Ancient Questions About Sacrifice? Why did the ancients sacrifice?

The difference between a memorial and a sacrifice: the object is different, the nature is different, and the purpose of the festival is different.

1. The objects are different, the sacrifice is to worship the deceased, and the sacrifice is to worship the heavens and the earth and the ancestors.

2. The nature is different, the memorial is a kind of mourning ceremony, and the sacrifice is generally a faith activity.

3. The purpose of the ceremony is different, the sacrifice is mostly to pray for blessings, and the memorial is to express the memorial service for the deceased.

Precautions for memorial services.

1. When sacrificing, be respectful and pious, concentrate on one mind, and do not speak.

2. Worship the elders and kowtow to three heads, worship the dead and kowtow to four heads, the so-called "three ghosts and four ghosts". Seeing the statue of the god kowtow three heads, that is, "three gods and four ghosts".

3. Do not touch the sacrificial utensils and offerings, such as statues, bells, incense burners, and gods without washing your hands.

4. There is a temple fair in the village, and the family god celebrates Christmas, and on the same day, the villagers and the head of the family avoid meat and vegetarianism.

5. Pears, oranges, persimmons and eggplants should not be used in offerings to the gods, and bean sprouts and tofu should be used.

6. Tofu should not be used in ancestral sacrifices to the grave, and the descendants are weak and bullied; The steamed buns of the offerings are not big, and the offspring will be stunned.

7. If animals are needed for sacrifices, use males instead of females. For example, the soul-attracting chicken that follows the coffin at the funeral uses a rooster, and the god leads the animal with a grate (gelding ram) or a boar, instead of a ewe or sow.

The difference between a memorial and a sacrifice:

1. Different types:

The memorial service is a kind of mourning ceremony, which is held specifically for the deceased, which expresses the Chinese tradition of focusing on the pursuit of the long term, and also reflects a kind of filial piety culture of the Chinese people.

Worship is a kind of religious activity, and the reason why this kind of religious practice can be produced is because of the worship of the natural world and ancestors in the early days of human beings.

2. The objects are different:

The object of the memorial service is the deceased, and during the memorial ceremony, people will make offerings to the deceased as a way of showing their respect.

The object of worship is the ancestors or gods, and in the process of worship, people often pay tribute to incense, bow and worship, and there are certain norms in terms of sacrifices.

3. Different purposes:

The purpose of the memorial service is to express a kind of remembrance or reflection on people or events in the past. The memorial service is generally held on the death day of the deceased and the New Year's Day.

Three. 10. The Qingming Festival will be held at other times.

The purpose of the worship is to express one's respect for one's ancestors and gods, and to pray for blessings and good weather from the gods and ancestors.

In ancient times, most of the official major sacrifices were sacrificed to the gods and sacrificed to the heavens. There are also a variety of different rituals of different ethnic groups. Ritual activities originated in ancient times and were believed to be the best way for humans to communicate with the heavens.

Through sacrifices, we express God's gratitude for giving birth to all things, and pray for God's blessing to have good weather and peace for the country and the people.

The sacrificial activities on the winter solstice flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, and became more solemn in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and gradually imitated by the people and became the habit of winter solstice sacrifices. Both official and folk sacrificial acts are prayers to heaven for good weather and abundant food and clothing.

Zhuangzi Tianxia "praises Dayu: "In the past, Yu's annihilation flood, breaking the river and leading to Siyi Kyushu", "Mencius, Knee Wen Gongshang" admired Dayu: "Yu eight years outside, three through its door without entering".

Li Taibai praised Dayu: "Dayu is a hundred rivers, and his children don't peep at home." Kill the turbulent flood, Kyushu began silkworm hemp", every year in the white dew season, worship Dayu customs throughout the ages.

Yu Wang Xiang will perform three bows, read the blessings, and offer a dance.

Dayu's water control has put a brave and tenacious spiritual gene into the Chinese nation.

Sacrifice has always been an important part of traditional Chinese etiquette. The ancients were very reverent and afraid of the gods and gods of nature, and slowly had religious beliefs, and finally slowly evolved into sacrificial activities, the purpose of the sacrifice was to pray for the gods to avoid good fortune, good fortune and avoid evil, and avoid disasters to obtain a good harvest.

Because of the respect for heaven and earth and fear of ghosts and gods, not only pray to the heavens for smooth wind and rain, the country and the people's peace, but also to the ancestors of the great events, in the new dynasty.

Because they hope that the country and the people will be safe, the wind and rain will be smooth, and there will be fewer disasters and more difficulties, so as to benefit the people.

There are roughly three forms of sacrifice for the ancients in China:

One is the more common way, that is, it is held in the ancestral burial place, commonly known as "going to the grave". The time is mainly death days and major traditional festivals, such as Chinese New Year's Eve, Qingming, Zhongyuan Festival, the first day of October, etc.

The second way is a family sacrifice. That is, there is no need to go to the grave, or at the same time as the tomb, the tablet or pedigree picture with the direct ancestor is written in the main hall or "family temple", the whole family or the whole clan is sacrificed together, and the family sacrifice is called "please family hall", and the ceremony is very solemn.

The third way is to sweep the tomb on the Qingming Festival, also known as the cold food exhibition tomb. The process is roughly the day of the Cold Food Festival, when a family or a clan comes to the ancestral cemetery together, and then makes sacrifices, adds soil, and hangs paper money. Because this activity is closely related to the birth, old age, death and burial of thousands of families, it is especially valued by the people and is regarded as a "wild festival".

In particular, when the ancient emperors organized the official compilation of the Five Rites, in order to justify the name of the wild sacrifice of the world, the special edict included the Cold Food Festival Exhibition Tomb into the first auspicious ceremony among the five rites, so that it would always be a constant style.

At the moonrise in the Mid-Autumn Festival, the sacrifice begins, and after the sacrifice, the gizzard is divided, the feast is drunk, and the moon is admired. Wherever the moonlight can shine, it can be held.

On cloudy days, tables can be placed in the direction of the moon, and in case of rain, they can be moved to the boat, under the eaves, or indoors, but the doors and windows should be opened and the offerings should be made in the direction of the moon.

Among those who participate in the moon sacrifice, one is the chief priest, one is a salute, a number of deacons, and the others are servants. Older female elders or housewives are the main priests. During the mass moon festival, the main priest is also selected from among the women.

According to tradition, men do not worship the moon. Men may serve as salutes, deacons to assist in the moon worship, or other assistance work.

The sacrificial process of the ancients:

1. When the sacrificial ceremony begins, the deacons do their own thing;

2. The accompanying priest is in place, the offering officer is in place, and the chief priest is in place;

3. Open the door, fire the cannon, welcome Min Tan to tease the ancestors of the town, and sell the food on the bridge;

4. The first gift, the second gift, the end of the line, and the blessing of drinking;

5. Send ancestors and congratulate the silk;

6. Merge, withdraw from class, and complete the ceremony.