![Taoist Triad](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Taoist_Triad.jpg)
Daode Tianzun (), also known as Taishang Laojun () is a high
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...
god. He is the Taiqing (太清, lit. the Grand Pure One) which is one of the
Three Pure Ones
The Three Pure Ones (), also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure ...
, the highest divinities of Taoism.
Laozi is regarded to be a manifestation of Daode Tianzun who authored the classic ''Tao Te Ching''. He is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism, intimately connected with "primordial" (or "original") Taoism. Popular ("religious") Taoism typically presents the
Jade Emperor as the official head
deity. Intellectual ("orthodox") Taoists, such as the
Celestial Masters sect, usually present Laozi (''Laojun'', "Lord Lao") and the
Three Pure Ones
The Three Pure Ones (), also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure ...
at the top of the pantheon of gods.
Name
His other names include Daode Zhizun (道德至, lit. 'The Universally Honoured Virtuous One') and Daojiao Zhizu (道教之祖, lit. 'The Taoist Ancestor').
Legends
Taishang Laojun believed to be the true incarnation of the spiritual philosopher Laozi, he was already identified as a personification of the Tao as early as the beginning of the Later Han dynasty. According to ''
Daozang
Daozang (), meaning ' Taoist Canon', consists of around 1,400 texts that were collected (after the '' Daodejing'' and '' Zhuangzi'' and Liezi which are the core Taoist texts). They were collected by Taoist monks of the period in an attempt to ...
'', Taishang Laojun had manifested many various incarnations to teach living beings, and Laozi is one of his incarnations.
According to the biographies of Laozi collected by
Ge Hong in the ''Biographies of the Immortals'' (神仙傳), Laozi is said to have been born before Heaven and Earth, after 72 years' stay in his mother's womb. He was born under a plum tree with the ability to speak, and took his surname "Li" after the tree. According to the ''Inscription in Honor of Laozi'', written by
Bian Shao BIAN or Bian may refer to:
Place
*Kaifeng, a prefecture-level city in eastern Henan province, People's Republic of China
* Uiseong, former name Bian, county in North Gyeongsang province, South Korea
*Bian, Hamadan, a village in Iran
*Bian River (Ch ...
, Prime Minister of
Chen, in the eighth year of the Yanxi era of the
Eastern Han dynasty, Laozi came out of the Vital Breath of Chaos, and is as eternal as the three lights of the Sun, Moon and Stars. During the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
, the royal family taking Laozi as its ancestor, worshipped him and honored him with many noble titles.
Although he is ranked below the other two pure ones, he is mentioned in Taoist religious texts more often than the other two. Before he served as an advisor to the
Jade Emperor or attending Peach Banquets, he lives in the Great Pure Heaven (Taiqing).
His manifestation anniversary falls on the 15th day of 2nd month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
See also
*
Tao
''Tao'' or ''Dao'' is the natural order of the universe, whose character one's intuition must discern to realize the potential for individual wisdom, as conceived in the context of East Asian philosophy, East Asian religions, or any other phil ...
&
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...
*
The Supreme Pure One
Lingbao Tianzun, also known in English as the Heavenly Lord of Spiritual Treasures, is a Taoist god
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honder ...
*
Three Pure Ones
The Three Pure Ones (), also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure ...
*
Yuanshi Tianzun
Yuanshi Tianzun (), the ''Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning'' or the ''Primeval Lord of Heaven'', is one of the highest deities of Taoism. He is one of the Three Pure Ones () and is also known as the ''Jade Pure One'' (). He resides ...
References
Chinese gods
Deified Chinese people
Deities in Taoism
Laozi
Journey to the West characters
{{Deity-stub