Now, more and more people believe in Buddhism. During the Spring Festival and the first and fifteenth days of the lunar calendar, the general public has the habit of burning incense and praying in the temple. It is normal to visit famous temples and temples, burn incense and worship Buddha. However, many people don't know how to burn incense and worship Buddha. In order to make the ten parties believe in the future, gain the benefits of the law, and go their own way, we will briefly introduce the correct method of burning incense and praying for blessings, in order to get the good news together. Let me explain the rules of burning incense and worshiping Buddha to you in detail.
First, the door etiquette
There are many doors in the temple building, so you should pay attention to which door to enter. It is said that only temples with lights are qualified to build thirteen gates. The three doors in the middle are for people to go in and out. Ordinary tourists can only enter through the right door, and the middle door is called an empty door, and only monks can enter and leave. When entering the door, the male guest takes his left foot first, and the female guest takes his right foot first. The bigger the step, the better. At the same time, entering the temple should follow the principle that the left door enters and the right door exits. Note: you must not step on the threshold (it is said that the threshold represents the Buddha's shoulder, and of course you must not step on it). And the salute to 1 and the sixth step means wholeheartedly and smoothly.
Second, burn incense and worship Buddha.
Wash your hands before worshipping Buddha. Incense should be called "please" instead of "buy". Ordinary people should hold incense in their left hand (it is said that their right hand is unclean, and most people kill with their right hand), the third wick prayed for themselves, the sixth wick prayed for two generations, and the ninth wick prayed for three generations. Thirteen is an extreme, and thirteen wick incense is a high fragrance of complete merit. Burn incense before kowtowing. If you burn incense, hold the incense in your left hand and the candle in your right. When burning incense, light the incense with your own fire first. The more prosperous the better, people often say that incense is strong. Left hand on the top, right hand holding incense on the bottom, bow your head. After bowing, put the incense in the incense ashes and you can kowtow at the door. If you kowtow, you should find Buddha, Bodhisattva or Lohan. For example, you can't kowtow to Tibetan Bodhisattva. It is advisable to burn three sticks of incense, which means "abstinence, determination and wisdom" without omission; It also means to support Buddhism, Buddhism and monks to live in the three treasures. This is the most complete and civilized incense offering. There is not much fragrance, but the heart is in my heart. As the saying goes, "burn three civilized incense and respect a sincere heart." When incense enters the incense burner, it should be at a horizontal angle, indicating safety.
The posture of lowering the head is like this. Kneel on the futon and put your hands together. Note that these palms are hollow, hold them above your head, pause to your mouth, make a wish, then go down to your heart, meditate, then spread them out, palms up, upper body prone.
There is also a ceremony called "opening the light" to pray, of course, it is best to be presided over by Taoist priests. Things that are usually opened at home must be burned with clean hands on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, otherwise it is disrespectful. However, if it is a special opening, it is different. The opened object can be carried with you. Lighting items can only be ivory, gold or jade.
Wrap the items to be lit with red paper or red kits and paper with the name of the blessed person and the Chinese character Geng written on it (it is not necessary to write the Chinese character Geng), hand in a blessing (preferably related to the number 369) and ask the master to help light it. Speak respectfully, or you will offend your master and not give you a light.
The process of opening the light is to put all the opened objects on a tray in front of the Buddha, and the master recites a few verses as if the Buddha's light shines. Your object is endowed with aura and mana, and you can take it with you to bless you.
Professional incense burning (application)
1. Light incense with your own fire; 2. Hold the incense stick with the middle finger and forefinger of both hands, and press the thumb against the incense tail; 3. Put it on your chest with the elephant head bottle facing the Buddha icon; 4. Improve Mei Qi again; 5. After that, put it down as the third action; 6. Start splitting with your left hand.
