CatholicNews ■ Sunday August 5, 2007
The roof is often an image of a
The Three Pure Ones – known as Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity
and Supreme Clarity – were formed by the breath of Tao.
They are at the top of the Taoist pantheon, just below Lao Tzu.
Their main goal is to save mankind by teaching kindness.
Taoism is polytheistic. Taoists
believe in many deities and
immortals. Its gods are believed
to be pure emanations of Tao.
Immortals are humans who have
achieved eternal life through
the cultivatiion of Tao, and,
particularly, through meditation,
physical training, breathing
techniques, the ingestion of
elixirs, and moral behaviour.
Immortals dwell in the heavens,
on mountains, and in other
magical paradises.
At the top of the pantheon
is Lao Tzu, revered both as
the first god of Taoism and the
personification of Tao. He is
followed by the Three Pure
Ones whose main goal is to save
mankind by teaching kindness.
Below them are thousands
of gods with numerous titles,
qualities and functions and
who are worshipped at various
ceremonies throughout the year.
Taoists usually worship in
their own home or in the temple.
The temple is believed to be the
residence of a heavenly official (a
god belonging to the Jade Clarity
realm and who confers blessings).
The temple is usually built with the
Taoists also worship immortals,
who are humans who have
achieved eternal life through
the cultivatiion of Tao.
characteristics of the palaces of
imperial China. The principal door
of the temple opens toward the
south and the temple walls on either
side often have the images of the
Green Dragon (representing yang)
and White Tiger (representing ying).
Ling, famed for his promotion of
sacred mountain, an abode of the
immortals. The figurines that
decorate the roof depict legendary
figures and heroes of sacred
myths. At the top of the roof are
usually two dragons looking at
each other over a flaming pearl
located in the centre. This pearl
represents the pure energy (chʼi)
that emanates from the incense
burner in the temple.
Taoists pray to the gods, and
to their ancestors too as a mark of
Taoists offer joss sticks in
honour of their ancestors, or to
pray for a special intention.
respect. Prayer is also a form of
cultivating the Tao. When Taoist
priests recite the scriptures and
chant repentance rituals, they are
beseeching the gods to erase sins
and, at the same time, spreading
the teachings of Tao. Taoists
believe that reciting the scriptures
can dissolve misfortune,
eliminate illness, prolong life and
benefit health.
To a Taoist, ancestor worship
promotes harmony and peace
within the family, reaffirms the
family identity and maintains the
order of succession. Fruit offerings,
the burning of paper money and
paper houses, and the lighting of
joss sticks are some intrinsic Taoist
practices. They symbolize respect,
gratitude and pride in oneʼs roots
and, at the same time, serve as
requests for good luck and fortune.
To a Taoist, death is not the
ending of life but the beginning
of the next stage in life, the
spiritual stage. Taoists believe
that the yang component in each
person comprises three Hun
souls and the ying component
comprises seven Po souls. The
three Hun souls form the skeleton
and the seven Po souls make up
the flesh. At the death of a Taoist,
a ritual is undertaken to let the
deceasedʼs three Hun souls be
transported to the other world.
However, the seven Po souls are
believed to linger after death and
a ritual is required every seven
days to send one of these seven
Po souls to the other world.
Only at the end of 49 days, is the
deceased fully at rest in the other
Male and female Taoist priests conduct rituals side by side,
evoking the Heavenly Spirits or Celestial Masters, according
to the particular celebration.
world and capable of blessing the
descendants still living on earth.
The most important date for
Taoists is the birthday of Lao
Tzu on the 15th day of the second
lunar month when Taoist temples
and organizations honour him.
Another important Taoist feast
is held on the 18th day of the fifth
lunar month to mark the birthday
of Heavenly Master Zhang Dao
11
Taoism.
Other important Taoist dates
include the seventh day of each
month when it is believed that
seven celestial Taoist gods, known
as the seven Northern Dipper Star
Lords, enter the Mortal World
(earth). Taoists believe that when
they recite the Great Northern
Dipper Scripture on this day, their
sins,debts and sufferings will be
reduced and they will be blessed
with longevity.
The festival of the “Hungry
Ghosts,” celebrated on the 15th
day of the seventh lunar month,
is, perhaps, the most famous
Taoist feast in Singapore. It
marks the birthday of the Earth
Official, who judges the dead.
Devotees take part in good
works, fasts and rituals to seek
forgiveness for the sins of their
ancestors, obtain his mercy for
them and ask him to lead them to
the heavenly realms.
These devotees pacify the
hungry ghosts by praying,
chanting and offering food and
other things to them so they will
have what they need to survive
and move on to their next life.
In Singapore, it is common to
see joss sticks lit, wayangs (street
theatre), feasts and auctions
during this period. ■