Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism
Taoism is characterized by faith in the immortals. Ever since Tao Hongjing of the Southern Dynasties compiled the Chart of the Ranks and Functions of the Perfected and Numinous (Zhenling Weiye Tu), Taoism has continually absorbed deities of popular belief into its pantheon, making its genealogy of immortals ever more diverse and complex. From the Tang and Song dynasties onward, fasts and offerings (zhaijiao) were held on the birthdays of the immortals, attracting believers to take part, and so arose the Taoist festivals celebrating the birthdays of the immortals. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the fasts and offerings of Taoist festivals had become an important part of popular seasonal customs. Besides the fasting assemblies of the Three Primes, there were the birthdays of the Jade Emperor, Lord Lao, Wenchang, Lord Guan, the City God, and other deities, on which the people held fasts, offerings, every kind of ritual assembly, and celebrations. On every festival and every birthday of the immortals, people held activities to welcome the gods and give thanks; the local gentry paid for theatrical performances for the gods and the people to enjoy, and devout men and women of the locality went to the temples to worship on the occasion of the offering rites and celebrations.
In ancient society, people believed that Taoist fasts and offerings could move heaven, bestow blessings and dispel calamities, and help the dead and deliver the living, satisfying people’s psychological needs. The regional rites for peace held regularly in various places, through Taoist fasts and offerings, expressed the people’s gratitude for favors received and their reverence for heaven and thanks to their ancestors, and from them evolved the many forms of Taoist festivals and celebrations we see today.
1. The Main Sacrificial Festivals of Taoism
The Winter Solstice: birthday of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun)
The Summer Solstice: birthday of the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun)
The 15th day of the second month: birthday of the Heavenly Worthy of the Tao and Its Virtue (Daode Tianzun) of Grand Clarity
2. Important Festival Days of Each Month in the Lunar Calendar
The First Month
1st day: the Heavenly La festival
3rd day: birthday of Perfected Hao; birthday of Perfected Sun
5th day: birthday of Primordial Sovereign Sun Qingjing
9th day: birthday of the Jade Emperor
13th day: ascension of Lord Guan (Guandi)
15th day: birthday of the Heavenly Official of the Upper Prime; birthday of Celestial Master Zhang
19th day: birthday of Perfected Qiu Changchun (Qiu Chuji)
28th day: birthday of True Lord Xu (Celestial Master Xu Xun)
The Second Month
1st day: birthday of the Great Emperor of the Curved Array (Gouchen Tianhuang Dadi); birthday of Perfected Liu Changchun (Liu Yuanran)
2nd day: birthday of the Earth God; birthday of Jiang Taigong
3rd day: birthday of the Divine Lord Wenchang of Zitong
6th day: birthday of the Divine Lord of Eastern Florescence
13th day: birthday of True Lord Ge of Boundless Salvation
15th day: birthday of Lord Lao the Most High (Taishang Laojun)
19th day: birthday of Perfected Cihang (the Bodhisattva Guanyin)
The Third Month
1st day: birthday of Perfected Tan Chuduan
3rd day: birthday of the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu), Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven
6th day: birthday of the Moonlight Goddess
15th day: birthday of the God of Wealth, Marshal Zhao
16th day: day of the attainment of the Tao of the Three Mao True Lords; birthday of the Great Emperor of the Central Peak
18th day: birthday of Perfected Yuyang, Wang Chuyi; birthday of Empress Earth (Houtu)
19th day: birthday of the Star Lord of the Sun
20th day: birthday of the Goddess of Children
23rd day: birthday of Mazu, Empress of Heaven
26th day: birthday of the Ancestral Master Guiguzi
28th day: birthday of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak
The Fourth Month
1st day: day of the attainment of the Tao of Perfected Changsheng, True Lord Tan
10th day: birthday of He Xiangu
14th day: birthday of Lü Chunyang (Lü Dongbin)
15th day: birthday of Zhongli Quan
18th day: birthday of the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity of the North Pole; birthday of the Holy Mother of Mount Tai, the Primordial Sovereign of the Azure Clouds (Bixia Yuanjun); birthday of Hua Tuo, the divine physician and ancestral master
20th day: birthday of the Holy Mother of Moonlight
28th day: birthday of the Divine Farmer, the Ancestral Emperor Shennong
The Fifth Month
1st day: birthday of the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole
5th day: the Earthly La day for holding fasts and sacrifices; birthday of the Thunder Patriarch of the South; birthday of Marshal Wen, the Earth Spirit; birthday of Heavenly Lord Deng of Thunder.