The first method of inserting incense: the first incense is inserted in the center, and when it is inserted, it is silently said: "Provide ten treasures." The second incense was inserted on the right, and when it was inserted, it silently said, "Support parents and teachers." (Note: The method of burning incense in this article was written by a layman, so it is different from the observation and meditation of monks. But if monks are individuals who worship incense and worship Buddha, they can use this method together. ) The third incense is inserted on the left, and when it is inserted, it is silently said: "I support all sentient beings in the ten dharma circles, and I am unjust."
The second way to insert incense is to be right first and say, "swear to break all evil." On the second left, it says, "Swear to do all good things." Later I read: "swear to all beings."
The third method of inserting incense is the simplest, the same as the first method, but it is easier to read. The first incense was inserted in the middle, which read: "To support the Buddha, I feel but not fascinated; The second incense is inserted on the right, which reads: "The law of supporting others is right, not evil; The third incense was inserted on the left, which read: "Feed the monks, clean and untouched." Summary is simple.
After offering incense, you should stand up, cross your hands in response to the Buddha statue, and pay homage to the Buddha (cross your hands and say in your heart, "May this fragrant cloud go straight into the three treasures (or read" straight into the buddhas ") to beg for mercy and compassion, and to help all sentient beings." )。
If it is a circle of incense, you should show it to the Buddha where it is lit, and your hands are like holding a long incense. When holding incense, he only said, "Support the three generations of three treasures of ten parties." May this fragrant cloud reach the three treasures, implore great compassion and give joy to all beings. "Yes.
If you put sandalwood (that is, the twig split by sandalwood), you should hold both ends of the incense with your thumb and forefinger, with your middle finger, ring finger and pinkie open and straight, hold Qi Mei high, and put it in the incense burner before and after; The first sandalwood is picked up with the left hand and sent in with the right hand; Pick up the second branch with your right hand and send it in with your left hand; The third one is the same as the first one. The method of meditation should be the same as when burning incense. Burning incense is for support, and burning sandalwood is the best!
Method of worship
Worship is an act of reverence for Buddha and Bodhisattva, and its method is:
1. Stand up straight, put your hands together, your wrists are flat with your heart, your heels are about two inches apart, and your toes are about eight inches apart, forming a figure of eight. After standing up, I immediately put away my messy thoughts and meditated with my eyes closed: my father was on my right, my mother was on my left, my children's family was behind, all kinds of grievances were in front, and my parents' relatives and relatives were all around me. Come with me to worship Buddha. May you die in the western paradise and get good results. (Note: This method of observing Buddhism is the supreme practice of Tantric Buddhism. If you often observe the Buddha in this way, you can not only go beyond what you have observed, but also eliminate obstacles and disasters for yourself. Even when chanting, holding spells or holding the holy names of buddhas and bodhisattvas, it is the same and cannot be ignored. After visualizing, bend your arms, extend your right arm obliquely, and press your right palm upward in the center of the worship mat, but your left palm still can't be lifted, and kneel down immediately (this is the first worship).
2. After kneeling down, press the left palm in front of the worship mat with the extension (this is the second worship).
3. The right palm moves forward to the right from the center of the worship pad, and the distance between the two palms is about six inches (this is called "two worships and a half").
Put your head on the cushion between your palms.
5. Turn the palm of your hand immediately, palm up. It means that holding the Buddha's feet with both hands can be blessed. It's called a head-to-head ceremony. Another way of saying it is: in ancient times, when children or people with low status asked adults, superiors or elders for goods or money, they opened their palms to accept the requested property. That is to say, to accept the blessing of Buddha and Bodhisattva).
6. Turn your fists with both hands, keep your head away from the worship mat, and move your right hand back to the center of the worship mat.
7. Hold your chest with your left hand, hold your body with your right palm, close your left palm, and stand up with your knees. Cross your hands.
8. After three salutes, bend down with your hands folded and hang down to your knees. The four fingers of your right hand wrap the four fingers of your left hand. The two fingers are close together and the two forefingers are vertical (this is the seal). Straighten your waist, lift it to Qi Mei, and then release your hand. This is called interrogation.
