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Where are the Taoist etiquette mainly reflected?

Taoist etiquette originates from "The Rites of Zhou" and involves religious activities and all aspects of daily life, including worship, offerings, chanting, precepts, clothing, etc. Believers bow their hands or bow to ordinary people, while they kowtow to gods and real people to show special respect. Taoist methods of prostrating include three types: one salute with three prostrations, three salutes with three prostrations, and three salutes with nine prostrations. The basis is the hand-over salute and the bow salute. The hand-crossing ceremony is also called the fist-holding ceremony, which is divided into two types: one is the Confucian etiquette, in which the two hands are held together and raised in front of the chest, standing upright without bending; the other is the left hand holding the right hand, holding the yin and holding the yang, containing the five elements, and the The Ziwu Jue is a Tai Chi diagram on the outside. The action of making a salute is as follows: bowing and clasping fists, salute from bottom to top.

Ziwu Seal

Taoist Etiquette

Taoism is rooted in the cultural soil of the Chinese nation, which is known as the "Land of Etiquette". Its etiquette is quite complete and Very particular.

Taoist etiquette is the code of conduct for Taoist priests in their daily lives. The difference between it and the precepts is that the precepts are clearly stated in terms, and those who violate them will be punished. Etiquette is the minimum code of conduct for Taoist priests. Anyone who violates it is considered to have bad conduct and belongs to the Taoist etiquette. The content of Taoist etiquette is very complex, ranging from daily greetings to walking in and out. Everything has a certain etiquette. At the same time, the external etiquette style of a monk or Taoist is also a reflection of his moral cultivation.

Since its establishment, Taoism has inherited Taoism and absorbed some etiquette from Confucianism and traditional Chinese etiquette when forming its own unique etiquette image. Combined with the actual situation of Taoism, it has taken into account the Taoist priests’ food, clothing, housing and transportation. Standardize the external image in many aspects such as audio-visual, title, fasting altar, etc., so that it is different from ordinary people in terms of speech, clothing, entrance and exit, food, chanting, fasting, etc., and restrains Taoist priests to practice Taoism with a pure heart and transcend the world.

Taoist etiquette can be divided into two aspects: etiquette is etiquette, and ritual is ritual. In other words, Taoism uses unique etiquette to regulate the behavior of Taoist priests, which is different from the specific behavioral rituals of lay people.

Taoism has formulated a set of etiquette since its founding, which has been continuously added, modified and improved throughout the ages. The establishment of the Quanzhen Jungle System has particularly important etiquette requirements. Taoism has no specific punishment measures for those who violate etiquette, and they are often punished by clearing the rules.

Taoist Temple Etiquette

Taoist priests in Taoist temples must live in temples and are required to maintain good Taoist etiquette in the temples and not confuse them with the secular. Taoist priests generally address Taoist friends, Taoist masters, etc. to each other, and older Taoist priests generally address themselves as Mr. Taoist dormitories must be clean and elegant, without any fancy decorations, but must be neat and tidy. Taoist priests are not allowed to lie naked, and are not allowed to consume meat, drink, or talk in the bedroom.

Layers are not allowed to be brought into Taoist dormitories, let alone stay overnight. Qian Dao and Kun Dao are not allowed to live in the same courtyard. They should keep a distance from each other, be pure and have few desires, and avoid evil thoughts. It is not allowed to visit between Qian Dao and Kun Dao at will.

After meditation in the morning, you need to get up and wash up immediately, go to various halls to pay homage to the ancestors, attend morning classes, chant sutras, listen to sutras, and practice with persistence.

When placing orders in other temples, you must abide by the regulations of the temple. Without permission, you are not allowed to stay permanently.

Taoist wearing etiquette

Clothing is a prominent symbol of Taoist religious form, and people can clearly identify Taoists from their clothing. Taoist priests must wear a scarf on their head, casual clothes, white socks, and cloth shoes in the temple.

