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Randeng Daoren
Randeng Daoren () is a character in the famed classic Chinese novel ''Fengshen Yanyi''. He was renowned as the Superiorman of Mount Condor, Intuition Cave. His role originated from Dipankara Buddha of Buddhist lore, who was a past enlightened being before the time of Gautama Buddha. Following the incident with Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Taiyi Zhenren, Nezha once again saw an opportunity to strike down his father, Li Jing, and end his great hatred. Before their battle, Randeng Daoren saw Li Jing and immediately told him to hide behind him lest he be killed. Once Nezha appeared directly before Randeng Daoren, Randeng Daoren said, "I thought this problem had been resolved in the Cloud Top Cave. It is not good for you to rekindle your revenge again." Randeng Daoren thrust Li Jing forward to fight. Because Randeng Daoren had already spat on Li Jing's back - which gave him magical powers - Li Jing was a match for Nezha at last. Nezha, who easily saw the trickery, stabbed his spear at Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fengshen Yanyi
''The Investiture of the Gods'', also known by its Chinese names () and is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (''shenmo'') genre written during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Consisting of 100 chapters, it was first published in book form between 1567 and 1619. Another source claims it was published in 1605. The work combines elements of history, folklore, mythology, legends and fantasy.Chew, Katherine Liang (2002). ''Tales of the Teahouse Retold: Investiture of the Gods''. Page XI. . The story is set in the era of the decline of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) and the rise of the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). It intertwines numerous elements of Chinese mythology, including deities, immortals and spirits. The authorship is attributed to Xu Zhonglin. Plot The novel is a romanticised retelling of the overthrow of King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty, by Ji Fa, who would establish the Zhou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dipankara
Dipankara (Pali: ''Dīpaṅkara''; Sanskrit: ', "Lamp bearer") or Dipankara Buddha is one of the Buddhas of the past. He is said to have lived on Earth four asankheyyas and one hundred thousand kappas ago. According to some Buddhist or folk traditions, Dipankara was a previous Buddha who attained Enlightenment eons prior to Gautama Buddha, the historical Buddha. Generally, Buddhists believe that there has been a succession of many Buddhas in the distant past and that many more will appear in the future. Dipankara was one of these previous Buddhas, while Gautama Buddha was the current and most recent Enlightened one, and Maitreya will be the next Buddha in the distant future. Chinese Buddhism honors Dipankara as one of many Buddhas of the past. Dipankara, Gautama, and Maitreya are "the Buddhas of Three Times" in Yiguandao. Iconography Dipankara is generally represented as a sitting Buddha, but his depictions as a standing Buddha are common in China, Thailand, and Nepal; with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lumbini, in what is now Nepal, to royal parents of the Shakya clan, but renounced his home life to live as a wandering ascetic ( sa, śramaṇa). After leading a life of begging, asceticism, and meditation, he attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in what is now India. The Buddha thereafter wandered through the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain, teaching and building a monastic order. He taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism, leading to Nirvana, that is, freedom from ignorance, craving, rebirth, and suffering. His teachings are summarized in the Noble Eightfold Path, a training of the mind that includes meditation and instruction in Buddhist ethics such as right effort, mindfulness, and '' jhana''. He di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun
Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun () is a Taoist deity and character in the classic Chinese novel ''Investiture of the Gods'' (more commonly known as ''Fengshen Yanyi''). He is a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun and one of the Three Great Immortals. The character is believed to be derived from the bodhisattva Manjusri. The books ''Qunxian Xianpo Tianmen'' and ''Western Tang Dynasty Biography'' states Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Manjusri Bodhisattva are not the same person. Legend In ''Fengshen Yanyi'', Guangfa Tianzun is the superiorman over Five Dragons Mountain, Cloud Top Cave and the renowned teacher of Jinzha, the first son of Li Jing. In rank, Guangfa Tianzun is seemingly an elite superiorman—even greater than that of Nezha's teacher Taiyi Zhenren. After a fine duel had ensued between Muzha and Nezha and Li Jing attempted his first suicide, Guangfa Tianzun would appear. Once Guangfa Tianzun had ordered Li Jing to enter his cave for safety, he would personally settle things with the "spo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taiyi Zhenren
Taiyi Zhenren () is a deity in Chinese religion and Taoism. ''Taiyi'' () means "primordial unity of yin and yang" and ''Zhenren'' () is a Daoist term for "Perfected Person". According to the opening of the classical novel '' Fengshen Bang'', he is the reincarnation of the first emperor of the Shang dynasty, Tang of Shang. Taiyi Tianzun Taiyi Zhenren is the name given to him in Investiture of the Gods and he is based on the deity Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (). In orthodox Taoism, he is the deity of salvation for all sentient beings in the 10 directions with a different incarnation for each direction and can transform into other incarnations for any purpose. He is invoked during funerals and rituals for the dead to send them to the Eastern Heavenly Pureland Chang Le where he resides and is also invoked to save suffering souls from hell during the Ghost Festival. In fiction In ''Fengshen Bang'', Taiyi Zhenren is the renowned teacher of Nezha, the celestial being destined to bring p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nezha