The above is the general worship. In addition, the tantric Sect also has the methods of crossing hands and worshiping, such as "Buddha Department, Lotus Department and King Kong Department". After the conversion, Monkey Brother was handed down by his own guru, so I won't go into details here.
Pray for breath
Breathing method of worshipping Buddha: When worshipping Buddha, the tip of the tongue is rolled up to the base of the tongue and inhaled at the same time (if you want to recite the Buddha's name or hold a mantra, you can recite it when you exhale); When you stand up, the tip of your tongue reaches up to the upper jaw and inhale at the same time. This is a method of rubbing out the old and sucking in the new, which makes the whole body's qi pulse have a mysterious circulation effect, thus promoting health and prolonging life. When inhaling, it is best to visualize the sun, moon and stars in the sky turning into white light and entering the body through your top door (if you are facing the Buddha and Bodhisattva, visualize the Buddha and Bodhisattva shining on you); When I exhale, I imagine that my illness and bad karma have turned into black gas, and take it out (after a long time, you will see the black gas you exhale. At that time, you were guaranteed to be a clean person. Buddhists who like to worship Buddha don't visit or try. This method of worshipping Buddha and practicing qigong can cure diseases and prolong life, thus cleaning up the three professions. Wisdom will certainly benefit endlessly, worship calmly, rise calmly and not feel tired.
Method of crossing hands
The first manifestation of Buddhist disciples' reverence and piety is to stand up straight (feet are shoulder width apart) and cross their hands. There are many ways to cross your hands. Generally, the palm is straight, the back of the hand is slightly arched, and the palm is slightly bent. Hold them to your chest and close them gently. They shouldn't be too tight, they should be like a tower. According to "Introduction to Bodhi Daoism and Six Methods of Miaodao", "The two palms are tightly closed, leaving no gap, because they are closed to the outside world, the first one will become the outside world, (because the heart is a form of service, it is difficult to enter a vacuum fairyland); The second will be born in a land without Buddha, and I don't know the name of the three treasures. " "To my surprise, the three Confucian classic monasteries often perform quips of practicing China's way," the note said: "If you put your hands together, you will be born in a place without Buddha; You are so close, you can't be in a vacuum, you are persistent. "
Precautions for burning incense:
There are many bodhisattvas in the temple. You can worship them one by one if you like. If time doesn't allow, burn them in front of the Ursa major. The steps are as follows:
Please buy your own incense, others can't pay.
It's best to burn incense with your own fire (three is enough, and you don't need to burn a lot of incense). Facing the main hall gate (now you can't burn incense in the main hall for fire prevention), you gently hold three Qing Xiang in your hand (the man's left hand is above, the right hand is below, and the woman is on the other side), and suddenly mention it, and the burning fire goes out immediately. Never blow it out with your mouth.
When you burn incense, you should burn incense first and then worship. Three sticks of incense is enough. You can worship in a furnace. When you pass each Buddhist temple, you can cross your hands and worship three times. Buddhism doesn't take it seriously at all. The most important thing is whether you are clean and self-centered.
Hold the incense to your forehead, close your eyes and make a wish, and then worship three times. (The height of incense cannot be lower than the lower body)
Turn right, facing east (usually the main hall door faces south), make a wish in the third step, and worship three times; Then face south and face north.
After the worship, you can insert the incense into the incense burner. Note: burn incense with your left hand, because the right hand kills people, and the left hand should be relatively peaceful. You shouldn't throw it into the incense burner.
Don't burn incense when a woman has her period.
Burning incense in the temple is to light your heart, and lighting a lamp is to light your heart. At this time, you can get the blessing of Buddha and Bodhisattva, thus gaining wisdom and so on. So you can burn one incense, two incense, and three incense at most. No need to burn more. When you enter the temple to burn incense, you can bring it with you or buy it from outside. However, incense is usually found in the main hall and can be used directly. If economic conditions permit, you can put some merit money into the merit box. If it is difficult, don't worry that the Bodhisattva won't blame you, and you have the same merits in worshipping Buddha.
