2. avoid meat: avoid meat is one of the explicit provisions of Taoism. The fishy meat here refers to five kinds of meat, namely wine, onion, coriander, radish, leek and so on. Taoism believes that these vegetables have strong stimulating and aphrodisiac effects, and eating them can easily stimulate people's physiological desires, which is inconsistent with the Taoist doctrine of "abstinence", so avoid eating them. Fish smell refers to meat and animal fat. Taoism advocates not killing, so it is taboo.
3. Playing vinegar altar: This is the main way for local people to show their sincerity in front of the mountain. Pour vinegar on the red-hot charcoal and smell the evaporated dirt. Believers nearby sometimes drink swill, that is, the water for washing dishes, which means that people degenerate into animals and are ignorant. If it is wrong to worship God, please forgive the gods.
4. Respect for incense: "A pillar of high incense communicates, and the holy high is blessed." Believers believe that burning incense lies in expressing feelings, and the key is sincerity, not quantity. It is generally advisable to use three columns, and insert incense calmly and straightly.
5. worship: this is the traditional etiquette of the Chinese nation. Knocking is kowtowing. Worship is bowing. In the old days, Baiyun Mountain also had the custom of worshipping three times and nine times.
6. Giving: Believers donate money and materials to temples. If you like, donate all the money and things you have prayed for to the merit box in the temple to achieve psychological balance; Otherwise, the number varies from person to person, and the local term "free giving" ranges from one yuan to hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of yuan.
7. Draw lots: This is one of the main activities of Chaoshan believers. Drawing lots is the main way for God to communicate with people. Believers get some information by drawing lots and seek guidance or spiritual comfort from the gods.
8. Seeking the symbol lock: the symbol originally refers to the certificate issued by the ancient emperor, which has unparalleled authority and was later used by Taoism. Print the picture or seal script on yellow paper to show the divine order that "disaster should not be hurt, evil should not be near". You can stick it on the house, wear it on your body and burn it.
A lock is a lock thread. Believers believe that children are incapable of fighting demons, so they tie the immortal lock of Zhenwu Emperor (made of red or five-color lines) around the child's neck and attach his soul to the gods, so that evil things can't invade and demons can't get close.
9. Blessing medicine: wrap a little incense ashes in the incense burner offered by Emperor Zhenwu on the table with yellow paper and take it home for incineration. Believers should avoid eating meat and poultry during taking medicine. Nowadays, despite the development of medicine, people who seek medical treatment and medicine during temple fairs will wait patiently in long queues.
10, Eat God's Rice: God's Rice was originally a thin rice porridge for believers from poor families who went up the mountain. Later, it was expanded into a special way for many believers to eat. After a certain amount of free gifts, most of them are willing to drink a bowl of magic rice when they are tired and thirsty after sightseeing. It is said that eating God's rice can play the role of "eating God's rice to avoid disaster".
1 1, blocking the mountain gate: believers who have been saved by the gods often make a wish to block the mountain gate during the temple fair. Is to lie at the gate of Baiyun Mountain and let thousands of people cross over from themselves.
To sum up, believers choose their own ways according to their own beliefs or needs, but in the end it is generally believed that sincerity is spiritual. The ancient view is the carrier of the Baiyun Mountain Temple Fair, and the mysterious and charming Taoist activity is a main content of the temple fair, which mainly focuses on clearing grain and is an activity of offering sacrifices to the gods and praying for the prosperity of the country and people. With rhyme, music, dance, paper-cutting and fireworks as the forms of expression, the scale is heavy and grand, and the atmosphere is solemn and solemn. This Taoist activity usually lasts for three days, and the main steps are as follows:
Day 1: The altar is closed. Since the afternoon, this is a profane instrument of Taoism. Closed-door fasting means that all believers on Baiyun Mountain will not eat meat and animal products from the day when the altar is fumigated. Fumigating altar refers to cleaning the altar, that is, Master Gao Gong recites the dirty curse while pouring vinegar on the burning charcoal, and then incinerating the altar (altar refers to a style in which Taoist priests express their wishes to the gods when doing things). It is intended to implore the gods to go to the altar, protect the law for teaching, promote Taoism, and make the ceremony go smoothly.
The next day:
1. Starting Sutra: Also known as opening the altar, it is intended to open the altar. It is usually held in the early morning of the second day after the altar is smoked. The leaders of each meeting signed the list of lent altar, which was posted in front of the altar. On the one hand, it informed people of the reason, time and purpose of this altar clearing, on the other hand, it also showed kindness to all gods and learned to make a spiritual response by descending the altar.
2. Going out: Hundreds of honor guards arranged in the prescribed order walked out of the hall and marched to the insertion place. The order of the guard of honor is: sprinkling water, sweeping the road, holding incense paper, setting off fireworks, the first gong, the second gong, retreating, quiet, hard deacon (36 people each holding 36 weapons) and the five-color flag team. The grandeur of the scene and the solemnity of the atmosphere are breathtaking. The banner is an open-air mansion surrounded by five wooden poles and paper cuts in the east, west, south, north and middle, surrounded by paper hangers, which read "Eliminate nine disasters in a year", "Avoid three disasters in a month", "prolong life" and "keep peace forever". Master Gao Gong burned official scripts and recited scriptures in the mansion, and the guard of honor surrounded the banner, which meant to inform Lei Gong, Dian Mu, Fengbo and Yu Shi that the weather was sunny and sunny during the ceremony.
