The answer to this question is not simply yes or no, but it depends on personal beliefs and concepts.
First of all, when you go to a Taoist temple to worship, you need to bring offerings. This is the etiquette for the gods, just like when we ask for help from others, we bring some gifts.
Secondly, if you are a believer in Taoism or Buddhism, you may consider not bringing back offerings. Because bringing offerings to the gods and bodhisattvas is an offering to them. It is an act of giving. It is a practice of giving and offering, and it eliminates one's own stinginess and greed. Let me ask, what is our real motivation in bringing the offerings back? Is it because we are reluctant to give these things to others at all, or do we simply think that it is better for children to eat the fruits that have been offered to gods and bodhisattvas? When making offerings, Buddhists often recite, "The color, fragrance, and fragrance of this food are offered to the Buddhas of the ten directions above and to the six realms below..." Therefore, for formal Buddhists and Taoists, you can consider not taking them back and offering the offerings to the Buddha. It is also very good to put it in a Taoist temple (monastery) for the monks who live there to enjoy it. But if you cannot overcome your inner greed for the time being, you can put some of it in a temple (monastery) and take some of it back, and slowly practice your intention of giving and making offerings. After all, many religions say that the giver is more blessed than the recipient. Giving, Helping others has great merit.
Thirdly, for ordinary people, who have no specific beliefs and firmly believe that "the offerings are taken home for children (or adults) to eat well", there is nothing wrong with this. After all, what the gods enjoy is the fragrance of the fruits, not the entire fruit. All the fruits were eaten. There is an old man in our village who refuses to eat any of the offerings. The reason is that the essence has been enjoyed by gods or bodhisattvas, so he will not eat them.
Fourth, I recently saw an article written by "Longyan", which objected to bringing back the offerings to the Buddha. The reason is that the offerings to the Buddha in the temple are offerings to the Three Jewels. If you want to take them back, you need the consent of the monks. This view is really nonsense. When a person goes to a temple to make offerings to the Buddha, he may simply make offerings to the Buddha (Bodhisattva). He may not have the concept of the "Three Jewels" (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), so it is natural to think that the fruits that the Buddha and Bodhisattva have enjoyed will be brought with him. There is nothing wrong with eating it for your family, saving you money, and killing two birds with one stone. After all, many people have no specific religious beliefs and just live under the influence of public awareness.
Fifth, Tantra (Indian or Tibetan Tantra) is offering food. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are sometimes burned directly with fire (through the fire god Ajini). This is a kind of offering. In ancient China, fire was also burned when making offerings to gods. Relevant records can be seen in " Book of Rites ". There is no question of taking the offerings back under such circumstances, and it can more fully embody the spirit of offering. I remember once, in a Taoist temple, a believer asked the temple owner why he didn’t open the offered wine. The Taoist priest replied: Gods are gods. , with unlimited power, why can’t you open the bottle cap and drink it? But the question here is, do you really believe that the gods can open the bottle cap and drink it? Or are you afraid that it will last for several hours and open 20 bottles at once? , when the offerings were collected, the opened wine was spoiled, what a pity you couldn’t drink it?
Sixth, an old man who promoted traditional culture said, why didn’t the Bodhisattva bless you? Look, someone brought a handful of bananas to offer. Buddha, I pray for peace, health, and wealth in my family. I pray for everything. After praying, I still have to take this banana back and eat it myself slowly.
Offerings
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