Giving instruction to the “helper” or “worker” is part of the Cantonese “Da Zhai” ritual. The Taoist priest will do chanting and blessing to the paper artefact “helper” followed by giving them instruction on their responsibility as a “helper”.
For example, the female helper will take care of the owners’ daily meals, while the male helper is responsible for the cleanliness of the house and the driver must keep the car clean and ready to drive the owner around.
In the custom of worship, this ritual is only found in the Cantonese Taoism ritual and is rare in other dialect groups. The only explanation is that this is a custom left by the folk customs in the Cantonese dialect group.
吩咐妹娣 – 俗称吩咐工人
在广东打斋法事里，吩咐妹娣 – 俗称吩咐工人，是道长必须进行的一项仪式。道长须要为三位或多位纸扎工人念经开光，然后分别吩咐和教导它们所须负责的工作。
比如，女工人须要负责主人的起居饮食，男工人须负责家里的卫生清洁等等粗话，司机须保持车子的干净和保养已备随时载送主人。
拜祭习俗里，只有广东打斋法事里有这项仪式而其他方言群里的道教就很少见。唯一可解释的是这是广东方言群里的乡俗所留传下来的俗礼。而广东道长除了替纸扎工人念经开光，也必须以白文吩咐和教导工人如何工作。
