection of 72 talismans called in Japanese the taijou shinsen chintaku reifu 太上神仙鎮宅霊符 (meaning "Numinous Talismans of the Highest Spirit Immortal for Tranquilizing the Household").
These talismans are actually the Taoist Talismans known as "Tai Shang Lao Jun Zhen Zhai Qi Shi Er Ling Fu" (太上老君镇宅七十二灵符) .
These 72 talismans protect people from misfortunes, such as warding the curses of a ghost who committed suicide, protecting household from misfortunes such as illness, robbery, reduction of assets, etc, and preventing various other misfortunes caused by evil spirits.
Kuji-In (九字印) and Kuji-kiri(九字切り) in Onmoyodo
The Nine Syllable Seals and the Nine Symbolic Cuts are also among Onmyodo techniques. The kuji are first introduced in the Taoist text Baopuzi (抱朴子) a book written by Ge Hong c.280-340 ADE).
In it he introduces the kuji in chapter 17 titled DengShe/登涉 (Climbing [mountains] and crossing rivers) as a prayer to the six Jia (generals of yang), ancient Taoist gods. in Daoist Magic, the Chia Spirit Generals are powerful celestial guardians and part of Tammon-Ten's (Vaiśravaṇa), The God of the North, Celestial Thunder Court.
The Taoist Nine Syllables are combined with "Qi Men Dun Jia" (奇门遁甲) ( One of the Three China's highest metaphysical arts) and become known as Four Vertical Five Horizontal Cuts (奇门四纵五横法). Since ancient time, the Taoists use it to seek safety and to make their wishes come true.
Many kids and adults from the west, who learn Ninjutsu, will learn about the Kuji (九字) but don't know where the original source comes from. Many people mistook Kuji (九字) was created by the Ninjas in Japan.
There is nothing wrong to learn Japanese Version of Kuji but You must at least know where the original source come from.
Kōshin (庚申)
Kōshin (庚申) is a folk faith in Japan with Chinese Taoist origins. In Taoism, it is know as Shou Geng Shen (守庚申) - "Observe the Metal Monkey".
A typical event related to the faith is called Kōshin-kō (庚申講), held on the Kōshin days that occur every 60 days in accordance with the sexagenary cycles calendar, when people gather and meet, staying up all night in order to prevent from the Sanshi (三尸) worms inspect themselves.
In the 9th century, Kōshin (庚申) had been already practiced at least by aristocrats. It is called Kōshin-Machi (庚申待 - Kōshin Waiting). During the early years this custom became a kind of overnight festivity or party.
In the Muromachi period, Buddhist monks started to write about the Kōshin, which led to wider popularity of the faith among public. Numerous monuments or pillars called Kōshin-tō (庚申塔) (or also Kōshin-zuka (庚申塚) were erected all over the country and the faith remained very popular through the Edo period. When the Meiji Government issued the Shinto and Buddhism Separation Order in 1872, folk beliefs were turned down as superstitious, Kōshin belief too losing popularity as a result.
Today, the Kōshin belief still survives, although it is far less popular and receives smaller recognition than once it did, due to the absence of any central organization to help promote such faith because of its folkloric nature. While many Kōshin-tō were moved, for example, to inside Buddhist temples or even to private houses to be protected, there are many remaining along historical roads as well. There are also well maintained Kōshin-dō (庚申堂), built in respect for the Kōshin, sometimes attached to Buddhist temples, or otherwise in stand-alone.
The main Kōshin belief that survived from an original complex faith, is the concept that three worms, called Sanshi, (三尸) live in everyone's body. The Sanshi keep track of the good deeds and particularly the bad deeds of the person they inhabit. On the night called Kōshin-Machi (which happens each 60 days), while the person sleeps, the sanshis leave the body and go to Ten-Tei (天帝), the Heavenly god, to report about the deeds of that person. Ten-Tei will then decide to punish bad people making them ill, shortening their time alive and in extreme cases putting an end to their lives. Believers of Kōshin will try to live a life without bad deeds, but those who have reason to fear will try to stay awake during Kōshin nights, as the only way to prevent the Sanshi from leaving the body and reporting to Ten-Tei.
