Three Pure Ones
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The Three Pure Ones (Chinese: 三清; pinyin: Sānqīng) also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities is the Taoist Trinity, the three highest Gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure manifestation of the Tao and the origin of all sentient beings. From the Taoist classic Tao Te Ching, it was held that "The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things of the Tao Te Ching. It is generally agreed that: Tao produced One - Tao produced Taiji; One produced Two - Taiji produced Yin and Yang [or Liangyi (兩儀) in scholastic term]. However, the subject of how Two produced Three has remained a popular debate among Taoist Scholars. Most scholars believe that it refers to the Interaction between Yin and Yang, with the presence of Chi, or life force [1]
In religious Taoism, the theory of how Tao produces One, Two, and Three is also explained in an interesting manner. In Tao produces One - Wuji produces Taiji, it represents the Great Tao, embodied by Yuánshǐ Tiānwáng (混沌無極元始天王) "Heavenly King of the Void and Chaotic Primordial Beginning" at a time of pre-Creation when the Universe was still null and the cosmos are in disorder; manifesting into the first of the Taoist Trinity, Yuanshi Tianzun (元始天尊). Yuánshǐ Tiānzūn oversees the earliest phase of Creation of the Universe, and is henceforth known as Dàobăo (道寶) "Treasure of the Tao". In One produces Two - Taiji produces Yin Yang, Yuánshǐ Tiānzūn manifests into Lingbao Tianzun (靈寶天尊) who separated the Yang from the Yin, the clear from the murky, and classified the elements into their rightful groups. Therefore, he is also known as Jīngbăo (經寶) "Treasure of the Law/Scripture". While Jīng in popular understanding means "scriptures", in this context it also mean "passing through" [the phase of Creation] and the Laws of Nature and how things are meant to be (i.e. sciences and physics). In the final phase of Creation, Daode Tianzun(道德天尊) is manifested from Língbăo Tiānzūn to bring civilization and preach the Law to all living beings. Therefore, He is also known as Shībăo (師寶) "Treasure of the Master".
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As the Three Pure Ones are manifestation of Primordial Celestial Energy, they are formless. But to illustrate their role in Creation, they are often portrayed as elderly deities robed in the three basic colours from which all colours originated: Red, Blue and Yellow (or Green) depending on personal interpretation of colour origins by additive or subtractive means. Each of them holds onto a divine object associated with their task. Yuánshǐ Tiānzūn is usually depicted holding the Pearl of Creation, signifying his role in creating the Universe from void and chaos. The Ruyi held by Lingbao Tianzun represents the second phase of Creation where the Yang were separated from the Yin and the Law of Things were put in place. Lingbao Tianzun then took his seat on the left of Yuanshi Tianzun. Later, when all is complete, Daode Tianzun took his place on the right, with the fan symbolizing the completion of Creation, and the act of fanning represents the spreading of Tao to all Mankind.
The Jade Pure One
The Jade Pure One(Chinese: 玉清; pinyin: Yùqīng), also known as "The Universally Honoured One of Origin", or "The Universal Lord of Primordial Beginning" (Chinese: 元始天尊; pinyin: Yuánshǐ Tiānzūn)
For more information, seeYuanshi Tianzun
The Supreme Pure One
The Supreme Pure One (Chinese: 上清; pinyin: Shàngqīng), is also known as "The Universally Honoured One of Divinities and Treasures", or "The Universal Lord of the Numinous Treasure" (靈寶天尊, Lingbao Tianzun).
- "In terms of worldview, the emergence of the Shàngqīng revelations signifies a major expansion of Taoism. Where the celestial masters had added the pure gods of the Tao to the popular pantheon, Shàngqīng enlarged this to include an entirely new layer of existence between the original, creative force of the Tao, represented by the deity "yuan shi tian wang" (heavenly king of primordial beginning), and created world as we know it. This celestial layer consisted of several different regions, located both in the far reaches of the world and in the stars, and imagined along the lines of the ancient paradises Penglai and Kunlun. It was populated by various divine figures: pure gods of the Tao who were emanations of original cosmic qi; immortals who had attained celestial status through effort and the proper elixir..." [2]
The Supreme Pure One is associated with yin and yang and was responsible as the custodian of the sacred book. Shangqing also calculates time and divides it into different epochs.
