Home Taoist Altar

[newTaoist]

I'm considering making a home Taoist altar, but after doing a thorough internet search, I can't find out much information about what to use and then how to use it (chants, etc.).

 

If anyone knows about these things I'd appreciate any information that you may have.

 

Thanks in advance

[ChiDragon]

Why don't you do a google search on "Taoist Altar"....???

Edited April 20, 2013 by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

Second thought, if you are not a real Taoist in the religion, it was not recommended to have an altar in your home.

Edited April 20, 2013 by ChiDragon

[newTaoist]

Um, as I stated, I did a thorough google search and didn't find much. I've been a Philosophical Daoist for about 10 years and am ready to take the next step in my practice and think an altar will help me.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[mYTHmAKER]

Your google may be broken - might also try taoist altar ego LOL

https://www.google.com/search?q=taoist+alter&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

[zerostao]

Um, as I stated, I did a thorough google search and didn't find much. I've been a Philosophical Daoist for about 10 years and am ready to take the next step in my practice and think an altar will help me.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

maybe to look into and investigate a religious or spiritual taoist sect and if they resonate with you,

you could get their advice on it.

ed> couldnt spell taoist

Edited April 20, 2013 by zerostao

[newTaoist]

thanks for the link mythmaker. I'll check it out. zerostao, I appreciate your advice as well.

[newTaoist]

mythmaker, I just noticed that you searched Taoist alter. I tried altar. You came up with more links, thanks.

[Taomeow]

Second thought, if you are not a real Taoist in the religion, it was not recommended to have an altar in your home.

 

 

Another pearl comes out of ChiDragon's favorite sack of pearl barley.

[ChiDragon]

Um, as I stated, I did a thorough google search and didn't find much. I've been a Philosophical Daoist for about 10 years and am ready to take the next step in my practice and think an altar will help me.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

OK, I understand that you have been a Philosophical Taoist, for about 10 years, but you are not into the Taoist Religion. The Taoist Religion is completely different than the Taoist philosophy. Why do you think that the religious Taoist altar will help you to understand more on the philosophical side.....???

 

As I'd said before, "Second thought, if you are not a real Taoist in the religion, it was not recommended to have an altar in your home." There are too many Fengshui restrictions in setting up the altar in a house that you must be aware of. It will be too costly for you to hire a Fengshui master for the set up of the altar.

Edited April 20, 2013 by ChiDragon

[newTaoist]

ChiDragon, perhaps I wasn't clear. When I stated this could be the next step in my practice, I meant to become a religious Daoist.

[Taomeow]

New Taoist, the arrangement of the taoist altar depends on what you are going to use it for. Generally there's two types -- the ancestral altar, used to make offerings to the deceased relatives (usually only immediate family), and the ritual/ceremonial altar, used for ritual/ceremonial work, magic, divinations, offerings to the gods, and holiday celebrations.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Taomeow

[newTaoist]

ritual/ceremonial work. offerings to the gods and celebration of holidays.

[sree]

ritual/ceremonial work. offerings to the gods and celebration of holidays.

 

Be brave and be first to set up your Taoist altar to serve your own needs as a Philosophical Daoist. We would be glad to contribute ideas and suggestions. You may be starting an altar that other philosophical daoists here could set up also.

[Taomeow]

ritual/ceremonial work. offerings to the gods and celebration of holidays.

 

OK, then the next question is, how are you going to consecrate and protect it? You have to either have an initiated taoist do it for you, or you have to learn the drill. Do you know a drill?

[newTaoist]

sree, thanks for the boost up. I'll see how this goes. Taomeow, thank you for your continuing help. I think I'll have to become a drill. I'll have to learn since I'm not in an area in Florida where there is a Daoist priest or temple.

[exorcist_1699]

Simple:

 

An incense burner plus a picture of the most significant Taoist immortal : Lu Dong Bin .

 

 

 

[sree]

sree, thanks for the boost up. I'll see how this goes. Taomeow, thank you for your continuing help. I think I'll have to become a drill. I'll have to learn since I'm not in an area in Florida where there is a Daoist priest or temple.

 

Traditions are always started by somebody. You could be that somebody who feels the need we all have as philosophical daoists. I would prefer religious daoist practises that are consistent to my daoist philosophy which I feel are like yours. So, could we discuss your views about this altar and your need to give religious expression to your daoist philosophy?