Nezha ( 哪吒) is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" () after he became a deity. Origins According to Meir Shahar, Nezha is ultimately based on two figures from Hindu mythology. The first is a yaksha from the ''Ramayana'' named Nalakubar, the son of Yaksha King Kubera and nephew of the antagonist Ravana. The link to Nalakubar is established through variants in his Chinese name appearing in Buddhist sutras. The original variant Naluojiupoluo () changed to Naluojubaluo (), Nazhajuwaluo (), and finally Nazha (). The simple addition of the " mouth radical" () to Na () changes the name to the current form Nezha (). The second figure is the child god Krishna. Both Krishna and Nezha are powerful children that defeat mighty serpents, Kaliya in the case of the former and Ao Bing in the latter. The ''Bhagavata Purana'' describes how Nalakubar was rescued from impri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Li Jing (deity)
Li Jing, also known as Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li is a figure in Chinese mythology and a god in Chinese folk religion. He carries a tower that can capture any spirit, demon or god within its walls. He also appears in the classic Chinese novels ''Journey to the West'' and '' Fengshen Yanyi'' (''Investiture of the Gods''). He is an analogue of Vaisravana. Mythology Li Jing is renowned throughout the Shang Dynasty as a high ranking commander officer of the Old Pond Pass. His wife is Lady Yin, and he has three sons, Jinzha, Muzha, and Nezha. Throughout his past, Li Jing had studied under Superiorman Danger Skipper of Mount Kunlun, and had soon become a master of exceedingly fast underground travel (even to the extent of traveling thousands of kilometres without a single individual noticing). In time, Li Jing would have a third son by the name of Nezha, as destined by the heavens. He and Nezha's relationship began as rocky because Nezha is disobedient and short-tempered. Ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by the royal house, surnamed Ji, lasted initially from 1046 until 771 BC for a period known as the Western Zhou, and the political sphere of influence it created continued well into the Eastern Zhou period for another 500 years. The establishment date of 1046 BC is supported by the Xia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project and David Pankenier, but David Nivison and Edward L. Shaughnessy date the establishment to 1045 BC. During the Zhou dynasty, centralized power decreased throughout the Spring and Autumn period until the Warring States period in the last two centuries of the dynasty. In the latter period, the Zhou court had little control over its constituent states that were at war with each other until the Qin state consolidated power and forme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Door God
Menshen or door gods are divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk religions, used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. They began as the divine pair Shenshu ( ) and Yulü () under the Han, but the deified generals Qin Shubao () and Yuchi Gong () have been more popular since the Tang. In cases where a door god is affixed to a single door, Wei Zheng or Zhong Kui is commonly used. History The gates and doors of Chinese houses have long received special ritual attention. Sacrifices to a door spirit are recorded as early as the ''Book of Rites''.. By the Han, this spirit had become the two gods Shenshu and Yulü, whose names or images were painted into peachwood and attached to doors. When the Great Ancestor of the Tang ("Emperor Taizong") being plagued by nightmares, he ordered portraits of his generals Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong to be affixed to gates. They eventually came to be considered divine protectors, replacing S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Temple
Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' miào'' () or ''diàn'' (), simply means "temple" and mostly enshrines gods of the Chinese pantheon, such as the Dragon King, Tudigong or Matsu; or mythical or historical figures, such as Guandi or Shennong. * '' cí'' (), ''cítáng'' (), ''zōngcí'' () or ''zǔmiào'' (), referring to ancestral temples, mostly enshrining the ancestral gods of a family or clan. * Taoist temples and monasteries: ''guàn'' or '' dàoguàn''; and * Chinese Buddhist temples and monasteries: ''sì'' or ''sìyuàn'' * Temple of Confucius which usually functions as both temple and town school: '' wénmiào'' or '' kŏngmiào''. * Temples of City God (), which worships the patron God of a village, town or a city. * Smaller household shrines or votive niche, such as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taoist Temple
A Taoist temple (, also called ''dàoguàn'' and , is a place where the Tao is observed and cultivated it is a place of worship in Taoism. Structure and function can vary according to the Taoist school the temple belongs to. For example, ''guàn'' of the Quanzhen School are monasteries where celibate Taoist priests live. The title ''gōng'' () "palace" is often used for large temples built with imperial or governmental patronage. In front of the main gate are the holy statues of Dragon and Tiger. The Three Pure Ones are worshipped inside. Taoist temples are carved with Chinese characters like Fu (blessing), Shou (longevity), Ji (auspicious), reflecting the theme of long and fruitful life. Gallery See also * Taoism * Way of the Celestial Masters * Zhengyi Taoism * Quanzhen Taoism * Chinese ritual mastery traditions * Chinese temple * Cebu Taoist Temple Cebu Taoist Temple ( zh, s=宿雾定光宝殿, t=宿霧定光寶殿, p=Sùwù Dìngguāng Bǎodiàn, poj=Siok-bū Tēng ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caishen
Caishen () is the mythological figure worshipped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (, Wade–Giles: ''Chao Kung-ming''; also known as Zhao Gong Yuanshuai "Lord Zhao the Marshal"), Fan Li, and Bi Gan.''Encyclopædia Britannica''"Ts'ai Shen"/ref> A large temple of Caishen has been built in the 2000s in Zhouzhi, Xi'an, Shaanxi. Caishen's name is often invoked during the Chinese New Year celebrations. He is often depicted riding a black tiger and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and iron into gold. Historical personages Several versions of Caishen's incarnations' political affiliation and way of deification are circulated. It is unclear whether they are genuine historical figures, though most of the stories agree that Caishen's most popular incarnation lived during the early Qin dynasty. Most probably it represen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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