The Fa Yin (ritual seal) 道教法印

The Fa Yin (ritual seal) is one of the commonly used ritual implements in Taoist fasting and sacrificial ceremonies. It is generally made of wood, copper, or jade. The surface of the Fa Yin is carved with characters with Taoist meanings, and some even have completely talisman-style patterns. The knob of the seal is usually a lion or other evil-warding beasts.

Taoism has passed down the Fa Yin since Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master, and it has been handed down to this day. The Fa Yin is both the official seal used by Taoism to present documents to the heavenly court and the ritual object for exercising divine power. The Dongxuan Sutra states: "Where the light of the Fa Yin shines, evil spirits perish."

There are two functions of using the Fa Yin in Taoist rituals. Firstly, it is to reach the distant and mysterious realms. For example, the "Seal of the Great Master of the Numinous Treasures" is stamped on all the documents used in the ceremony before setting up the altar, so that the documents can be conveyed to the heavenly realm above and the netherworld below. Secondly, it is to help Taoist practitioners restrain their body and mind. As The Supreme Mysterious Three Heavens Jade Hall Great Method says: "Practicing the Dharma with the seal is to restrain the body and mind. Later generations, being ignorant, thus exhaust their minds and overwork their strength. For the ancients used the seal to discipline the mind, while the people of today only stamp it on wood. The Fa Yin is established to govern the duties of the Dharma, so that those who hold the seal have something to rely on, and those who are subject to the seal have something to belong to."