104
JULIAN F. PAS
(1) The names fen-teng or chu-teng appear to have replaced an older name jan-teng which is found in older manuscripts, dating from the fifth century.28 The change of name to fen-teng appears in the later manuscripts (Sung dynasty) and must have a special reason: the name indicates the significance of the rite as a whole; a new name implies a new meaning perhaps not totally replacing the old one, but certainly emphasizing a new theme in the structure.
Similarly the name chu-teng points to a new perspective in meaning. It is not clear where this name came from, but ‘blessing’ or 'consecrating' fire-light appears to be an innovation in Taoist liturgy. The Christian parallel is very clear: 'blessing' of light, like so many other types of blessing, is a truly Christian ritual act; in the texts of the Easter candle the terms 'sanctify' and 'bless' occur several times.29 By contrast, no type of "benediction" or blessing is found in the Chou-Li. The idea and even the expression "fen-teng" is also found in the Christian ritual: during the Exsultet chanted by the deacon, this passage occurs:
And now we perceive the glory of this pillar, which the sparkling fire lights for the honour of God. Which, (fire) though now divided (divisus in partes) suffers no loss from the communication of its light.30
Before the Easter liturgy was changed in recent times, this was the moment when the lights in the church (the lamps or candles in older times) were lit from the Easter candle: the very moment of fen-teng.
(ii) The actual striking of new fire is amazingly similar in the Taoist and Christian liturgies: in contrast with the Chou Li where light was said to be taken directly from the sun with a mirror (and therefore presumably in bright daylight), the rituals here both take place in the hours of darkness. In M. Saso's description, "striking a match" produces the new fire:31 this, however, is certainly a modern adaptation, and since a mirror cannot be used at night, we may assume that the striking of rocks must have produced a new fire in older times.
The similarities go even further: the new fire is produced outside the temple or church building in both cases; also, the lights in temple and church are extinguished and are relit after the new fire has been taken inside.
(iii) The Trinitarian formula. In the Christian liturgy, there are three successive moments of lighting a candle during the en-
104
JULIAN F. PAS
(1) The names fen-teng or chu-teng appear to have replaced an older name jan-teng ✯✯ which is found in older manuscripts, dat- ing from the fifth century.28 The change of name to fen-teng appears in the later manuscripts (Sung dynasty) and must have a special reason: the name indicates the significance of the rite as a whole; a new name implies a new meaning perhaps not totally replacing the old one, but certainly emphasizing a new theme in the structure.
Similarly the name chu-teng points to a new perspective in meaning. It is not clear where this name came from, but ‘blessing* or 'consecrating' fire-light appears to be an innovation in Taoist liturgy. The Christian parallel is very clear: blessing' of light, like so many other types of blessing, is a truly Christian ritual act; in the texts of the Easter candle the terms sanctify" and "bless” occur several times.29 By contrast, no type of "benediction" or blessing is found in the Chou-Li. The idea and even the expression "fen-teng" is also found in the Christian ritual: during the Exsultet chanted by the deacon, this passage occurs:
And now we perceive the glory of this pillar, which the spark- ling fire lights for the honour of God. Which, (fire) though now divided (divisus in partes) suffers no loss from the communica- tion of its light. 30
Before the Easter liturgy was changed in recent times, this was the moment when the lights in the church (the lamps or candles in older times) were lit from the Easter candle: the very moment of fen-teng.
(ii) The actual striking of new fire is amazingly similar in the Taoist and Christian liturgies: in contrast with the Chou Li where light was said to be taken directly from the sun with a mirror (and therefore presumably in bright daylight), the rituals here both take place in the hours of darkness. In M. Saso's description, "striking a match" produces the new fire: 31 this, however, is certainly a modern adaptation, and since a mirror cannot be used at night, we may assume that the striking of rocks must have produced a new fire in older times.
The similarities go even further: the new fire is produced out- side the temple or church building in both cases; also, the lights in temple and church are extinguished and are relit after the new fire has been taken inside.
(iii) The Trinitarian formula. In the Christian liturgy, there are three successive moments of lighting a candle during the en-
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