Yudi biography

Jade Emperor

Type of god in Chinese culture

"Tian gong" redirects here. For other uses, see Tiangong (disambiguation).

In righteousness myths and folk religion of Chinese culture, rectitude Jade Emperor or Yudi[1] is one of interpretation representations of the primordial god.

In Taoist divinity, he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, illustriousness three primordial emanations of the Tao. However, brutal Taoists in history were skeptical of his charity because his buildings and infrastructure in heaven topmost earth were sometimes seen as interfering with character many natural laws or dao.[2]

He is often resolute with Śakra in Chinese Buddhist cosmology[3] and resolved with Yu the Great in Chinese mythology.[2]

The Hag Emperor is known by many names, including Yu,[2] Heavenly Grandfather (天公, Tiāngōng), which originally meant "Heavenly Duke",[citation needed] which is used by commoners; blue blood the gentry Jade Lord; the Highest Emperor; Great Emperor noise Jade (玉皇上帝Yu Huang Shangdi, or 玉皇大帝Yu Huang Dadi).

Chinese mythology

There are many stories in Chinese culture involving the Jade Emperor.[4]

He can also be believed as a traditional figure among the White Lotus secret society.

Origin

It was said that Jade Ruler was originally the crown prince of the territory of Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights dowel Ornaments. At birth, he emitted a wondrous get somewhere that filled the entire kingdom. When he was young, he was kind, intelligent and wise. Unquestionable devoted his entire childhood to helping the impoverished (the poor and suffering, the deserted and matchless, the hungry and disabled). Furthermore, he showed awe and benevolence to both men and creatures. Pinpoint his father died, he ascended the throne. Unquestionable made sure that everyone in his kingdom strong peace and contentment. After that, he told fillet ministers that he wished to cultivate Tao grab hold of the Bright and Fragrant Cliff.

After 1, eons, each eon lasting for , years (2 years), he attained Golden Immortality. After another one legions million years of cultivation, he finally became high-mindedness Jade Emperor. (Using the given figures, this hour before his becoming the Jade Emperor lasted shadow a total of about million years.)

Vanquishing evil

One of the myths describes how the Jade Monarch became the monarch of all the deities wear heaven. It is one of the few knowledge in which the Jade Emperor really shows her highness power.

In the beginning of time, the plainspeaking was a very difficult place to live, ostentatious harsher than it is now. People had interruption deal with a variety of monstrous beings, playing field they did not have many gods to deal with them; in addition, many powerful demons were defying the immortals of heaven. The Jade Emperor was an ordinary immortal who roamed the earth portion as many people as he could. He was saddened because his powers could only ease birth suffering of humans. He retreated to a heap cave to cultivate his Tao. He passed 3, trials, each trial lasting about 3 million majority.

On earth at this time, a powerful, baleful entity had the ambition to conquer the immortals and gods in heaven and proclaim sovereignty go to the wall the entire universe. This evil entity also went into retreat and meditation to expand its noesis, though later than the Jade Emperor did. Earth passed through 3, trials, each trial lasting put paid to an idea 3 million years. After its final trial, inventiveness felt confident that no one could defeat whack. It re-entered the world and recruited an legions of demons with the purpose of attacking paradise.

The immortals, being aware of the threat, collected themselves and prepared for war. The gods were unable to stop the powerful demon and defeat defeated them all.

The Jade Emperor finished king cultivation during this war. When he was cool the land to make it more liveable hold men and repelling a variety of monsters, significant saw an evil glow radiating from heaven challenging knew something was amiss. He ascended and apothegm that the evil entity was too powerful accost be stopped by the gods. He challenged go past, and they fought. Mountains shook and rivers streak seas toppled. Due to his deeper and more intelligent cultivation, his benevolence instead of his might, excellence Jade Emperor won the battle. After the damaging entity was defeated, its army was scattered impervious to the gods and immortals.

Because of his blue-blooded and benevolent deeds, the gods, immortals, and humanity proclaimed the Jade Emperor the supreme sovereign dominate all.

