Yuanshi Tianzun
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Yuanshi Tianzun(Chinese:Nguyên Thủy Thiên Tôn;pinyin:Yuánshǐ Tīanzūn), theCelestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginningor thePrimeval Lord of Heaven,is one of the highest deities ofTaoism.He is one of theThree Pure Ones(Chinese:Tam Thanh;pinyin:Sānqīng) and is also known as theJade Pure One(Chinese:Ngọc thanh;pinyin:Yùqīng). He resides in the Great Web[1]or the Heaven of Jade Purity. It is believed that he came into being at the beginning of the universe as a result of the merging of pure breaths. He then created Heaven and Earth.
In Taoist mythology[edit]
He once was the supreme administrator of Heaven, but later entrusted that task to his assistantYuhuang,theJade Emperor.Yuhuang took over the administrative duties of Yuanshi Tianzun and became the overseer of both Heaven and Earth. At the beginning of each age, Yuanshi Tianzun transports theLingpao ching(or "Yuanshi Ching" ), the Scriptures of the Magic Jewel, to his students (who are lesser deities), who in turn instruct mankind in the teachings of theTao.
Yuanshi Tianzun is said to be without beginning and the most supreme of all beings. He is in fact, a representation of the principle of all being. From him all things arose. He is eternal, limitless, and without form.
Yuanshi Tianzun was thought to be able to control thepresent.[2]
Role inFengshen Yanyi[edit]
In the famous 16th-century "gods-and-demons"novelInvestiture of the Gods,Yuanshi Tianzun is a superior man who has maintained his will for generations. He would be known as the master of theKunlun Mountains,in which he had many disciples—one of such beingJiang Ziya.In time, Yuanshi Tianzun would tell Jiang that it would be time to head down to the world in order to attain a level of wealth and honor. Because Jiang Ziya was destined to assist in the creation of the newZhou dynasty—as likeNezha—Yuanshi Tianzun would stay loyal to heaven's will and effectively send Jiang away to his new destiny. After telling Jiang what to do through a poetic format, Yuanshi Tianzun says his final words of farewell to his student.[citation needed]
Worship[edit]
Taoists claim that sacrifices offered to Yuanshi Tianzun by the king predate theXia dynasty.Thesurviving archaeological recordshows that by theShang dynasty,theshoulder bladesof sacrificed oxen were used to send questions or communication through fire and smoke to the divine realm, a practice known asscapulimancy.The heat would cause the bones to crack and royal diviners would interpret the marks as Yuanshi Tianzun's response to the king. Inscriptions used for divination were buried into special orderly pits while those that were for practice or records were buried in commonmiddensafter use.[3]Under Yuanshi Tianzun or his later names, the deity received sacrifices from the ruler of China in every Chinese dynasty annually at a greatTemple of Heavenin the imperial capital. Following the principles ofChinese geomancy,this would always be located in the southern quarter of the city.[note 1]During the ritual, a completely healthy bull would be slaughtered and presented as an animal sacrifice to Yuanshi Tianzun.[note 2]TheBook of Ritesstates the sacrifice should occur on the "longest day"on a round-mound altar.[clarification needed]The altar would have three tiers: the highest for Yuanshi Tianzun and theSon of Heaven;the second-highest for the sun and moon; and the lowest for the natural gods such as the stars, clouds, rain, wind, and thunder.
The ten stages of the ritual were:[4]
- Welcoming deities
- Offering of jade and silk
- Offering of sacrificial food
- First offering of wine
- Second offering of wine
- Last offering of wine
- Retreat of civil dancers and entry of military dancers
- Performance of the military dance
- Farewell to deities
- Burning of sacrificial articles
It is important to note that Yuanshi Tianzun is never represented with either images or idols. Instead, in the center building of the Temple of Heaven, in a structure called the "Imperial Vault of Heaven", a "spirit tablet" ( thần vị, or shénwèi) inscribed with the name of Yuanshi Tianzun is stored on the throne,Huangtian Shangdi( hoàng thiên thượng đế ). During an annual sacrifice, the emperor would carry these tablets to the north part of the Temple of Heaven, a place called the "Prayer Hall For Good Harvests", and place them on that throne.[5]
The highest heaven in some historic Chinese religious organizations was the "Great Web" which was sometimes said to be where Yuanshi Tianzun lived.[1]
See also[edit]
Counterparts of Yuanshi Tianzun in other Asian cultures
- Jade Emperor,theChinese folkcounterpart
- Adi Buddha,theBuddhistcounterpart
- Amenominakanushi,theJapanesecounterpart
- Haneullim,theKoreancounterpart
- Vishnu/Shiva,theHinducounterpart
- Tengri,theTurko-Mongoliancounterpart
Notes[edit]
- ^For instance, the Classic of History records the Duke of Zhou building an altar in the southern part of Luo.[citation needed]
- ^Although the Duke of Zhou is presented as sacrificing two.
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^abStorm, Rachel (2011). Sudell, Helen (ed.).Myths & Legends of India, Egypt, China & Japan(2nd ed.). Wigston, Leicestershire: Lorenz Books. p. 233.
- ^Willard Gurdon Oxtoby, ed. (2002).World Religions: Eastern Traditions(2nd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario:Oxford University Press.p. 393.ISBN0-19-541521-3.OCLC46661540.
- ^Xu Yahui. Caltonhill, Mark & al., trans.Ancient Chinese Writing: Oracle Bone Inscriptions from the Ruins of Yin.Academia Sinica. Nat'l Palace Museum (Taipei), 2002. Govt. Publ. No. 1009100250.
- ^Lam, Joseph S.C. 1998. State Sacrifices and Music in Ming China: Orthodoxy, Creativity, and Expressiveness. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
- ^"JSDJ".
Sources[edit]
- Xu Zhonglinor Lu Xi xing. "Ch. 15".Phong Thần Diễn Nghĩa[Investiture of the Gods] (in Literary Chinese). pp. 173–174.
