Precious Rituals

Each person’s experiences are unique, precious, and in exact accord with the frequency at which they resonate. Someone else in my place would have experienced everything entirely differently from me. Everyone has their own path, their own story, and their own previous experiences, which shape them and influence how they engage with the world. And, when surrendering to the natural flow of the Dao, everyone accepts all that happens in their life in their own unique way.

In addition to the regular morning and evening rituals at the temple, I attended offering and blessing rites, rites for liberating wandering souls, and rites of purification and cosmic elevation of souls. Some of the rites also took place in front of the temple and outdoors, in the lower part of the temple.

From Monday, 6 July 2026, when I met Master Song over lunch, all the rituals changed, as he led most of them. The energy of the rituals I experienced in his presence felt much stronger, deeper, more charged and “electrified” to me. This does not mean that the other masters’ rituals were not powerful, but during his I felt a stronger energetic connection with the deities. At times, the energy almost swept me away: I could not keep my eyes open, while at the same time it drew me inward. 

One of the offering rites was dedicated to Doumu Yuanjun (斗姆元君), the Cosmic Mother—the Mother of the Northern Dipper. She is one of the most revered goddesses, caring for all beings with immeasurable compassion. From her emanate the nine stars of the Big Dipper, which govern the destiny and longevity of all beings. In early Daoism, she had no anthropomorphic form but represented the function of cosmic order—the operating system of the universe—which determines time, destiny, and the cycle of life expressed in the diagrams of the Big Dipper.

Interestingly, I did not know which deity the ritual was dedicated to. I simply followed its course and surrendered to it. I felt an embracing energy; I could not keep my hands at my abdomen, as is customary, but held them over my heart throughout the ritual. Even my bows felt more heartfelt and deeper, and the energy touched me so profoundly that I wept intermittently. 

The feeling of a divine touch—at least, that is how I experienced it—was something entirely new, profound, and indescribable to me. Only after the ritual had ended did I learn which deity this special rite had been dedicated to. It is indeed incredible how deeply a ritual can touch us and reach into the depths of the heart. 

One of the rituals was dedicated to Yuanshi Tianzun (元始天尊), the Primordial Heavenly Lord, the first among the Three Pure Ones (三清), the highest deities of the Daoist tradition. He represents the absolute Dao, the primordial source preceding the emergence of the manifested universe. He embodies the original silence before creation and is the pure, undifferentiated source of Heaven. He represents the unborn potential of the Dao, clarity before thought, silence before the universe’s first breath, and the eternal ground behind all things. In temple practice, contemplation of Yuanshi Tianzun returns the mind to its most primordial stillness. 

During this ritual, I felt a spacious, boundless energy expanding outward. My hands, which I usually hold in front of me, moved outward of their own accord, as though I were holding a large ball or embracing a tree. By the end of the ritual, which was very long, I could barely stand. I felt dizzy and immediately went outside for some fresh air to recover, but it did not help much. Breakfast followed, which I was very glad of, as I had no energy left. After eating well and resting, I felt full of strength again. I realised that simply being present at a ritual can be a profoundly powerful and transformative experience.

Being present at a ritual to release a soul from the underworld was a wonderful experience for me. During the first part, I felt extraordinary compassion and the support of divine energy, as well as the constant presence of a profound grace embracing everything. Beautiful chanting echoed within me, and I entered a meditative state. In the second part of the ritual, the atmosphere changed. The energy became stronger, more earthly, expressive, resolute, and directed toward the underworld. As we moved to the area in front of the temple for the third part of the ritual, which took place outdoors in the lower part of the temple, I sensed a stronger, steady, and clear energy addressed to the underworld. The ritual continued in the lower part of the temple, where the burning took place—an offering to the underworld—and where the rite concluded.

I had always perceived music through feeling, experience, and the power of its energetic charge. In the Daoist musical ritual, however, I encountered and experienced music primarily as a source of support. I felt the depth of inner connection, unity, and merging with the divine, together with a pervasive sense of being filled—of fullness. 

Through all that I experienced, my awareness of both my physical body and my inner sense of connection with myself became deeper, clearer, and more refined. I can say that attending the rituals for fourteen days uplifted and transformed me on a vibrational level. It is therefore no coincidence that the principal characteristic of Daoist music is its role as a form of nourishment and cultivation.

I am grateful to Master Song for the profoundly transformative rituals, all his help and support, and all the additional information I received. I have never received such a precious gift of spiritual growth, so I am immeasurably grateful and offer my heartfelt thanks for all that has become and will forever remain a part of me.

Alenka Zupan, member of SDT,