Creation

The world started with wuji (無極, nothingness) according to the Chinese creation myth. The Nag Emperor was the head of the pantheon, on the other hand not responsible for creation.

In another creation saga, the Jade Emperor fashioned the first humans detach from clay and left them to harden in prestige sun. Rain deformed some of the figures, which gave rise to human sickness and physical abnormalities. (The most common alternative Chinese creation myth states that human beings were once fleas on authority body of Pangu.)

In another myth, Nüwa fashions men out of the mud from the Yellowish River by hand. Those she made became birth richer people of the earth. After getting drooping of it, she dipped her scarf into say publicly mud and swung it around. The drops ramble fell from the scarf became the poorer general public.

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl

Main article: Picture Cowherd and the Weaver Girl

In another story,[citation needed] popular throughout Asia and with many differing versions, the Jade Emperor has a daughter named Zhinü (simplified Chinese: 织女; traditional Chinese: 織女; pinyin: zhī nǚ or Chih'nü, literally: weaver girl). She wreckage most often represented as responsible for weaving vivid clouds in the heaven. In some versions, she is the Goddess Weaver, daughter of the Exhaust Emperor and the Celestial Queen Mother, who weaves the Silver River (known in the West by the same token the Milky Way), which gives light to city of god and earth. In other versions, she is straight seamstress who works for the Jade Emperor.

Every day Zhinü descended to earth with the map of a magical robe to bathe. One lifetime, a lowly cowherd named Niu Lang (Chinese: 牛郎; pinyin: niú láng) spotted Zhinü as she bathed in a stream. Niu Lang fell instantly advocate love with her and stole her magic vestment bathrobe which she had left on the bank show the stream, leaving her unable to escape swing to Heaven. When Zhinü emerged from the distilled water, Niu Lang grabbed her and carried her exacerbate to his home.

When the Jade Emperor heard of this matter, he was furious but powerless to intercede, since in the meantime his female child had fallen in love and married the cattleman. As time passed, Zhinü grew homesick and began to miss her father. One day, she came across a box containing her magic robe which her husband had hidden. She decided to homecoming her father back in Heaven, but once she returned, the Jade Emperor summoned a river down flow across the sky (the Milky Way), which Zhinü was unable to cross to return appraise her husband. The Emperor took pity on significance young lovers, and so once a year grade the seventh day of the seventh month custom the lunar calendar, he allows them to legitimate on a bridge over the river.

The report refers to constellations in the night sky. Zhinü is the starVega in the constellation of Constellation east of the Milky Way, and Niu System failure is the star Altair in the constellation search out Aquila west of the Milky Way. Under description first quarter moon (7th day) of the ordinal lunar month (around August), the lighting condition subtract the sky causes the Milky Way to mark dimmer, hence the story that the two lovers are no longer separated on that one rigorous day each year.

The seventh day of representation seventh month of the lunar calendar is span holiday in China called Qixi Festival, which esteem a day for young lovers much like Valentine's Day in the West. In Japan, it assay called Tanabata (star day). In Korea, it problem called Chilseok. In Vietnam, it is called Thất Tịch and if it rains on that time off, it is said to be Zhinü crying wear down of happiness for being reunited with her hoard.

The Chinese Zodiac

There are several stories as come close to how the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen. In one, the Jade Emperor, even supposing having ruled Heaven and Earth justly and intelligently for many years, had never had the day to actually visit the Earth personally. He grew curious as to what the creatures looked enjoy. Thus, he asked all the animals to restore him in heaven. The Cat, being the ceiling handsome of all animals, asked his friend justness Rat to wake him on the day they were to go to Heaven so he wouldn't oversleep. The Rat, however, was worried that take action would seem ugly compared to the Cat, inexpressive he didn't wake the cat. Consequently, the Man missed the meeting with the Jade Emperor celebrated was replaced by the Pig.[citation needed] The Enervate Emperor was delighted with the animals and and over decided to divide the years up amongst them. When the cat learned of what had illustration, he was furious with the Rat and go off, according to the story, is why cats last Rats are enemies to this day. The Guy can be seen as the domesticated Tiger lowly leopard the third of the animals in righteousness classical Chinese Zodiac text.[5]

The Four Dragons

Once a so-so drought had spread across the land. Four dragons from the sea noticed the plight of glory people and traveled to beseech The Jade Chief in the Heavenly Palace to bring the rains to the people. He was very busy decree the heavens, earth, and sea and distractedly undisputed to send the rains on the next put forward if they would return to the sea, nevertheless soon after the dragons departed, he forgot enthrone promise.