Taoist clothing was known as "feather clothing" and "feather clothing" in ancient times. The earliest unified customization of Taoist clothing began with Lu Xiujing during the Liu and Song Dynasties in the Southern Dynasty.

The clothing worn by modern Taoists, both large and small, have "big collars", which is the clothing style of the Han nationality before the Ming Dynasty. Yellow with black edges, used when receiving ordination; dharma robes refer to the robes worn by "high practitioners" in dojos and the robes worn by "abbots" during religious ceremonies; floral robes refer to the robes worn by Buddhist monks when they go to the temple to recite sutras and perform dojos. There are also Those that are plain and not embroidered are generally called "class clothes". The coats and robes are generally blue to resemble the color of the sky and the aura of the blue sun in the east; the robes are mostly red and yellow, but also blue and green; the robes worn by abbots are mostly purple; the robes are mostly red or yellow.

Taoism calls the hats worn by Taoists "kerchiefs", and there are nine types of scarves. They are: Hunyuan scarf, Zhuangzi scarf, Chunyang scarf, Jiuliang scarf, Haoran scarf, Xiaoyao scarf, Sanjiao scarf, Yizi scarf, and Sun scarf.

The qualified attire of a Taoist priest is not only neat clothes and hats, but also neat clothes. The so-called "crown" refers not only to hats, but also to special gifts. The most common ones include the yellow crown, the Five Mountains crown, the Five Lao crown, etc. These are used during rituals and are reserved for special occasions and cannot be worn casually.

Taoists also have rules for their shoes and socks. Blue cloth double-faced shoes are the most suitable. Generally, they wear green cloth round-mouth shoes or green and white "Shifang shoes". Multi-ear hemp shoes are also acceptable. Socks are made of white cloth and high socks.

Taoist trousers must be put into socks and cannot be left open. If you do not wear high-top white socks, you must also tie your trousers up to the knees. If you go to the temple without trousers tied, the palace master will not let you enter the temple, and you will be punished if you enter the temple.

Taoist priests are not allowed to go to the toilet with a "crown" on their head, and those who wear a "crown" when going to the toilet will be punished. When patrolling the prison to perform tasks and punish people, they must be neatly dressed and perform their tasks solemnly.

Taoist greeting etiquette

When Taoist couples meet or when Taoists and lay people meet, they must bow their hands or bow to each other.

The hand-over salute means cupping fists and cupping hands.

Embrace each other with both hands (the left hand holds the right hand, which means to promote good and hide evil, because the left hand is good and the right hand is evil), raise it to the chest, stand up without bending, and say: "Infinite View" or "Good, good" , it can also be said: "Taozu is compassionate". "Infinite View" means infinite blessings to others. When meeting people, when holding something in one hand, extend one hand and bend the index finger inward as a gesture of courtesy (which means one Qi transforms the three pure states).

To perform a salute is to bow and bow. While bowing, clasping hands in front of the abdomen, salute from bottom to top (but not the nose). Because it is accompanied by raising hands and bending the body (bowing), it is also called (bowing). And because the body is curved into a crescent shape, it is also called "Yuan Yi". Don't bend too much when bowing to others, so as not to protrude your buttocks unsightly. The salute of bowing is more respectful than the salute of cupping the hands, and this salute is more often performed for elders.

Taoist Speech Etiquette

When entering the Dharma hall and attending a banquet, one should not speak loudly or cough loudly. Don't talk too much, don't argue with your teachers, don't talk about people's faults. Don’t talk about common people’s housework. Don't talk about being a matchmaker. Don't whisper to women in low voices. If you ask questions, pay homage when praying. If you ask about common family matters, there is no need to pray. Don't talk about spells, illusions, or any side magic with others. Taoism calls the above things "clean mouth".

Taoist fasting etiquette

Zhaijiao is a compulsory course in the daily life of Taoist priests. The etiquette of Zhaijiao is very complicated, such as offering incense, bowing, and doing Taoist temples. When offering incense, you should also offer offerings to worship the gods.