11th day: birthday of the City God
13th day: descent of Lord Guan; birthday of Prince Guan Ping
18th day: birthday of Celestial Master Zhang
20th day: birthday of Perfected Ma Danyang
29th day: birthday of Patriarch Bai Ziqing
The Sixth Month
1st to 6th days: descent of the Star Lords of the Southern Dipper
10th day: birthday of Perfected Liu Haichan
15th day: birthday of Heavenly Lord Wang, Marshal Wang Lingguan
19th day: day of the attainment of the Tao of Cihang (Guanyin)
23rd day: birthday of the Fire God
24th day: birthday of the Great Emperor of the South Pole, Thunder Patriarch of the Center; birthday of Lord Guan
26th day: birthday of True Lord Erlang
The Seventh Month
7th day: the auspicious day of the La festival of the Tao and Its Virtue
12th day: birthday of the Thunder Patriarch of the West
15th day: birthday of the Great Emperor Earthly Official of the Middle Prime
18th day: birthday of the Queen Mother of the West
20th day: birthday of Perfected Changsheng, Liu Chuxuan
22nd day: birthday of Li Guizu, the Star Lord of Wealth and Silk, God of Wealth of the civil kind, and Minister Who Increases Blessings
26th day: birthday of Perfected Zhang Sanfeng
The Eighth Month
1st day: ascension day of True Lord Xu
3rd day: birthday of the Stove God, Director of Destinies of the Nine Heavens
5th day: birthday of the Thunder Patriarch of the North
10th day: birthday of the Great Emperor of the Northern Peak
15th day: birthday of the Star Lord of the Moon
The Ninth Month
1st to 9th days: descent to the world of the Nine Sovereigns of the Northern Dipper
9th day: birthday of the Dipper Mother (Doumu); birthday of the Divine Lord Chongyang; ascension of the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven; birthday of the Great Emperor of Fengdu
22nd day: birthday of the God of Wealth Who Increases Blessings
23rd day: birthday of True Lord Sa
28th day: birthday of Marshal Ma, the Numinous Official of the Five Manifestations
The Tenth Month
1st day: the auspicious day of the La festival of the People’s Year; birthday of the Great Emperor of the East
3rd day: birthday of the Three Mao True Lords of Responsive Transformation
6th day: birthday of the bureaus of the Heavenly Ministry and the Five Emperors of the Five Peaks
15th day: birthday of the Great Emperor Water Official of the Lower Prime
18th day: birthday of the Earth Mother
19th day: ascension of True Lord Qiu Changchun
20th day: birthday of Celestial Master Xujing (the thirtieth Celestial Master, Perfected Hongwu Zhang).
The Eleventh Month (Dongyue)
6th day: birthday of the Great Emperor of the Western Peak
9th day: birthday of Han Xiangzi
11th day: birthday of the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun)
26th day: birthday of the God of the Five Paths of the North
The Twelfth Month (Layue)
8th day: the auspicious day of the La festival of Kings and Nobles
16th day: birthday of the Great Emperor of the Southern Peak; birthday of the Righteous God of Fortune and Virtue
20th day: birthday of the Ancestral Master Lu Ban
21st day: birthday of the Supreme Emperor Tianyou
22nd day: birthday of Patriarch Chongyang
23rd day: offering to the Stove God (the most suitable day to thank the Tai Sui of the old year and begin worshipping the Tai Sui of the new year)
25th day: the Jade Emperor tours heaven and the heavenly gods descend
29th day: attainment of the Tao of True Lord Sun Qingjing (Sun Bu’er)
3. Other Important Taoist Festivals
1. The Three Assembly Days
The 7th day of the first month is called the Assembly for Promotion and Reward. On this day the Upper Prime bestows blessings, and the Heavenly Official, together with the Earthly and Water Officials, examines sins and blessings.
The 7th day of the seventh month is called the Middle Assembly for Celebrating Life. On this day the Middle Prime pardons sins, and the Earthly Official, together with the Heavenly and Water Officials, examines sins and blessings.
The 15th day of the tenth month is called the Great Assembly for Establishing Life. On this day the Lower Prime relieves hardships, and the Water Official, together with the Heavenly and Earthly Officials, examines sins and blessings.
On these three assembly days, the Three Officials examine merits and faults, and the three hun souls gather and report the good and evil of the living. These are also called the Days of the Assembly of the Three Hun Souls, and it is fitting to burn incense and repent of one’s faults.
2. The Three Prime Days
The 15th day of the first month is the Upper Prime Festival; the 15th day of the seventh month, the Middle Prime Festival; the 15th day of the tenth month, the Lower Prime Festival.