The Grand Pure One
The Grand Pure One (Chinese: 太清; pinyin: Tàiqīng), also known as "The Universally Honoured One of Tao and Virtues" or "The Universal Lord of the Way and its Virtue" (道德天尊, Daode Tianzun) or the "Grand Supreme Elder Lord" (太上老君, Taishang Laojun).
It is believed that Taishang Laojun manifested himself in the form of Laozi. The Grand Pure One is also the treasurer of spirits, known as the Lord of Man who is the founder of Taoism. He is the most eminent, aged ruler, which is why he is the only Pure One depicted with a pure white beard.
- "There seem to have been a number of stages in the process of Laozi's eventual deification. First, the legendary figure began as a teacher and writer whose image eventually blended with that of the Yellow Emperor when Laozi came to be identified as a confidant of royalty. Traditional accounts, such as the life-story summarized earlier, transformed him into a cultural hero whose mother conceived him virginally. By the mid-second century C.E., Laozi had become the deity who delivered to Zhang Daoling the revelation of a new religious faith, giving rise to the Celestial Master's school. His image was still not complete. Next, perhaps, also around the second or third century CE, Laozi seems to have been identified as a creator god who also enters the world to rescue humanity from tribulation. Laozi was now capable of incarnating himself, almost like Buddhist bodhisattva. Not long thereafter he joined the triad of the Three Pure Ones, and finally Laozi emerged as the chief divine person. We have here one of the more interesting examples of apotheosis, or deification, in the history of religion."[citation needed]
According to Daozang, The Universally Honoured One of Tao and Virtues had manifested many various incarnations to teach living beings, and Laozi is one of his incarnations.
Each of the Three Pure Ones represents both a deity and a heaven. The first heaven is Yu-Qing, and it is found in the Jade Mountain, The entrance to this heaven is named the Golden Door. "He is the source of all truth, as the sun is the source of all light". The Grand Pure One (Lao-Jun) rules over the heaven of Tai-Qing. The Supreme Pure One (Ling-Bao Tian-Song) rules over the heaven of Shang-Qing. The Three Pure Ones are often depicted as throned elders.
Schools of Taoist thought developed around each of these deities. Taoist Alchemy was a large part of these schools, as each of the Three Pure Ones represented one of the three cinnabar fields of the body: jing, qi and shen. The congregation of all three Pure Ones resulted in the return to Tao.
The first pure one is universal or heavenly chi. The second pure one is human plane chi and third pure one is earth chi. Heavenly chi includes the chi or energy of all the planets, stars and constellations as well as the energy of god (the force of creation and universal love). Human plane chi is the energy that exists on the surface of our planet and sustains human life and the earth force includes all of the forces inside the planet as well as the five elemental forces.
See also
References
Notes
- ^ Template:Zh icon Yang, Chaoping (December 1, 2007). "道德經第四十二章‧「道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。」".
- ^ Kohn, Livia (2001). Daoism and Chinese Culture. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Three Times Press. p. 89.
Bibliography
- Barrow, Terrence; Williams, Charles Alfred Speed (2006). Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing. p. 372.
- Ching, Julie (2000). The Religious Thought of Chu His. Oxford: Oxford University Press US. pp. 168–169.
- Fowler, Jeaneane (2005). An introduction to the Philosophy and Religion of Taoism. Brighton; Portland: Sussex Academic Press. pp. 202–205.
- Dobbins, Frank Stockton; Williams, Samuel Wells; Halls, Isaac Hollister (1883). Errors Chains. California: Standard publishing house. p. 224.
- Morgan, Harry T. (1972). Chinese Symbols and Superstitions. Detroit: Gale Research Company. p. 148.
- "The Taoist Deities". October 19, 2008.
- Werner, E.T.C. (2003). Myths and Legends of China. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 124–126.
- Whiting, Roger (1991). Religions for Today. Cheltemham: Nelson Thorne. p. 14.
- Yudelove, Eric (1997). 100 Days to Better Health, Good Sex and Long Life. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 114.
- "Yu Di". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Microsoft. 2008.
- "Yuan Shi". Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Microsoft. 2008.
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