What is The Ruyi 如意

Ruyi (a scepter-like object) is generally made of jade, wood, or bone. Its shape is slightly curved like the Chinese character "心" (xin, meaning "heart"), with three parts: both the head and the tail are in the shape of clouds or ganoderma, and the middle part is round. It symbolizes "the Dao evolving into the Three Pure Ones" and also metaphorically represents "holding the Three Treasures in one's heart" (i.e., the Treasure of the Dao, the Treasure of the Scriptures, and the Treasure of the Teachers).

Taiqing Yuce (The Jade Manual of Great Purity) states: "The Ruyi was a weapon made by the Yellow Emperor to fight Chiyou. Later generations transformed it into a mace-like object. The celestial beings hold it to ward off all demons." Shangqing Jing (Scriptures of Supreme Purity) records: "The Heavenly Lord holds a Ruyi in his hand while preaching the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot." The abbot of a Taoist temple also holds a Ruyi when expounding scriptures and teachings or during other grand rituals.