Taoist Ritual Implements and Their Functions Introduction

Taoist ritual vessels, also known as Taoist magical implements, refer to various utensils used in Taoist rituals. The following are some common Taoist ritual vessels and their introductions to functions:

1. Tablet:
Also known as the court tablet, court board, etc. It is a hand tablet held when worshiping the immortals, on which things can be recorded to avoid forgetting. In ancient times, the tablet for worshiping the Son of Heaven had certain regulations. The Son of Heaven used jade, the vassal states used ivory, and the doctors and scholars used bamboo pieces. Taoism is not limited by this, and can be used according to conditions. When holding a Taoist altar, the high-ranking Taoist priest mounts the altar and holds the tablet with both hands, as if facing the Heavenly Court.

2. Ruyi:

Generally made of jade, wood, or bone. The shape is slightly curved like the character "heart", with three points: the two ends at the beginning and end are in the shape of a cloud or a ganoderma, and the middle point is round. It symbolizes the meaning of the Tao transforming into the Three Pure Ones, and also implies respecting the Three Treasures with one heart, namely the Tao Treasure, the Sutra treasure, and the Teacher treasure. The Taoist abbot also holds it when preaching scriptures or in other solemn rituals.

3. Magic seal:
Generally made of wood, copper, or jade. There are characters with Taoist meanings engraved on the seal surface, and some even have completely symbolized patterns engraved. The seal knob is generally a lion or other evil-averting beast. Since the ancestral Celestial Master Zhang Daoling of Taoism began to pass on the magic seal, it has been passed down to this day. The magic seal is the official seal for Taoism to report to the Heavenly Court, and it is also a magical object to exercise divine power. "Dongxuan Jing": "Where the magic seal shines, the evil spirits perish."

4. Magic sword:
Also known as the precious sword, the commanding sword, the Seven-star sword, and the master's sword. On both sides of the blade forged from steel, there are bronze Seven-star patterns engraved on each side, and near the hilt there are patterns of dragons, tigers, or talismans. The precious sword is a powerful magical implement for slaying demons and evil spirits. The family heirloom of Celestial Master Zhang is the precious sword and the Celestial Master seal. Usually, the Seven-star sword with a thin blade is used by holding two together, and sometimes it can also be held in both hands, also known as a double sword or a combined sword. There is also a wooden sword engraved with talismans on the blade, mostly made of peach wood that can be used to ward off evil spirits, also known as the peach wood sword.

5. Token:
Also known as the thunder token, the Five-Thunder Command. It is a wooden plaque with a round top and a flat bottom. The names of the Twenty-Eight Constellations are engraved on the side edges. The shape of the upper circle and the lower square symbolizes heaven and earth. The token is a sacred implement for Taoist priests to dispatch the gods, has the function of warding off evil spirits, and can also be used to dispatch the Thunder God. The shapes and patterns of the tokens are not completely the same. For example, some are engraved with dragons or precious swords, and some are engraved with the Five-Thunder Command, the General Summoning of All Gods, etc.

6. Sweet dew bowl:
Also known as the water bowl, water cup, or clear water bowl. It is used in the Taoist altar of the Orthodox Taoist School to hold the magic water, also known as sweet dew or sweet rain. In ancient times, it was a bamboo product, and now it is mostly made of brass. Its vessel is like a tea cup in shape, with a slightly larger mouth, and the Five True Forms of the Mountains are painted around the cup. But there is also a water bowl in the shape of a rice bowl with a slightly narrower mouth. The high-ranking Taoist priest in the Taoist altar often holds the bowl in his left hand and uses his right middle finger or a willow branch to dip the holy water in the bowl and sprinkle it all over the altar to show the purification of the field. "Lingbao Jidu Jinshu": "Sweet dew sprinkles to purify the karmic dirt and eliminates the dust and filth invisibly." Sometimes it symbolizes the universal application of sweet dew to save the souls of the dead. "Taishang Zheng Yi Wan Tan Gong Ke Jing": "Sweet dew flows and moistens, spreads all over the empty mystery, pulls out the drowning, and does not滞滞 in the cold abyss."