 

I am really excited about where this is going to lead us. Thanks for starting this thread.

[newTaoist]

lets see. I'm hoping that by "praying" (or whatever would be the proper word) at the altar, I will feel closer to the Dao. I know in my mind that I (and everything) is already connected to the Dao, but I feel a yearning to put my philosophy to work outside of me. Not meditation or taiji but in a religious sense. I don't know if this makes any sense to all of you or not. I've never been a religious person, but I'm having a feeling of wanting to further connect with the Dao. I'm no philosopher, so I hope I'm making this clear. Forgive me if it's not. I've never tried to express this in writing before.

[sree]

Simple:

 

An incense burner plus a picture of the most significant Taoist immortal : Lu Dong Bin .

 

I like the incense part but why Lu Dong Bin? What is his philosophy?

[sree]

lets see. I'm hoping that by "praying" (or whatever would be the proper word) at the altar, I will feel closer to the Dao.

 

I like this. Yes, our "praying" is not praying of the conventional kind.

 

I know in my mind that I (and everything) is already connected to the Dao, but I feel a yearning to put my philosophy to work outside of me.

 

Yes, the connection is there. Can you explain a little about putting philosophy to work?

 

Not meditation or taiji but in a religious sense.

 

I resonate with this. Meditation and taiji are traditional taoist practises that have appeal in eastern cultures. I want something that makes sense to me in my own modern-day cultural setting.

 

I don't know if this makes any sense to all of you or not. I've never been a religious person, but I'm having a feeling of wanting to further connect with the Dao. I'm no philosopher, so I hope I'm making this clear. Forgive me if it's not. I've never tried to express this in writing before.

 

You make sense to me. Please suggest a new way for connecting with the Dao. What does your heart say? If it is not "prayer" and meditation and "chanting", what would be an appropriate way? ,

[Taomeow]

All right, so then, let's start building it step by step.

 

I have three altars -- two permanent and one that I installed to do a specific seasonal meditation. The permanent ones are the ancestral one and the "all-purpose" one. The ancestral one is simple and requires no protection. The seasonal comes complete with a protective device consecrated and charged by the master. The all-purpose one you install yourself needs to be protected.

 

The reason is that an altar is not a simple affair (unless it is for decorative purposes only). A functional altar is a door to other realms. When you activate it, you open that door. Do you know exactly what/who is on the other side?..

 

Protection of the altar space is the first and crucial rule. There are dozens of types of shields that are used, and the deeper the immersion into the nonordinary realms, the more protection you may need. Err on the side of caution. I've heard hundreds of stories about unwanted intrusions via practices that neglected this aspect. So my advice to you would be, research protective measures first. (You can search this site for Yoda's altar -- Yoda was a taobum who became initiated by a rather controversial taoist who supposedly helped him with his protective talismans after a practice he was engaged in brought in uninvited entities. The source of the entities may be subject to some debate -- Yoda believed they came from the practice, I believe the practice brought them out from the inner realms -- but that's beside the point, if you don't want to deal with them or don't know how, that's more than understandable. You want to get rid of them, period. So, one of the things Yoda did when he joined that controversial taoist to study with him was install an altar... We have pictures linked somewhere on this site, do check it out... This is a bit extreme. But he'd been burned, so it's, again, understandable. Better safe than sorry... )

Edited April 20, 2013 by Taomeow

[Birch]

And what about the room to put them (the altars) in? Let's say you put one in your bedroom due to lack of space and other reasons (like not having an obvious altar in a public room). Which one would you best put there? And which not. I'm not a fan of anything being in my bedroom I haven't invited.

 

Great thread:-)

[sree]

Taomeow, your three altars seem connected to a scary Daoist practice of the east. Those sects invoke entities from realms in Daoist Hell. I am hoping that newTaoist is thinking of setting up an altar for present-day Daoists like me who find peace in philosophical Daoism.

 

I am thinking of an altar that I can relate to when I spend quiet time with the DDJ. I prefer the lavender or rosemary fragrance of incense and the only immortals of another realm I want when I "pray" are ones like Bach with Glen Gould on the piano. No other entities.

Edited April 20, 2013 by sree

[ChiDragon]

The first rule is never place an altar in your bedroom to invite any unwanted spirits.