“Fast" is another practice of "precepts". Taoism usually regards "fast" and "precepts" as the basic principle of practitioners.The Taoist book "Yunji Qixuan" says: "Zhai is to be a common person.Complete the three karmas (body, mouth, and mind).The outside is not stained with dust, and the inside is clear and weak, and the truth is reduced to the spirit, and the truth is combined with the Tao."It means that practicing vegetarian food can purify one's body, mouth, and mind, improve one's moral cultivation, and cultivate inner spirituality and wisdom, so that the inside and outside are clear and united with the supreme way, and be free and free forever.Taoism will follow the fasting method without violating it, which is called "keeping fasting".
Taoism believes that learning Taoism does not keep fast is like walking at night without holding a candle.Therefore, Taoism has always regarded "fasting fast" as the most basic method of practice for practitioners in their enlightenment.There are many types of Taoist "fasting methods", and there are generally three common types of vegetarian food: cleansing your mind and cleansing your mind, cleansing your body and speaking, and vegetarian food.
1. Cleanse the mind and mind
Abbreviated as "Xin Zhai", it is the fundamental method of Taoism to understand the mind and see the nature, open wisdom and enlighten the spirit, escape from life and death, and realize the best.The key to maintaining "heart fasting" is to cleanse the mind and purify the mind so that the mind has no miscellaneous thoughts and no false thoughts, clear and true silence, all thoughts are fixed and breathless, and empty and selfless.The basic requirement of maintaining "Xinzhai" is to achieve it, keep mindfulness, good thoughts and good thoughts;Frequently reflect on one's own understanding and observe one's inner self;Learn to repent and reform;Try to make yourself do it, "welcome others with a normal heart, please others with joy, encourage others with praise, respect others with humility, obey others with acceptance, empathize others with gracious heart, touch others with true love, transform others with charity, help others with blessings, and save others with no self" (the "Ten Heart Methods" of practice advocated by the Eight Immortal Palace).Strive to keep the heart in a state where "the external appearance does not enter, the internal appearance does not come out", as well as the whole world does not arise, and the mind is not transformed by the environment.
The merit of maintaining "heart fasting" lies in correct thinking, opening up wisdom, harmony with all things, transcending the three realms, eliminating the samsara, and integrating with the Tao.
2. Cleanse your body and cleanse your mouth
Abbreviated as "Shenkou Zhai", it is a compulsory method for Taoism to practice body teaching, accumulate oral virtues, correct oneself and transform others, and save all sentient beings.The key to maintaining "Shikou Zhai" is to be cautious in speaking correctly so that you can speak without being arrogant, and your actions are sincere, your words and deeds are consistent, and your words are consistent, and your body is correct and your words are correct to save others.
The method of maintaining "Shikouzhai" is to be honest and righteous, and to be calm in the body and mind;Be honest and treat others sincerely;Be firm in dealing with things and act in harmony with the truth;Do more good deeds and accumulate more good deeds;Be kind and charitable, help the poor and help the poor;Respect the elderly and love the young, care for the orphans and pity the weak;Modesty, prudent, united and mutually helpful;Save resources and devote yourself to environmental protection;Protect the country, love the people, and defend peace;Cultivate yourself to always speak good words and speak good words;Preaching morality orality and spreading true love;True words and gentle tone;Use words to inspire people and warm your heart.Overcome yourself not to speak nonsense, not to speak ill of bad things, not to be slander, not to believe in rumors, and not to spread rumors;Don’t betray others’ shortcomings or praise your own strengths;Don’t speak out of right or wrong, or be lip service;Don’t confuse the black and white or confuse the public.The merit of maintaining "Shikou Zhai" lies in the fact that one can correct one's body and practice, correct one's words, and save oneself and one's own life, and the world is peaceful.According to this, all suffering will be eliminated and the immortality of the world will be enlightened.Therefore, if you have a simple and pure heart, you will naturally have a correct body and a correct way of speaking without any falsehood, so that the body, mouth and mind are harmonious and unobstructed, and there is nothing in the world, and then you will be able to show the harmonious state of harmony between the great way, the difference between things and the self, and the unity of man and nature.
3. Vegetarian vegetarian food
Also called "vegetarian food", it is often called "eating vegetarian food" by those who eat vegetarian food, and the owner of the vegetarian food is the "vegetarian food master"."Vegetarian vegetarian" is an important vegetarian method that Taoism respects nature, cherishes life, maintains ecology, cultivates compassion, and escapes the five sufferings of reincarnation (birth, old age, illness, death, and other).
