the gods

The Tao, Buddhist, and Hindu temples we visited demonstrate tremendous energy and effort invested in their beliefs by the devotees.  These faiths all have the Buddha as a common actor, as western faiths have Jesus.

The Buddhist and Hindu temples are quiet, reverent as you might expect. 

Buddhist

Hindu

The Taoist temple is raucous place, with ceremonies including banging gongs and drums, with incense burning everywhere and other symbolic papers burned in large fireplaces to provide food and gifts for the dead, and food offerings.  There's a special god for whom offings and prayer is returned with good luck for any desire (think the ponies, the lottery,...).  There's another god known to be a heavy drinker and smoker.  Leave him some Guinness Stout and a pack of smokes.  Taoists have, I am told by one who undertakes a trance like state while being skewered, over 100 gods for all sorts of purposes.  Wow.  How about one for fishin' ?  Sorry, none for fishing per se.  For fishing you must pray to the Sea God and the God for good luck.  

Taoist offering - cheers

We are told that the joss sticks are burned for the vapors, food for the dead, so I am not sure what the food offerings are for, but I suspect they are also food for the dead or to mollify the gods.  Let me tell you, this stuff is really complicated, lots of gods, lots of rituals, lots of subtleties.

Joss sticks, in case you run out

We are fortunate to be here this time of year to witness the burnings of offerings to honor the dead.  Paper money, cloths, cars, and other symbols, and joss sticks.

Paper offerings for burning (transporting) to the dead.  Yes they have paper Beemers.

Honoring a loved one



In the enlarged view you can probably make out the fire left of the woman here, at the side of the road, with the pink bag of goodies to burn as gifts to her spouse, child, or other relative, that was likely killed in a car accident, or as a pedestrian at this location.