Jingxiang

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Fundamentals
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Jingxiang (敬香), Shangxiang (上香), Baishen (拜神) is a ritual of offering joss incense accompanied by tea and or fruits. It is observed by a devotee holding joss incense with both hands in front of an altar at a temple or at home, mentally running the prayer or well-wishes. For added respect the devotee or descendent is expected to kneel during and after placing the joss-incense in the urn or the altar.

Jiangxiang is practiced by adherents belonging to one of the schools of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, as well as commoners making a general prayer to one of the Chinese deities, or sending well wishes to a deceased as part of the Chinese ancestor veneration as part of the daily prayer, in Qingming Festival, Ghost festival and Chongyang Festival .

1 Number and Meanings of Incense
2 Sandalwood Joss
3 Other Offerings
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Number and Meanings of Incense

The number of joss stick varies from five to stand for Tian Di Jun Qing Shi (天地君親師), where tiandi denotes the realm of heaven and earth, Jun meaning the ruler which could be Guan Shengdi to the prime minister, Qing the kins and relatives and Shi, one’s teacher(s). One stick each to these stands for respect.

It can be offered with three joss sticks that stand for Tian Di Ren (天地人), again tian di for the two realms, and ren for all humanity as well as those who are deceased.

Lastly it can also be practiced with one joss, to denote all creation together with heaven and earth.

[edit] Sandalwood Joss

Joss incense shall be in sandalwood or sandalwood-scented (檀香), as the scent of sandalwood has a calming effect to the spirit or yuanshen of human. It works likewise for a deceased or a Sheng Fok Xian Zhen, that a burnt sandalwood incense can be felt. In this connection it also serves as a notice to the deity an adherent is respecting. It is not a form of food to gods.

[edit] Other Offerings

Usually Jingxiang is done with an offering of tea, in a number corresponding to the gods, typically three cups. It is believed by Taoists that spiritually this is also felt. Fruits generally is offered to accompany Jingxiang, again the specification differs for temples or deities.