The Fa Bian (Dharma Whip) 法鞭

The Fa Bian (Dharma Whip), also known as "Jing Bian" (Purification Whip), "Fa Sheng" (Dharma Rope), "Fa Suo" (Dharma Cable), "Da Shen Bian" (God-Whipping Whip), and "Ma She" (Hemp Snake), is one of the important ritual implements of the Lvshan Daoist school. It is an essential tool for Taoist priests in various rituals such as invoking deities, purifying altars, deploying and dismissing troops, rewarding soldiers, dispelling misfortunes, offering sacrifices to ward off evil spirits, and all kinds of ceremonies for exorcising and suppressing demons.

There are no records of using the Fa Bian or related Taoist rituals in traditional Daoist schools like Zhengyi and Maoshan, and its use is limited to the Lvshan Daoist school, Chenzhou Nuo opera, and Taoist priests of the Miao ethnic group in western Hunan. Taoism holds that the Fa Bian can flog demons and ward off evil spirits. When performing magic, Taoist priests often grip the "snake head" (a part of the whip) tightly and lash forcefully.

According to scholars' research, the Lvshan Daoist school began to spread eastward to Taiwan, southward to Guangdong, westward to Jiangxi, and northward to Zhejiang with the migration of people starting from the Song Dynasty. The spread of the Fa Bian, in particular, was further promoted by the popularity of folk Fu Lu (Talisman and Registers) Daoist schools during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.