Detailed Introduction
A lit stick of incense pinched between your fingers -- who do you bow to first? Can you blow it out with your mouth? Standing before the burner, many people are only half sure. A stick of pure incense is the thread that ties worshipper to deity, and behind so simple an act lies a whole set of etiquette.
Step 1: Cleanse Your Hands and Take the Incense
Before entering, wash your hands to purify yourself -- a mark of respect for the deity. Take one stick, or three (temples differ, and in recent years many encourage a single "incense of the heart" for the environment). Light it at the candle flame, and if a flame flares up, never blow it out with your mouth -- this is the most basic taboo. Shake it gently or fan it out with your hand, and let the thin curl of blue smoke rise.
Step 2: Worship Tiangong
Whatever temple you enter, the first to receive your worship is usually not the main deity in the hall but "Tiangong" -- the Jade Emperor. Face outward (or toward the Tiangong censer), hold the incense in both hands above your head, about eyebrow height, and silently recite your name, lunar birthday, address, and the purpose and wish that bring you today. Say it clearly and fully, so the deity knows who is asking and for what. Then bow three times.
Step 3: Worship the Main Deity
Turn to face the main deity in the central hall, again raise the incense above your head in both hands, silently recite your name and wish once more, and bow three times. If there's something special on your mind, tell it quietly within -- "sincerity brings a response" (xin cheng ze ling) is the single most central saying in Taiwanese folk belief.
Step 4: Plant the Incense
After worshipping, place the incense in the burner. Tradition favors the left hand (folk belief holds the left to be the "clean hand"). Set it in straight, not leaning or toppled. If the temple has several burners, plant one in each in the order "outer to inner, center to side." Some temples cap their burners or limit where incense may go -- just follow the temple's guidance.
Step 5: Worship the Attendant Deities in Turn
Once you've worshipped the main deity, don't rush off; go on to the attendant deities in the side halls and rear hall, in the order "dragon side first (the deity's left, as you face it), then tiger side (the right)." Worshipping only the main deity while neglecting the rest is seen as less than reverent.
Things to Note
- When holding incense in both hands, keep the burning tip pointed up, never down.
- Stay quiet while worshipping; no horseplay or noise.
- Many temples now promote "palms pressed together" in place of holding incense -- Xingtian Temple, for instance, banned incense entirely from 2014, switching to worship with joined palms and a silent inward prayer, which devotees consider every bit as sincere and effective.
- On your first visit to a temple, it helps to read the worship notice at the gate, or ask a temple volunteer.