In the Edo period, Kōshin-Machi became more popular in other levels of society and with commoners, and the festivities took more the character of a belief. It was at that time that deities started to appear within the faith. One was Shōmen-Kongō, a fearsome blue faced deity with many arms.
Shōmen-Kongō became Kōshin-san when people expected this demon to make the Sanshis themselves ill and prevent them going to Ten-Tei. Shōmen-Kongō is not really a god but a demon who can send illnesses.
Three monkeys covering eyes, mouth and ears with their hands are the best known symbols of Kōshin faith. They are Mizaru (not see), Iwazaru (not say) and Kikazaru (not hear). It is not very clear why the three monkeys became part of Kōshin belief, but is assumed that it is because like the monkeys, the Sanshis and Ten-Tei are not to see, hear, or tell the bad deeds of a person.
Statues of Shōmen-Kongō with the three monkeys have existed in temples and shrines since the Edo era. Sometimes carved stones called Kōshin-tō were placed around a dwelling for protection. Such stones can present diverse forms, from having only Chinese characters (kanji) to including a depiction of Shōmen- Kongō with one, two or three monkeys.
Other custom of the Kōshin belief are the use of paper scrolls also showing Kōshin-san and the monkeys which are displayed on Kōshin-machi, the Kōshin night. Those who keep this tradition invite neighbours, friends and relatives and sit in front of a provisory altar which has a bowl of rice, soup, seasonal fruit, flowers, candles and incense sticks. They also hang scrolls with pictures of Shōmen-Kongō. Everyone will try to stay awake through the whole night.
Onmyodo in Modern Japan
After Seimei's death the emperor had a shrine, the Seimei shrine, erected at the location of his home. The original shrine was destroyed in war during the fifteenth century, but it was rebuilt in the same location and still stands today.
Over the centuries, the various arts and practices of onmyodo gradually became absorbed into Shinto and Buddhist tradition, and also into the disciplines of the shugenja, and other ascetic groups, to the point where onmyodo - as a distinct tradition in it's own right - to all intents and purposes ceased to exist.
Today, there are many Japanese Cartoons and Japanese Comics showing the magical power of Onmyodo and Onmyoji , therefore kids and adults around the world are getting interested to understand and research on Japanese Magic and Spells, which indirectly, will lead the Western Folks to learn about Taoist Sorcery, Taoist Talismans and Taoist Metaphysics.
Female Chinese and Indian Spirit Mediums wearing sari,
sticking out their tongues while possessed by Hindu God - Kali
Indian religious band was beating the drums and lady mediums of both races (Chinese and Indians) started dancing wildly to the beat. They are possessed by Hindu God - Kali . See them sticking out their tongues, exactly like what You see in the Images of Kali.
Video Footage of Spirit Mediums in trance of Hindu Gods in Taoist Temple
Video Footage of Taoist Mediums and Hindu Mediums
going into trance of their own respective deities
During Taoist-Hindu Combined Festival, Hindu devotees can be seen making offerings to Taoist Deities and likewise, Taoist Devotees are also making offerings to Hindu Gods.
Taoism is an inclusive religion in that it does not reject the gods of other religions. Taoists are always ready to accept the spiritual practice of other faith and include the gods,deities and saints from other religions to be worshipped together with their own Taoist Gods.
Hinduism is all about liberty and freedom to carve one's own path to divinity. It has no concept of apostasy or blasphemy or even conversion. Without forcing people to convert, it is winning hearts and minds of people all over the world by it's teaching, love and philosophy.
The photo above show statue of Jesus Christ placed next to other Taoist Gods in Mindanao Taoist Temple. Many Taoist Temples in the Philippines do include the statues of Jesus, Mother Mary and Christian Cross on the altar to be worshipped by the Devotees.
Joss sticks and Food offerings are placed in front of statues and images of Jesus, Virgin Mary and the Christian Cross, like how Chinese pray to Taoist Gods.
There is religious syncretism found in Chinese Filipino homes. Many Chinese Filipinos have Santo Nino (baby Christ) statues as well as Buddha statues and Taoist gods on their altars.