3. Toast: The chef here refers to the kitchen where offerings are made. The well-connected Taoist priest recited the scriptures and prayed to the chef to protect the offerings from being clean and hygienic for the immortals to enjoy.
4, incense: refers to the incense in the temple, burning thin, read the purpose of this ceremony, in order to protect the gods forever.
5, swing the lamp: the lamp has the magic of "up to the paradise hall, down to the long night hell". This activity is held in the evening. Wicks made of hemp paper, soaked in vegetable oil, lit and placed on both sides of the road. Taoist chanting, walking in the middle of the road, to show that the gods who will usher in the meeting will enter the Temple of Heaven, enjoy human sacrifices, and be kind to all directions. At the same time, they can also let ghosts take this light and escape from suffering. At night, the stars in the sky and the underground lights reflect each other, and the scenery is spectacular.
The third day:
1, the above table: it is a ceremony to go to heaven to hit the watch. The content of the table text is what people want to express, which consists of four parts: opening the altar, seeking holiness, worshiping the table and sending the table. Opening the altar, the high arch master ascended the altar, burning incense and playing god. Please be holy, offer five holy places on the altar, burn incense with great merit and wish you a happy birthday. Master Gao Gong knelt down on the table, stepped on his head, went to heaven, prayed to God, blessed the world, and forgave the sins of all sentient beings. Send me the watch. Master Gao Gong will read the watch sent to heaven and send it to the altar for incineration.
2. Sacrifice: Sacrifice is a common Taoist ceremony in Baiyun Mountain. In addition to major temple gatherings, this ceremony is also held on the first and fifteenth days of each month. Most of the offerings were food, and Master Gao Gong stood in the middle, directing the chanting monks to sing the Flower Sutra and the Lamp Sutra in turn, and presented more than ten kinds of offerings to the altar in turn.
3. Forgiveness: Forgiveness is a bag dance in Taoist activities and the climax of the whole temple fair. "Forgiveness" means forgiveness. Religion refers to the jade emperor's tool to forgive human sins and bless disasters. Because forgiveness is placed at the foot of a mountain hundreds of meters from the top of the mountain, it is called "forgiveness". All the ceremonies made before this made the jade emperor feel the sincerity of all beings, so he sent Cao Cao, the Eight Immortals, the newsboy and the Antarctic immortal who had four values of year, month, day and hour to convey the jade emperor's will, forgive human sins and bless longevity.
When forgiveness is released, the puppet immortals less than one meter will slide along the smooth long rope to the charity ground at the foot of the mountain in turn. In the process of sliding, the forgiving manipulator will loosen and tighten the rope, or swing the rope, so that the fairies in colorful clothes stop to slide, swing from side to side and have a beautiful posture. The firecrackers fixed under the puppet kept ringing, and the fairies seemed to be driving the clouds down in the smoke. The puppets slipped to the giving ceremony, and the Taoists welcomed them with sheng wind instruments. Master Gao Gong took the forgiveness from the back of the last puppet, stood on the altar and read it on the spot. It's over. Forgiveness is over.
4. Yang Jiang: This device has the following characteristics: "Welcome the truth and descend the saints, gather the immortals; Next is the magic of "bringing disaster to the country and the people, and refreshing yourself in the midst of suffering". High-energy chanting invited the dead from all walks of life to attend the meeting and thanked Eritrea for its blessing.
5. Turn to Jiuqu: the unique Han folk custom in Jiaxian County, northern Shaanxi Province. This activity was held on the third night, the night before the temple fair ended. In the specified position and drawing. Zhuanjiuqu originated from the nine-song Yellow River Array laid by San Xiao to avenge his brother Zhao Gongming in the mythical novel Romance of the Gods. This array consists of 36 1 nine-curved lanterns, indicating that there are 360 days in a year, and one more lantern is more than enough for auspiciousness and celebration. The map consists of nine small towns, with different stars and gods in the middle of each city. The arrangement of these formations, on the one hand, maintains some rules in ancient formations, on the other hand, represents the movement of heaven and earth and the changes of the four seasons at eight o'clock. Colorful nine-curved lanterns are like stars in the sky. People hold incense in their hands devoutly and slowly step into the array under the guidance of Taoist priests. Every time they go to the center of every city, they will stop. Taoist priests chanted to the star god and then continued to turn. When they turn to the "old pole lamp" in the center of the array, people who want to beg for children can "steal" the small lights around the "old pole lamp" and say "steal children". Then put away the lights and send them back to the original place with the free gifts next year.
In addition, there is a unique musical instrument called "Dancing Food" in Taoist activities. It belongs to Youzhi, a dance that gives food to lonely and hungry ghosts. Gao Gong sent a message to the God of History, asking him to ask the deceased to accept, release and be reborn before the altar. Let them come here to eat and drink, eliminate their troubles, cross the sea of suffering and regenerate the world. As a result, "three generations of clansmen are super happy, and ten kinds of lonely souls go to heaven." Dancing diners spill food when dancing, so they are called dancing diners.
Generally, the food-giving dance is held in the main hall, with the high arch master sitting in the middle, Taoist bands on both sides, and Taoist chanting in front of the altar. On the open space in front of the altar, two Taoist priests, dressed in cassock and wearing HongLing on their wrists, performed a feeding dance in the rhyme of Taoist chanting "Three Shi Yang". Take Tai Chi pictures and do all kinds of hand flowers. Common hand flowers are "rabbit ears" and "scarabs going into the sea". It is said that there are more than 100 kinds of hand-held flower dances, which are excellent Taoist dances.