The offerings include incense, tea (water), lamps, flowers, fruits, etc. The Taoist brings the offerings to the altar with both hands, holds the offerings in the air with his forehead, bows, and then places them on the altar. The order of offerings is from the inside to the outside, tea, fruit, rice (rice products), vegetables (green vegetables, dried vegetables), steamed buns (noodle products), and you can also drink water and offer flowers to express your heart.

When a Taoist offers incense, he first respectfully burns three sticks of incense in the incense burner. Don't use broken incense, don't use unburned incense. If an open flame occurs after igniting, it can be extinguished by swinging it up and down. Do not blow it out with dirty gas. After lighting the three sticks of incense, come to the mat and hold the incense with both hands level with your forehead, bow and bow, then go to the incense burner and place the incense with your left hand. The three sticks of incense should be inserted straight and level, and the distance between the incense should not be more than an inch. The order of offering incense is first to the center, then to the left, then to the right. After offering the incense, return to kneeling on the mat and bowing.

Taoist rituals and knocking are divided into two types: three rites and three knocks, and three rites and nine knocks. When saluting, the hands should not go up to the eyebrows and go down to the knees. The specific method of worship is: stand upright, eyes hanging down, calm and calm, feet about five inches away from the kneeling mat, heels about two inches apart, and toes about eight inches apart, forming an outward figure.

The salute is as follows: the hands meet in front of the abdomen, the thumb of the left hand is inserted into the tiger's mouth of the right hand, and the root joint of the ring finger of the right hand is pinched (zi pattern), the thumb of the right hand pinches the tip joint of the middle finger of the right hand (meridian pattern), and the other four fingers of the left hand are The fingers hold the right hand, which is the "Tai Chi Diagram" on the outside and the "Ziwu Jue" on the inside, which means "holding the Yuan and guarding one". When saluting, the hands should be level with the nose and should not be higher than the nose. Then, with the palm of your hand facing inward, the back of your palm draws an arc outward, sliding down on your chest, and your right hand draws an arc downwards and around to the right, while bowing.

Kowtowing is as follows: press the heart of your right hand downwards on the mat, leave the arc of your chest with your left hand and circle it downwards to the left and right, press it on the back of your right hand, overlap it with your right hand to form a cross, and kneel on the mat with both knees at the same time. The left and right forearms are placed on the mat at the same time, with the tips of the two elbows and the two knees in a straight line, and the head is knocked on the back of the hands. Raise your head, retract your left hand to cover your heart, take it back tightly with your right hand, hold your hands again as before, stand up and stand still, this is a salute and a kowtow.

After completing the three salutes and three kowtows, step back half a step and salute again, turn to the Taoist priest on duty, bow and salute, and now the three prostrations and three kowtows are completed.

Three rites and nine knocks are Taoist solemn rituals. On the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, the ancestor's Christmas and other Taoist festivals, when the Taoists visiting the temple pray for good luck and birthday, the abbot and the prisoner hold incense and perform these three rituals and nine kowtows.

The Taoist priest's prostrations are an image representation of the eighty-one transformation of Taishang, that is, standing with the feet in the eight figures, pressing the cross with the hands, and the head as one.

Taoist priests must participate in various Taoist activities, dress neatly, and pray devoutly. Don't play around and laugh, but do it solemnly.

Taoist priests still need a "crown and scarf" after becoming a monk. "Crown scarf" is a ceremony for monks and Taoists to officially become Taoists. This ceremony is only held in Zisun Temple. The crown scarf is also called "little ordination". There are several masters present when performing the crowning ceremony, such as the crowning master (high skill), the dushi (i.e. mentor, master), the hairdressing master, the introduction master or the ceremony master, etc.

The etiquette of Zhai Jiao rituals is very complicated, and it is also the most exquisite and important. When doing a dojo, be sure to treat it according to Taoist practices.

