Ding Dongdong…..Ding Dongdong…..

While dreaming in sleep, Zhang Jiaohua could hear a spell of melodious sound of little bells ringing. Later, in his ears resounded an old and vigorous voice.

“Today, I will take you to pay obeisance to Master, you must not talk drivel. Just follow me, ok. Grandpa has prepared three animal wine body for you, as a red package gift while acknowledging as Master.”

This voice seemed very kind, and seemed very familiar, yet also unfamiliar.

Zhang Jiaohua felt as if he was being continuously pulled by someone.

Don’t know at what time, Zhang Jiaohua opened his eyes, to discover that he didn’t know where he was. His hand was being pulled by a Great Grandpa. Zhang Jiaohua didn’t recognize this Great Grandpa. He wanted to free his hand only to discover, that he absolutely couldn’t move, moreover he couldn’t even speak. He could only mechanically continue walking.

That old man’s other hand was holding onto a shoulder pole. On the shoulder pole there were a lot of things.

Zhang Jiaohua became very afraid, he vaguely remembered that he was still sleeping. Just as he wanted to wake up, he heard a spell of melodious little bells ringing. He again sank back into the scene.

That old man came to a Daoist temple. From inside, an old Daoist priest came. As he approached, he touched Zhang Jiaohua’s head. Smiling at Zhang Jiaohua, he nodded. The old Daoist Priest’s beard was very long. The Old Daoist Priest liked to stroke his beard from time to time.

The Old Daoist Priest ushered Zhang Jiaohua and the Old man into the Daoist temple. There was an altar set up in the incense burning main hall. Divided into top and bottom altars. On top were placed all kinds of divine memorial tablets, memorial tablet of the founder, nicely arranged incense burners, and an oil lamp with oil coming drop by drop.

In the Incense Burning Main Hall, there were six characters posted, namely : 天 (Heaven) 地 (Earth) 国 (Country) 亲 (Parents) 师 (Teacher) 位 (Tablet). [TLNote: Ok, so this is a modified version of the Confucian ideal of the serial on the basis of of which one should worship. Find more detail at that the Old Daoist Priest wrote nicely Old Founder, Patriarch, Legacy Teacher, and he pasted these three words at the Teacher place in the 天 (Heaven) 地 (Earth) 国 (Country) 亲 (Parents) 师 (Teacher) 位 (Tablet).

Infront of the Incense burning main hall, there was a table, which had a special memorial tablet, the memorial tablet was adorned with one sheng of rice. In the bottom altar, below the table was placed an upside down spirit portrait. Old Daoist Priest said that this was the altar opening of the founding master.

The memorial tablets of the other founders were placed on the table. In front of the Founder’s memorial tablet were placed three cups of fragrant tea, three cups of wine, and in front of the cups of wine and tea were placed three plates of offerings. The tea plates were adorned with 3.3 sheng of rice grains, atop the tea plate were placed two sacrificial animals (i.e. fish and meat), chicken (live rooster) placed under the table. Above the table was placed one sheng of rice grain in front of the memorial tablet, below the table was also placed one sheng of rice grain in front of the open altar founding master’s memorial tablet. Above the table on both sides were placed slow burning red candles, just then a fugua was inserted into the sheng of rice placed above the table, from a bowl fresh water was poured onto the table.[TLNote: 1 Sheng = 1 Litre or 2.113 pt in freedom units] [TLNote2: Fugua aka Overturned Hexagrams Old Daoist Priest lit 15 incense sticks, moving them thrice before the incense burning hall, and then he placed three adorning the top altar, three adorning the bottom altar, three adorning on top of the sheng, three adorning below the sheng, three adorning below the three heavenly gates.

Old Daoist Priest invited Zhang Jiaohua to beseech Primogenitor Mǎn. The Old Daoist Priest grabbed three ritual money papers with his left hand and set them aflame, his right hand grabbed the shengzi (adorned rice on the bamboo utensil), and sprinkled three times towards the incense burning hall, then turned around and sprinkled three times at the three gates of heaven, then again turned around towards the incense burning hall and bowed three times with clasped hands. [TLNote: This sentence had me searching for a full hour before I was able to find an obscure reference in some obscure google book pertaining to an obscure legend relating to the “Yao Daoism” or “Meishanism” which we are dealing with here. Primogenitor Mǎn (Not man as in human, that’s the name of tribe) is reference to well a Primogenitor of Man people, who is supposed to be a Divine Sacred Founder of the Meishan Religion]

Continuing on, Old Daoist Priest started reciting a mnemonic chant: “Submitting to the desire arising from the heart, Divine Omniscient. The divine soldiers have not yet moved, the foraging for provisions comes first, the not yet dispatched first troop to move the first grain, thousands of soldiers will descend on the altar. The eyes of the current founder watching from the blue sky; use your eyes to look over the current Master from the skies. Just for one look, do as you please. Respectfully ask Laozi First Palace, Enlightened Teacher and Founder Hua Tuo, for pa.s.sing down of Bone-Setting, Pain relieving and Hemostating, Cold Alleviating and Fever reducing. Pain Eliminating Immortal Master, Ge Shan Bone-ache Immortal Master, Ge He Bone-ache Immortal Master, Patriarch Hua Tuo, Patriarch Zhenwu, Zun Gu Immortal Master, Iron Bull Immortal Master, Snow Frost Immortal Master, Bone Transformation Immortal Master, Bone Setting Immortal Master, Pu Ti Immortal Master, request you to please attend the stove first, gathering within it, before the disciple, pa.s.sing on the teachings, incense burner above, kowtow respectfully to Patriarchs, pa.s.s on the legacy teachings.”