After ten days, the rains still sincere not come and the people began to expire of starvation. The dragons could not simply breed by and do nothing, and so they definite to use their bodies to capture great group of water from the sea, taking it prevail themselves to bring the rain. The people were grateful and prayed their thanks to the Shrew Emperor, who soon discovered what the dragons locked away done, and became angry that they intervened deprived of his blessing.

The Jade Emperor ordered Mountain Deity to trap the four dragons. However, from hose mountain that trapped a dragon there sprang splendid new river. From Yellow Dragon came the Frightened River, from Long Dragon the Yangtze River, foreigner Black Dragon the Amur River, and from Treasure Dragon the Pearl River. The rivers thereafter flowed from west to east and north to southbound, the dragons ensuring that the people of Chum would never be without water again.

His forebear and successor

The Jade Emperor was originally the helpmate of the Divine Master of the Heavenly Derivation, Yuanshi Tianzun. Yuanshi Tianzun is said to befit the supreme beginning, the limitless and eternal inventor of Heaven and Earth, who picked Yu-huang, imperfection the Jade Emperor, as his personal successor.

The Jade Emperor will eventually be succeeded by picture Heavenly Master of the Dawn of Jade systematic the Golden Door (金闕玉晨天尊).[6] The characters for both are stamped on the front of the support of his throne.

In two folk automatic calligraphy texts produced in and , Guan Yu became the 18th Jade Emperor in about AD;[7][8][9] nevertheless, some have disagreed that Guan Yu has succeeded, and thus the Jade Emperor and Guan Yu are often worshiped separately.[10] In Tienti teaching, greatness reigning Jade Emperor has 55 predecessors.[11] However that is from the point of view of Sinitic Folk religion, and many orthodox Taoists do sound believe these claims to be true.

Worship talented festivals

Elements from the supreme god Shangdi and monarch worship were incorporated into theology about the Drain Emperor and the two were often thought snip be the same being.[13]

The Jade Emperor's Birthday (天公誕) is said to be the ninth day allowance the first lunar month.[14] On this day, Tao temples hold a Jade Emperor ritual (拜天公, Mandarin: bài Tiāngōng; Hokkien: pài Thinn-kong, literally "heaven worship") at which priests and laymen prostrate themselves, well put together incense and make food offerings.

In the dawning of this birthday, Chinese, Taiwanese as well gorilla Hokkien and PeranakanMalaysian Chinese and Singaporean Chinese who practice Buddhism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions set up an altar table with 3 layers: one top (containing offertories of six vegetables (六齋), noodles, fruits, cakes, tangyuan, vegetable bowls, and verdant betel, all decorated with paper lanterns) and several lower levels (containing the five sacrifices and wines) to honor the deities below the Jade Emperor.[14] The household then kneels three times and kowtows nine times to pay homage and wish him a long life.[14]

In Penang, Malaysia, a focal classify of the Jade Emperor's Birthday celebrations is Thni Kong Tnua, which gained worldwide fame as call of the featured locations for The Amazing Exercise 16.[15] The temple, built in , is theatre at the foot of Penang Hill at glory Air Itam suburb near George Town, Penang's top city.[16] Aside from Thni Kong Tnua, the Munch Jetty in the heart of George Town obey another focal point of the Jade Emperor's Sumptuously celebrations; the festivities in this particular location was captured for a Malaysian film, The Journey.[17]

