The Danpiao (bamboo bowl and gourd ladle) 箪瓢

The Danpiao (bamboo bowl and gourd ladle) 箪瓢

Paul Peng
Danpiao (bamboo bowl and gourd ladle) are utensils used by Taoist priests to hold food and drink when they travel around to seek alms, usually made of bamboo or wood. Taoist priests' act of asking the world for alms is called "huayuan" (seeking alms).

Taoist books explain this phenomenon in a poem: "The gourd ladle collects meals from a thousand households; alone, I travel ten thousand miles. To seek the recipe for immortality, I will universally save all beings through the ages." By traveling ten thousand miles, eating meals from a thousand households, and persistently saving all living beings and doing good deeds year after year, one will cultivate an immortal body and attain the state of a deity.
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Paul Peng — Zhengyi Taoist Priest, Longhu Mountain

About the Author

Paul Peng

Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.

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