On every New Year's Eve, Wang's Day and major Taoist festivals, in addition to paying homage to the ancestor, disciples are also required to pay homage to the master and students to pay homage to the teacher.

Wu Day is the Taoist death day. Gods are not worshiped and incense is not offered. According to ancient customs, palaces and temples are closed for rest on Wu Day.

Taoist food and accommodation etiquette

In the past, Taoist jungle temples had strict etiquette for food and accommodation. Taoist priests must follow etiquette to eat in the dining hall, which is called "Guotang". There are three rules for eating in the dining hall: first, there is no etiquette, and you can eat whatever you want, but you must eat vegetarian food, and you cannot speak crazy words; second, go to the hall; third, go to the main hall. Eating in the dining hall is called "Guo Zhai Tang". You must dress neatly and line up outside the Zhai Tang door to enter the Zhai Tang to eat. From September 15th to March 15th, residents will have their meals "in the hall". From the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month after "picking up" to the fifth day of the first lunar month after lunch, one has to "pass through the lobby". After passing through the lobby, the eight deacons were putting on their robes (class robes are also called cassocks) in the living room. The guests and deacons led the class to the gate of the prison courtyard (if there is an abbot, go to the abbot's liao). They stood in pairs facing each other. (Peng Ruyi) Two envoys came out and stood on both sides of the prison courtyard.

After bowing together, the guest and the guest led the group to the entrance of the Zhaitang, where they separated into groups and stood behind the two rows of Taoists.

When the Taoists heard the banging call, they lined up outside the entrance of the dining hall in neat clothes. The deacons arranged their shifts to ask for the prison. One person stood in the hall. At the head of the hall, please ask for an offering (a small bowl of rice, a small bowl of water, a pair of chopsticks, three sticks of burning incense, one stick burned in the Siming stove, and two sticks placed on the offering plate), raise the offering to the level of the eyebrows, enter the hall, and offer In front of the statue of Lingzu. Hit the bang according to Taoist ritual.

When eating, it is called "Rang Zhai". Instead of "passing through the hall", when passing through the hall at ordinary times, the head of the hall will "give way to the meal". After "letting the meal" is completed, the waiters return to their seats and enjoy the meal together in the hall. Do not "make noise in the hall". Everyone eats and drinks, and patrols around the hall to provide food and vegetables at any time. There are also regulations on the arrangement of bowls and chopsticks used in the dining hall. There are two bowls in front of each person, with rice on the left and vegetables on the right, and chopsticks on both sides of the bowl in front of the body. If you want to add rice, look at the hall and point to the left bowl with chopsticks; if you want to add vegetables, point to the right bowl. The Xingtang brings a bucket of rice and vegetables to the front, and determines how much rice and vegetables are needed. Use chopsticks to draw circles in the bowl, and the Xingtang adds rice and vegetables according to the divisions. When you are done eating, place your chopsticks upright between the two bowls to indicate the end of your meal. The head of the hall saw that everyone had finished fasting, and looked at the waiter. The waiter got down and shouted: "Everyone is fasting."

After eating, the abbot, the supervisor, and all the Taoists bowed together and exited one by one.

Taoists must first offer sacrifices to their ancestors when eating.

On the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, a banquet is prepared in the living room, and the deacons of Fruit Tea are invited to celebrate the New Year, and the Taoists eat "Hunyuan cuisine". On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, an incense table is set up outside the mountain gate for the palace to make the spiritual tablets of various sects. The supervisor, Gao Gong, and Confucian Master go to the big kitchen to "take over the stove" and perform birthday celebration rituals, and then receive the God of Happiness. Grab wedding money.

From the first day to the fifth day of the lunar month; on these five days, "Hunyuan dishes" are eaten at noon. In general, when visiting the palace, there is a separate ceremony of "passing the small hall" when eating. "Crossing the Hall" rituals are rarely performed.