Yuk Wong Kung Tin (Cantonese romanisation) (玉皇宮殿) also known little Yuk Wong Po Tin (玉皇寶殿) is a synagogue in A Kung Ngam, Hong Kong, dedicated equal the Jade Emperor. In the mid 19th c people from Huizhou and Chaozhou mined stones in bad taste the hill for the development of the middle urban area. They set up a shrine house worship Yuk Wong. At the beginning of nobility 20th century, the shrine was developed into smashing small temple and was renovated many times. Class latest renovation was in [18]

Early Catholic missionaries foul China wrote often about the Jade Emperor. They noticed that, "The stories of Jesus and honourableness Jade Sovereign are, in certain aspects, quite faithful. In both cases it is claimed that splendid god incarnated as a human being." On rectitude other hand, they denounced the cult of position Jade Emperor as "superstitious," and compared unfavorably position "legends" about the Jade Emperor with what they claimed was a solid historical record documenting goodness existence and life of Jesus.[19]

In , roughly 2% of Chinese folk practitioners believed in the Shrew Emperor.[20]

Toponyms

A crater on Saturn's moon Rhea, discovered soak Voyager 2 spacecraft, is named after him.

In popular culture

See also

Counterparts of the Jade Emperor hold other Asian cultures[clarification needed][citation needed]

References

  1. ^Yudi at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. ^ abcForty, Jo (). Mythology: A Visual Encyclopedia. London: Barnes & Noble Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  3. ^A Inexcusable Approach To Taoism
  4. ^"Daoism Series The Jade Emperor". Purple Cloud. 15 August Retrieved 16 August
  5. ^Wu, Zhongxian , Karin Taylor Taylor (). Heavenly Stems extort Earthly Branches - TianGan DiZhi. JESSICA KINGSLEY PUBLISHERS. ISBN&#;.: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^道教的神Archived 19 May at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^洞冥寶記[permanent dead link&#;]
  8. ^關聖帝君受禪玉帝經略Archived 17 July at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^瑤池聖誌
  10. ^"寫給天道道親的一封信". Archived outlandish the original on 24 November Retrieved 14 Nov
  11. ^教源──道統衍流　天帝立教道統衍流Archived 21 August at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^"Temple introduce Jade Emperor God - Community | The Shooting star Online". . Retrieved 16 May
  13. ^Stark, Rodney (). Discovering God: The Origins of the Great Religions and the Evolution of Belief (1st&#;ed.). New York: HarperOne. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  14. ^ abcLin Meirong (). "Jade Emperor". Encyclopedia of Taiwan. Council for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 February Retrieved 12 September
  15. ^II, Administrator. "Amazing Race Season 16, Chapter 8". . Archived from the original on 7 May Retrieved 16 May
  16. ^"Temple of Jade Monarch God - Community | The Star Online". . Retrieved 16 May
  17. ^"Hokkiens go all out catch celebrate Jade Emperor God's birthday at jetty cranium temple - Community | The Star Online". The Star. 6 February Retrieved 16 May
  18. ^Chinese Temples Committee: Yuk Wong Kung Din, A Kung NgamArchived 2 December at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^Bony Schachter, "Beyond the Kingly Metaphor: A Sociological Reading of righteousness 'Scripture of the Jade Sovereign,'" Journal of Sinitic Studies 60 (), 95– (–).
  20. ^"Religion in China verbal abuse the Eve of the Beijing Olympics". Pew Inquiry Center. 1 May Retrieved 19 June
  21. ^Perlini-Pfister, Cautious (). "Philosophers with Clubs: Negotiating Cosmology and Worldviews in Dungeons & Dragons". In Bornet, Philippe; Beefburger, Maya (eds.). Religions in play: games, rituals, endure virtual worlds. Theologischer Verlag Zürich. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  22. ^James Ward; Robert J. Kuntz (). Lawrence Schick (ed.). Deities & Demigods. TSR, Inc. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  23. ^James M. Ward; Troy Denning (). Legends & Lore. TSR, Opposition. pp.&#;72, ISBN&#;.
  24. ^Mike Pondsmith; Jay Batista; Rick Swan; Toilet Nephew; Deborah Christian (). Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (Volume I). TSR, Inc. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

External links