Many Chinese Filipinos practice the traditional Chinese religions side by side with Catholicism, due to the openness of the Roman Catholic Church in accommodating Chinese beliefs, such as ancestor veneration.
The mindset of most non-Christian Chinese is "Is God? Will Pray"(有神就拜) , meaning " As long as it is a saint, god, deity or any spiritual beings, We will pray".
Taoism is an inclusive religion in that it does not reject the gods of other religions. Taoists are always ready to accept the spiritual practice of other faith and include the gods,deities and saints from other religions to be worshipped together with their own Taoist Gods. Only Christians always go around condemning other religions.
Being a Taoist, You are given the freedom to pray to other gods, deities and saints from other religions. Being a Christian, You can only pray to god. So You better choose to be a Taoist.
Datuk Gong is also known as Datok Gong, Natu Gong (Natuk Kong) or Datuk Keramat / Keramat Datuk.
When the early Chinese migrated southward to the Malay Archipelago in the 15th century, they brought along their culture of Taoist Deities Worship to these lands.
They realized that to ensure security & prosperity in foreign lands,they have to enlist the help, protection and pay respect to the local guardian spirits and spirits of nature, alongside with their own Taoist deities.
The Chinese immigrants began to worship local spirit holy men, commonly called Datuk or Dato, meaning “chief” or “lord” in the Malay language,which soon became known as Datok or “Natoh” (or “Nadu”(拿督) in standard Mandarin). The suffix “gong” which means “lord” in Chinese was added to “Nadu” & hence Datok Gong or “Nadugong”,the Malay Deity, which is found only in Singapore,Malaysia & parts of Indonesia.
Short Video on Datok Kong
Around the Malaysian countryside some small, yellow-colour or red-colour painted shrines by the roadside or under a tree can be found, and these shrines are usually worshipped by the residents living around the neighbourhood. The shrines are normally of a fusion Chinese-Malay design, with Islamic elements such as the crescent moon decorations. Inside the simple room, a small, decorated statue is venerated, depicting the Datuk. Around the statue offerings are brought, sometimes on a small altar in front of the datuk statue.
The Statue of Datok Kong (拿督公 Nadu-Gong) is commonly represented by a Malay man dressed in Traditional Malay Costume,wearing a formal Songkok (hat) on the head, Kris (Malay sword) & other traditional Malay court regalia & ceremonial objects would also be placed on the altar.
There are a total of nine types of Datuks, and that each of them were
once great warriors and expert in Malay local martial arts, the Silat,
except for the last Datuk. They were also known to possess great
magical powers. Worshippers usually pray to Datuks for protection, good
health, and good luck, and sometimes seek divine help to overcome their
problems.
Below are the nine Datuks named according to their seniority from the eldest to the youngest:
1. Datuk Panglima Ali (Ali)
2. Datuk Panglima Hitam (Black)
3. Datuk Panglima Harimau (Tiger)
4. Datuk Panglima Hijau (Green)
5. Datuk Panglima Kuning (Yellow)
6. Datuk Panglima Putih (White)
7. Datuk Panglima Bisu (Mute)
8. Datuk Panglima Merah (Red)
9. Datuk Panglima Bongsu (Youngest)
When the Taoist Medium is in trance of Datok Gong, he will say prayers in Quaran Verses and speaks in Malay.
Datuk Gong Worship or similar in the Malay Community
Datok Gong Worship is not supposed to be practiced by the Malay Muslims. However, when in time of trouble, few Malays will secretly visit Spirit Medium of Datok Gong in privacy for help.
Before Islam reach Malay Archipelago, the locals were animistic in practice. The earlier Indian traders brought Hinduism & Buddhism,which combined with the local animistic beliefs.
Even then after the mass conversion to Islam, the inhabitants of the
Southeast Asian Region & Malay Peninsula still retained many of
their original animistic & Hindu way of Worship.
According to local Malay legend, Datuks were once human and were considered the "Forefathers of The Land" and sometimes also known as the "Spirit of The Land" or Na Tuk Kong (earth spirits), as the locals would call them. In Malay, pagan spirits are usually called Jin Kafir while, guardian spirits are called Penunggu or Datuk Keramat. Penunggu usually means watchman, guard or attendant.