But many people who have seen Buddhism please hang a rosary around their necks. Master said that most people can't afford it. So I hope that if a friend invites a rosary in the future, please bring it.
Burn three incense, one for Buddha, one for dharma and one for monk;
In the middle of the cushion in the temple, it is for family members to worship Buddha. In the family, men bow their heads with the left one and women with the right one.
When entering the temple gate, it is best to carry the hat and walking stick by yourself or put it in his room, and never put it on the Buddha case or the Buddha table. Try not to walk in the middle. Walk along the edge of the stairs. Men are left and women are right. Try not to walk through the main entrance, because the night abbot's door comes from the main entrance, while the novice monk comes from the side entrance. Therefore, in order to be consistent with the temple, everyone tries to enter from the side entrance, men are left and women are right. When entering, try to cross his right foot. When going out, go out from the side entrance, and don't step on the threshold (generally, the threshold of the temple is very high). Never step on the threshold when you enter the temple gate. It is said that the threshold is the Buddha's shoulder, and it is disrespectful to step on it. )
First of all, be pious, be honest and keep your hands clean. Don't make noise and say irrelevant "nagging" in the temple. Don't point your finger at the Buddha statue. Don't make noise and say disrespectful things. More importantly, you can't make a wish casually, because you must keep it. If you are not sure, don't make a wish. Don't ask for wealth, Buddha didn't bless you to get rich. You can seek peace and health. Don't just promise to give the Buddha something to support and then forget it. Buddha does not dispute your fragrance. This statement tells us not to make promises at will. The so-called life must be carried out as promised. It should be these lies that annoy the Buddha.
Walk clockwise in the temple to worship Buddha, and don't cross the futon, because it will give people a feeling of unconsciousness. Don't walk in front of someone when he is praying.
To make a wish in Taoist temple is to realize it. Come back after a year's wish has come true. Just go in and ask someone. If you don't make a wish, just worship, then you don't have to. Generally speaking, monasteries don't have to make a wish, but you'd better make a wish and do a lot of good deeds. Make a wish. Make your own wish.
Without the consent of the temple, you may not pick flowers and fruits within the management scope of the temple, or take offerings and other things without permission. This is also a wrong behavior. It's called "four places to steal" and you'll get the result.
Don't eat meat in the temple.
There are usually scriptures in temples. Don't forget to invite a few. What is more precious than scripture in the world?
Please don't place the amulet of scripture at will. You should put a clean bookcase away. When sharing a room, there must be no legal items such as Buddhist amulets in the room, because amulets and other amulets protect the body, and they will not work if they are infected with evil spirits. This is what we should remember.
If it is because they are haunted by evil creditors, they will be happy to go back to the unjust creditors after worshipping.
Instruments: the bells and drums in the temple can't be knocked, and things like cassock and navy can't be tampered with.
Listen to the scripture: sit with all the worshippers. If you arrive late, the master has already ascended the throne. You must worship Buddha, take a step back, and then worship the teacher. After taking a seat, don't greet acquaintances, don't sit on the table, cough and talk. If you can't finish listening, but do it to the mage, quit quietly, and don't wave others to let you quit.
Monks and Taoists in temples should be regarded as "teachers" or "wizards", and the monks in charge should be called "elders", "abbots" and "Zen masters". Monks in the Lama Temple call them "lamas", which means "guru". Avoid calling them "monks", "monks" or even other insulting names.
The common way to greet monks is to put your hands together and bow your head slightly, or stand upright on your chest with your head slightly lower. Don't shake hands, hug, touch monks and other improper ways.
When talking with monks and Taoists, don't mention killing, getting married, eating fishy meat and other words, so as not to arouse the dislike of monks.
When visiting a temple, don't shout, give directions, laugh at, walk around or fiddle with things in the temple. In particular, it is forbidden to touch and carve statues. In case of Buddhist activities, you should stand still or leave quietly. At the same time, we should take good care of our children and don't do impolite things because of their ignorance.