Spirit tablet

A spirit tablet or ancestral tablet^[1] is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. With origins in traditional Chinese culture, the spirit tablet is a common sight in many East Asian countries where any form of ancestor veneration is practiced. Spirit tablets are traditional ritual objects commonly seen in temples, shrines, and household altars throughout China.^[2]

General usage

A spirit tablet is often used for deities and ancestors, with shrines found in households or in temples, where there are specific rooms for individual spirit tablets for ancestors. A spirit tablet acts as an effigy of a specific deity or ancestor. In Taoism, spirit tablets are often used for the spirits ancestors and sometimes such tablets are found under deities, which represent the enclosed spirit of the deity. This practice influenced the Buddhist faith, where tablets are found in many temples; however tablet usage is not limited to ancestors, but to wandering spirits, demons and preta as well.

In Japanese Buddhism, tablets are used in funeral rites and stored in the home altar to Buddha.

When used, incense sticks are usually burned before the tablet. Sometimes fruits, tea and pastries are placed near the tablet to offer food to the spirit.

In Chinese folk religion for example, a household will have one or more tablets for specific deities:

• One outside the house at the front door. (A shrine either to the Jade Emperor at eye level the door or the earth deity, below the door.)
• One in the kitchen. (A shrine to Zao Jun, [[the Kitchen god).
• Two in the house, usually at least one in the living room. (A shrine to any other deity or family ancestors.)

Spirit tablets are found not just amongst the Chinese but in other East Asian cultures, such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

Gallery

References

See also

• Gods material shop
• Chinese folk religion
• Shangdi
• Japanese Buddhism
• Shinto