“There are many ways to vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian vegetarian veThe merits of practicing these fasting methods lie in resolving grievances, eliminating sins, praying for blessings, warding disasters, protecting life, prolonging life and avoiding the suffering of cause and effect reincarnation.The method of "setting a vegetarian offering" means that it is often used to offer various vegetarian food to the gods or to give alms to the public.Vegetarian offerings to the gods, aiming to be grateful for the gods’ gifts while praying for the gods’ blessings;The significance of vegetarian charity to support the public is to make good friends, spread love, and plant a field of blessings.The prerequisite for practicing the "setting a vegetarian" method requires that the charity and offerings themselves must be vegetarians, especially when setting up a vegetarian to worship the gods, they must also bathe in their body and mind and clean up their clothes.Believers can generally hold a "vegetarian vegetarian" at home on the first, fifteenth day of the lunar calendar and the birthdays of the gods every month to worship gods or give alms to the public. They can also come to Taoist temples or temples to set up a vegetarian vegetarian to provide ordinary offerings, and their merits will be greater.
“The method of dieting and vegetarianism, as the name suggests, is the method of fasting.The merits lie in cherishing blessings and gratitude, warding disasters and relieving disasters, nourishing the essence and energy inside, refining the body outside, integrating the body and spirit, and prolonging life."Feeding" is often held on certain specific days.For example, "Sanyuan Zhai" means "Sanyuan Festival" (the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the birth of the Shangyuan Heavenly Official, the fifteenth day of the seventh day of the birth of the Zhongyuan Earthly Official, and the fifteenth day of the birth of the Xiayuan Water Official) as the day of the fasting. Because the Shangyuan Heavenly Official gives blessings, the Zhongyuan Earthly Official forgives sins, and the Xiayuan Water Official relieves disasters, you can get blessings, forgive sins, and relieve disasters when practicing fasting on this day;For example, "Gengshen Zhai" and "Jiazi Zhai" are the days of Gengshen and Jiazi of "Sixty Jiazi" as the vegetarian days, and Gengshen and Jiazi are the days of the North Dipper Star. Practicing vegetarian on this day can eliminate disasters and prolong life and gain endless blessings;For example, "Benming Zhai" means that the fasting day is on your birthday. Its merit lies in thanking your parents for raising you and the virtue of your relatives and friends for help.In addition, another meaning of practicing "dieting" lies in the need of Taoist internal alchemy practice, which is extended to the technique of fasting.Of course, if ordinary people can eat and vegetarian food properly, they can also adjust their internal functions while cultivating blessings, which is beneficial to physical and mental health, but they should not blindly fast and fast.
“The method of ceremonialis, also known as the "Su Xinzhai", is the primary method of veterinaryism that is related to natural ecology, protecting animals, nurturing compassion, cutting off killing karma, eternal escape from reincarnation, and realizing the great way.The reason why Taoism attaches importance to the practice of "Ci Xinzhai" is due to Taoism's idea of "all things have spirits" and "rebirth and value life".Taoism believes that all things are born from Tao, so all stupid cocoons and spirits are endowed with "Tao nature".The foundation of "Tao nature" is that nature is natural, equality in things, invisible and nameless, free movement and transformation, and harmonious unity.As an organic part of all things, human beings are also born from the Tao and are in a state of coexistence and prosperity with all things.Based on this idea, Taoism not only attaches great importance to human life, but also cares for all other life species, even as small as "insects and plants cannot be hurt."This is in conjunction with Confucianism: "A gentleman is a beast, and he cannot bear to see his death when he sees his life;The idea of hearing the sound but not be able to eat the meat" is consistent.
The basic method of practicing "Ci Xinzhai" at home is to always be compassionate and refuse to miss innocent creatures;Maintain vegetarian habits all year round and try not to eat or eat less meat;Don’t enjoy hunting or fishing;Develop drugs that can replace animal ingredients to avoid massacres of many precious wild animals;Actively carry out caring for and protecting animals, especially protecting endangered rare animal populations;Participate in the activity of buying lives and releasing animals, and putting animals back into nature;Plant trees, protect forests, and do not cut down randomly;Advocate the concept of saving and sustainable development, refuse to use disposable products, etc.In short, we must firmly establish the concept of "all things are friends" in order to maintain the ecological balance of nature and alleviate the current environmental and climate problems facing the world.Happy to the prosperous era, the national government will flourish, the society will develop, and the life will be prosperous.While enjoying the rich material life brought by reform and opening up, we should also pay attention to and strengthen the construction of the ideological and spiritual fields, so as to achieve a good situation where material civilization and spiritual civilization move forward in a simultaneous manner.Taoism is an inherent religion in China.Taoist culture is an important part of Chinese traditional culture.In the new historical period, vigorously promoting and practicing the doctrine of "staying fasting" in Taoist traditional culture among the broad masses of believers undoubtedly has positive practical significance for promoting the construction of the Taoist believers team, pure Taoism, educate people, and actively contributing to the construction of a harmonious society.I hope that the public will purify their hearts, uphold the true way, speak good words and deeds, love all living beings, respect nature, protect the environment, save energy, eat vegetarian hearts, keep fast and follow the Tao, correct oneself and transform others, practice piously, and make progress all the time, and in this way, you will have infinite merits and blessings!