After reading to this point, Old Daoist Priest used his hand to pull, and make Zhang Jiaohua kneel down, before continuing to read: “Wishing respectfully Founding Ancestor Fu Qiwu, born in the Fifty Seventh Geng Shen year [TLNote: December 25th born in the seventh earthly branch [TLNote: seventh earthly branch Daoist temple greets founding ancestor Peng Qieshan, born in Fifty fifth year, first month of the lunar cycle, 28th day, born in the sixth earthly branch; sixth earthly branch Daoist temple greets Old Master Luo Fuwen, born in twenty sixth year, fourth month of the lunar year, 24th day, born in the fourth earthly branch; Daoist Monastery greets Master Jiang Xiaofen, born in ninth year, first month of lunar year, 27th day, born in the second earthly branch. The testifier of Yin, Jiang Yufei; the testifier of Yang, Peng Kezheng. The Sect Patriarchs, who answers who requests, orally transmit personally to disciple, manifest in all directions, manifest everywhere spirit. Please grace the furnace first, accept today’s sacrificial offerings, safflower sacrificial animal wine body, a cup of horse feed strong men, respectfully offer wealth, the sect martial ancestor, request Ge Shan, respond Ge Shan, Martial Ancestor Ge Shan hereto, Master Ge He approach. Again with a devourt heart, sincerely welcomed again, to the ancestral main hall, within such clan gate, the first ancestral grandmother of successive generations, the three Doctrines (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism) bestowed upon the family, the good fortune incense is still alive, testimony of the head of the household landlord, ‘Man’ able to reach high in the great dao, Taishang bestow imperial edict, Taoyuan Immortal Cave, the palace above is alive, every immortal mother, descend on altar longevity, prosperity for the land, on this auspicious celebration, Madam. Wish success and riches on the boy, come into preciousness for husband and master, within the Meishan Inst.i.tute, First Eldest, Second Eldest, Thirteenth Eldest Lang, request you to subdue the palace main hall, and help my disciple, operate Bone-setting and Stopping blood and bone ache. For three days Disciple unable to fulfill please deity, four days request holy sage not yet a week, plans to request one deity, a thousand deities descend, plans to request one horse, ten thousand horse approach, first communicate spirit, then communicate intent of imperial decree. Now request Disciple to please operate the bone setting, blood staunching and bone-ache stop, request virtuous divine ancestral masters to watch over, pay over thirty-five ancestral masters, personally descend, and pa.s.s on the method of study. Respectfully asking to climb into altar Zhang Wulang, anxiously sitting beneath the altar with me. In front is a yellow camphor tree, which is precisely founder’s main hall area. Blowing of cow horn, alert the world, blowing camphor skin leather, don’t know which is my body? If an evil master has come peacefully, then wash in the water of the flower basket. On top of the left leg is balanced a bowl of water, on the right leg is the fragrant furnace, the left hand is holding the goblin-beheading sword, the right hand is offering rooster sacrifice to five wild. This chicken is not extraordinary chicken, first it shouts out in west Meishan, then crows in west Meishan, born with its head high and tail low, this chicken heralded the dawn in front of ancestral master’s palace hall. First cannot touch the depths of Yellow river, second cannot touch the heights of trees in the mountain, third cannot touch the blessings and disaster of people, only touch the wild soldiers and wild horses simultaneously. Disciple leaving the gate seek reincarnation, open the gate Po Shi Generalissimo, operate the troops to guard my body, if somebody were to ask me, I am just a person beneath Laozi’s Gate. Laozi ascends the heavens riding a bull, Jade Emperor doesn’t dare question Laozi; Laozi dives into the sea riding a bull, Dragon King is required to receive Laozi; Laozi walks into fire riding a bull, Heavenly Emperor G.o.d of Fire welcomes Laozi; Laozi goes into the mountains riding a bull, the trees in the mountain part to make way.”

After having finished greeting the G.o.ds, the greeting of troops and horses below the three gates continued, on one side he chanted the mnemonics, and on other he burnt paper offerings, “Firstly, Invite the celestial troops and generals, Second invite the earthly soldiers and earthly generals, Third invite the three Yuan Generals, Fourth invite the Four Heavenly Kings, Fifth invite 500 Man Lei, Sixth Invite the Six Ding and Six Jia, Seventh Invite the Seven Star General, Eight invite the Eight Big Vajrapani, Ninth invite the Nine Dragons Nine Tigers.” After having finished inviting the soldiers, once more incense was burnt in front of the table, and looking at the main hall, the Founding master was invited as he chanted the mnemonic: “Invite virtuous divine master ancestor to look over, hand over thirty-five ancestral masters, personally descend, transmit the learning method, requiring one sage one yin, a.s.sist my disciple, under the imperial edict a bowl of daoist talismanic water method.”

After that he began diving, needing one Yin and one Sheng, two divinatory trigrams. Finally, after beginning he divined through Yang divinatory trigram, explaining that the Founder hasn’t agreed. Old Daoist Priest spoke words of praise for quite a length, and again used a divinatory trigram. This time Yin divinatory trigram appeared, Old Daoist Priest burst into loud laughter. After that he again used a divinatory trigram, and then another one, and after finishing this, he explained that Founding Ancestor has agreed to bless this new promotee disciple. After finishing the divination, the Old Daoist Master took away the three domestic animals.

Zhang Jiaohua started salivating directly: There may be meat!