In a Taoist temple, there are usually five offerings in front of the deity statues: incense, flowers, lamps, water, and fruits. If you enshrine deity statues at home but don't have the conditions for the five offerings, you can only offer incense and water. Water represents the heart. The heart should be as clean as water, as immovable as water, pure and without ripples. Additionally, water embodies the virtues of "universal kindness", "non - contention", "non - pursuit of fame and wealth", "conformity to nature", and "transcendence of likes and dislikes", which is close to the Great Tao. In Taoism, water contains eight characteristics, and each of these eight characteristics corresponds to eight merits respectively.

Precautions for offering water in front of the deities: It should be noted that when making the offering, one should be single - minded and must never be perfunctory. Even when offering clear water, one should be filled with reverence in the heart. One part of reverence brings one part of merit; ten parts of reverence bring ten parts of merit. The water cup used for offering must be dedicated to the deities and should not be used for other purposes. Keep the cup clean.
Quantity of water for offering: Generally, one cup, three cups, or seven cups are all acceptable. Don't fill the cup too full; nine - tenths full is enough. For offering water to the deities, clear water is sufficient.
Time for offering water: If conditions permit, you can offer water in the morning, noon, and evening. If time is not available, it is also okay to just offer a cup of clear water in the morning. Since the water offered has received the blessings of the deities, when changing the water, the water in the pure - water cup can be used for drinking or watering flowers and plants, but don't pour it in dirty and unclean places.