7. Altar-suppressing wood:
Also known as the altar-shocking wood, imperial decree, pure board, etc. It is a slightly rectangular wooden block. The top surface is slightly raised and the bottom surface is flat, and it is painted red with paint. There are the words "All the gods listen" engraved on the front, and the Four Trigrams of Qian-Kun, Kan-Li are engraved on both ends. During the Taoist altar, the altar-suppressing wood is placed on the table and used by the high-ranking Taoist priest in conjunction with the ritual. When Taoist priests perform special spells, they also use it to slap the table to intimidate evil ghosts and demons.

8. Command flag:

It is a flag for the high-ranking Taoist priest to issue orders on the altar, generally five. The flag is triangular, one side of the flag is yellow with a toothed red border, and there is a yellow and red border streamer on it. The flagpole is generally made of rattan. The main command flag with the words "Imperially Summoning All Gods" written on the flag, and there are four auxiliary command flags.

9. Magic ruler:
It is a long wooden piece. The shape is the same as that of the old-fashioned ruler, with graduations on both sides, and auspicious patterns such as gourds are carved, and it is generally painted red. In addition, there is also an iron ruler without graduations and patterns. The magic ruler is not only the magical implement for the ancient immortals to measure heaven and earth, but also has the power to exorcise demons.

10. Tianpeng ruler:
Also known as the magic ruler. It is a long square wood. The names of the sun, moon, and the Twenty-Eight Constellations, as well as patterns such as the Three Stars, the Big Dipper, and the South Dipper are engraved on all six sides, and there is also the holy title of Marshal Tianpeng. By exercising the divine power of Marshal Tianpeng, it has the function of warding off evil spirits and demons. "Daoshu Yuanshenqi": "In ancient times, there were peach branches to ward off bad luck. Hou Yi died from the peach stick, so later generations used it to exorcise ghosts. Today's Tianpeng ruler is of this kind."

11. Magic rope:
Also known as the magic whip, the pure whip, or the magic rope, etc. There are patterns of snake heads carved on the wooden handle, and below it is connected to a rope body made of ramie or palm fibers, and there is also an ending at the back, looking like a complete snake. The snake head part is painted with vermillion paint and has the Eight Trigrams pattern on it. The more sophisticated ones even have a human head exposed from the snake's mouth. In addition, some also use natural curved wood to represent the snake's body. The magic whip can flog demons and ward off evil spirits.

12. Master's knife:
That is the knife used by the mage. One is a short brass sword with a very blunt blade, an oval shape at the front end, and copper coins or small iron rings strung on the handle, and the shape is rather strange. The other is a sharp iron knife, which is in between the magic sword and the kitchen knife in shape, with the holy title of the Supreme Lord Laozi engraved on it.

13. Bell:
Also known as the Three Pure Ones Bell, the Emperor Bell, the Magic Bell, the Magic Bell, etc. Generally made of copper, with a handle and a tongue inside the bell, which makes a sound when shaken. The upper end of the handle is in the shape of a mountain, symbolizing the Three Pure Ones deities believed in by Taoism. Taoism believes that the magic bell has the function of descending the gods and exorcising demons. When used on the Taoist altar, it must be held with one hand and shaken rhythmically to one side. "Shangqing Lingbao Dafa": "Vibrating the magic bell, all ghosts and gods respect it."

14. Wooden fish:
Also known as the wooden drum, commonly known as the fish roe. It is round in shape and carved into the shape of a fish, so it is called the wooden fish. The middle is hollowed out and makes a sound when struck. It is usually placed on the right side of the scripture table and struck with a wooden mallet held in the right hand. It is used in conjunction with the rhymes of the scriptures when reciting the scriptures, and each word of the scriptures must fall on the spots of the wooden fish. "Supreme Secret Essentials": "The wooden fish and the clear chime wake up the world of mortals."

15. Chime:
There are two types. One is called the round chime, which is round and hollow, made of copper or iron