Datok Keramats were seen as an alternative power to help in spiritual healing and grant protection. Mediums (bomoh) were engaged to enable communication between worshippers with the Datos and Keramats. The Datos and Keramats include spirits residing in trees, stones and even the spirits of well known local Muslim religious teachers (worshipped at their graves).
The worship of Datok Gong among Malays and Indian Muslims in Malaysia declined steadily due to constant clamping down on such activities by Islamic authorities. In Singapore, Muslims have the freedom to do whatever they want.
How to Worship Datuk Gong
Datuk Gong can be worshipped on any day. The basic offerings are a pair of white candles, 3 joss sticks and burning gum Benjamin (kemanyan). Na Tuk worshippers prepare special offerings for the Na Tuk on Thursday evenings. A set of betel nut leaves complete with lime (kapur), sliced betel nut (pinang), Javanese tobacco (tembakau Jawa) and palm cigarette leaves (rokok daun) are offered together with fruits and the basic offerings.
Every Na Tuk has different individual feast days. In the Northern States (Perlis, Kedah & Penang), worshippers usually slaughter chickens, and sometimes goats to honour the Na Tuk on the feast day. The chickens and cows must be Halal (slaughtered by a Muslim with prayer). Especially goats so as to make the offering allowable for the Na Tuk. The meat is later cooked in curry and offered to the Na Tuk together with turmeric rice(nasi kunyit). This offering is also done when worshippers who have their wishes granted (e.g. winning lucky numbers requested from the Na Tuk previously).
Worshippers usually offer fresh flowers, sireh (betelnuts), rokok daun (local hand rolled cigarettes), sliced pinang (areca nuts) and local fruits. An important part of the praying ritual is also to burn some kemenyan (benzoin - made of a local gum tree, when burnt will emit a smoky fragrant smell).
If their prayers are answered, the worshippers usually return to the shrine and make offerings or hold a Kenduri (feast).
The kenduri items usually consist of yellow saffron rice, lamb or chicken curries, vegetables, pisang rastali (bananas), young coconuts, rose syrup, cherrots (local cigars) and local fruits.
Pork items are considered impure and are therefore totally forbidden in a shrine; visitors are also asked to not show disrespect when inside or around a shrine.
In Singapore, the popular shrines of Datok Kongs are:
1) Kusu Island
2) Jiu-Tiao-Qiao Xin-Ba Na-Du-Gong Temple(九条桥新芭拿督坛), Tampines
3) Loyang Tua Peh Kong Temple The beauty of Taoism is it is able to adapt to different cultures, blend-in and accept the spirit beings of other races and religions.
Cap Go Meh simply means "Night of the 15th" in the Southern Chinese dialect, Hokkien. It is often referred to 15th of Chinese New Year, the last day of Chinese New Year Celebration.
Imlek, is known in Indonesia as the celebration of Cap Go Meh, which is even more festive than the 1st day of Chinese New Year.
Tatung (In Indonesian Language) is a tradition, whereby the body as a tool of communication or intermediary between the spirits of ancestors or gods. Tatung is also played by the Dayak tribe.
Since first coming to Singkawang (In Borneo, Indonesia), Chinese community has forged close friendships with indigenous Dayak Tribes in particular.
During Cap Go Meh Festival - Imlek, Dayak Tatungs join Taoist Spirit Mediums to parade on the streets. Black Puppies and Black Chickens can be seen slaughtered on the spot by the Dayak Mediums and the animals eaten alive.
With the same Taoist Incantations meant for Taoist Medium Possession, Dayak Tatungs are also possessed by their ancestral spirits and deities as well. You can see from here the meaning of "Tao Is Universal".
The beauty of Taoism (Including Buddhism and Hinduism) is it is able to adapt to different cultures, blend in and welcome other spiritual practices. Taoists don't go around condemning other religions.
This is Religious And Racial Harmony at it's best.
Raw footage of black puppy and black chicken slaughtered on the spot and eaten alive..