On the three prime days, the gods of the twenty-seven mansions and one hundred twenty bureaus of the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, having first examined sins and blessings on the three assembly days, report to the Golden Palace on the three prime days, so that misfortune or blessing may be sent down. On these days one may practice the Tao and hold fasts, cultivate oneself and atone for one’s faults.
3. The Eight Festival Days
Beginning of Spring: the Heavenly Worthy Supreme Sage Who Saves Immortals of the Northeast descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Brahma Qi of Initial Azure.
Spring Equinox: the Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Treasure Star of the East descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Nine Qi of the Azure Emperor.
Beginning of Summer: the Heavenly Worthy Who Loves Life and Saves Destinies of the Southeast descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Brahma Qi of Initial Cinnabar.
Summer Solstice: the Heavenly Worthy of Mysterious Truth and Ten Thousand Blessings of the South descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Three Qi of the Red Emperor.
Beginning of Autumn: the Heavenly Worthy Void Sovereign of Grand Numinosity of the Southwest descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Brahma Qi of Initial White.
Autumn Equinox: the Heavenly Worthy of Grand Wonder and Utmost Limit of the West descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Seven Qi of the White Emperor.
Beginning of Winter: the Heavenly Worthy of Boundless Grand Florescence of the Northwest descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Brahma Qi of Initial Darkness.
Winter Solstice: the Heavenly Worthy of the Mysterious Supreme Jade Palace of the North descends together with the Heavenly Lord of the Five Qi of the Black Emperor.
On these days the Heavenly Worthies and Heavenly Lords of the eight extremities descend together to the human world, recording people’s sins and blessings and observing good and evil.
4. The Five La Days
The 1st day of the first month is called the Heavenly La; on this day the Five Emperors meet in the Azure Heaven of the Nine Qi in the east.
The 5th day of the fifth month is called the Earthly La; on this day the Five Emperors meet in the Cinnabar Heaven of the Three Qi in the south.
The 7th day of the seventh month is called the La of the Tao and Its Virtue; on this day the Five Emperors meet in the White Heaven of the Seven Qi in the west.
The 1st day of the tenth month is called the La of the People’s Year; on this day the Five Emperors meet in the Black Heaven of the Five Qi in the north.
The 8th day of the twelfth month is called the La of Kings and Nobles; on this day the Five Emperors meet in the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis above.
On these days when the Five Emperors gather, the Heavenly Emperor of Northern Yin of Fengdu examines the ghosts and souls, looking into the good and evil done by the ancestors of the living and by their descendants now in the world, so as to determine sins and blessings. These days all bear upon the living, and it is fitting to hold offering rites of thanksgiving. One must rely on the power of ritual in making sacrifices to redeem those in suffering, so that each may receive blessings; ordinary sacrifices cannot be received by them.
5. The Eight Assembly Days
Heaven assembles on Bingwu days, earth on Renwu days, humanity on Renzi days, the sun on Gengwu days, the moon on Gengshen days, the stars on Xinyou days, the Five Phases on Jiachen days, and the four seasons on Jiaxu days.
On these assembly days it is fitting to fast and keep precepts, burn incense, hold offering rites to announce to the stars, read scriptures and perform litanies of repentance, and make sacrifices to the spirits of one’s ancestors; this can prolong one’s years and add to one’s allotted span.
6. Days for Offering Rites to the Stars
In spring, Jiazi and Jisi days; in summer, Dingchou and Bingchen days; in autumn, Xinhai and Gengzi days; in winter, Guiwei and Renyin days.
The 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 15th, 17th, 21st, 25th, and 27th days of the month: on these days it is fitting to hold offering rites to the stars and announce to the Dipper.
7. Days of the Examination of Merit
On Jiazi days (the first day of the sixty-day cycle), Taiyi inspects the gods; on Gengshen days, the Three Corpses report people’s merits and faults; on one’s birth-cycle day, one’s meritorious conduct is reckoned.
On these days of the examination of merit, moreover, the hun soul Taiguang goes up to report on Jiazi days, Shuangling on Gengshen days, and Youjing on one’s birth-cycle day, to tell of people’s good and evil. On these days it is fitting to receive talismans, fast and keep precepts, and submit memorials and petitions, praying for great blessings.
On the day of the full moon, it is fitting to pay homage and repent of sins, pray for grace, and atone for one’s faults.
8. Imperial Sha Days, Also Called Monthly Taboos
On these days burning incense is forbidden; those who violate this lose from their allotted span (suan). The 2nd day of the first month and Gengshen days; the 9th day of the second month and Xinyou days; the 10th day of the third month and Gengxu days; the 11th day of the fourth month and Guihai days.