Ming Cult
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The Ming Cult is a fictional cult and martial arts sect featured in the ''
wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted f ...
'' novel ''
The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' (), also translated as ''The Sword and the Knife'', is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the third and final installment in the ''Condor Trilogy'', preceded by ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes ...
'' by
Jin Yong Louis Cha Leung-yung (; 10 March 1924 – 30 October 2018), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (), pronounced "Gum Yoong" in Cantonese, was a Chinese wuxia (" martial arts and chivalry") novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong d ...
, first published in serial form from 1961 to 1963. It is also briefly mentioned in ''
The Legend of the Condor Heroes ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the ''Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. It w ...
'', another novel also by Jin Yong. It is loosely based on
Manichaeism Manichaeism (; in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian Empire, Parthian ...
, an actual
gnostic Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...
religion which originated in
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
in the 3rd century CE and later spread to other parts of the world, including
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The cult's headquarters is at Bright Peak () in the
Kunlun Mountains The Kunlun Mountains ( zh, s=昆仑山, t=崑崙山, p=Kūnlún Shān, ; ug, كۇئېنلۇن تاغ تىزمىسى / قۇرۇم تاغ تىزمىسى ) constitute one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending for more than . In the bro ...
and it has several other bases spread throughout China. Its most powerful skills are the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" () and the "Martial Arts of the Holy Flame Tablets" ().


Background in the novel

In ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'', the Ming Cult is also known as the "Cult of
Mani Mani may refer to: Geography * Maní, Casanare, a town and municipality in Casanare Department, Colombia * Mani, Chad, a town and sub-prefecture in Chad * Mani, Evros, a village in northeastern Greece * Mani, Karnataka, a village in Dakshi ...
" () to martial artists in the ''
jianghu ''Jianghu'' () is a term that generally refers to the milieu, environment, or sub-community in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set. The term is used flexibly, and can be used to describe a fictionalized version of Historical China (usually u ...
'' but its more common name is "Mo Jiao" (), which literally means "Demonic Cult". The cult originated in Persia and spread to China in the seventh century. The cult is secretive and conducts its activities far away from the eyes of other sects in the ''wǔlín'' ( "martial artists' community"). Its founding principles also deviate largely from other sects. While others typically seek to achieve a dominant position in the ''wǔlín'', the Ming Cult strongly adheres to its faith and laws, which revolve around the notion of "delivering humankind from suffering and eliminating evil". This is aptly summed up in a mantra widely repeated by its members, which goes: The cult is actually a righteous sect and not an evil cult as it is perceived in the ''wǔlín''. Though it was welcomed during the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, it faces persecution later on by the government during the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
due to slanderous remarks made by its enemies in the imperial court. Apart from that, many martial artists and sects in the ''wǔlín'' who are unaware of the cult's real motives due to its conservative nature often speculate that it is inherently evil and start spreading rumors. The cult's image in society and in the ''wǔlín'' is adversely affected and marred, and it often struggles to survive in the face of powerful rivals who seek to destroy it. During the
Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
-led
Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...
, the Ming Cult starts a rebellion to overthrow the corrupt Yuan government and restore peace and order. However, its objective is not echoed by other sects and the common people; conversely, it faces hostility from them. The six leading orthodox sects in the ''wǔlín'' – Shaolin, Wudang,
Emei Mount Emei (; ), alternately Mount Omei, is a mountain in Sichuan Province, China, and is the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Mount Emei sits at the western rim of the Sichuan Basin. The mountains west of it are know ...
,
Kunlun The Kunlun Mountains ( zh, s=昆仑山, t=崑崙山, p=Kūnlún Shān, ; ug, كۇئېنلۇن تاغ تىزمىسى / قۇرۇم تاغ تىزمىسى ) constitute one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending for more than . In the bro ...
, Kongtong and
Mount Hua Mount Hua () is a mountain located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi Province, about east of Xi'an. It is the "Western Mountain" of the Five Great Mountains of China and has a long history of religious significance. Originally classified as ...
– form an alliance to attack the cult at its headquarters on Bright Peak. The Ming Cult's newly elected leader,
Zhang Wuji Zhang Wuji () is the fictional protagonist of the ''wuxia'' novel ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' by Jin Yong. Fictional character biography Zhang Wuji's parents are from opposing sides of the ''wulin'' (martial artists' community). His ...
, resolves the conflict and opens the cult to the ''wǔlín'' for the first time. Views and attitudes towards the cult start to change for the better, and the cult earns strong support in its mission to topple the Yuan government. Zhang Wuji eventually passes the leadership of the Ming Cult to Yang Xiao and retires from the ''jianghu''.
Zhu Yuanzhang The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang (), courtesy name Guorui (), was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1368 to 1398. As famine, plagues and peasant revolts in ...
, a minor leader in the cult, betrays his fellows and unites all rebel factions in China under his control. He ultimately topples the Yuan dynasty, defeats his rivals such as
Chen Youliang Chen Youliang (陳友諒; 1320 – 3 October 1363For those cross-referencing the Mingshi, in the old Chinese calendar 至正二十三年 refers to the year 1363 CE, 七月二十日 refers to 8月29日 or 29 August, and 八月二十六日 re ...
, and establishes the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
.


Organisation

The cult is headed by its leader, called the ''jiào zhǔ'' (). The Left and Right Bright Messengers () serve as the leader's deputies. The cult also has four Guardian Kings () who assist the leader in overseeing the cult's activities. Ranked below the Guardian Kings are the chiefs of the five banner divisions (). The five divisions are each named after one of the Five Elements (Earth, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal). The cult's members are spread throughout these five banners. The cult has headquarters and bases spread throughout the land and are often disguised as ordinary buildings, such as inns and shops, to avoid identification by the government. The cult's main headquarters, called the ''zǒngtán'' (), is based on Bright Peak () in the
Kunlun Mountains The Kunlun Mountains ( zh, s=昆仑山, t=崑崙山, p=Kūnlún Shān, ; ug, كۇئېنلۇن تاغ تىزمىسى / قۇرۇم تاغ تىزمىسى ) constitute one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending for more than . In the bro ...
. The Ming Cult's structure in Persia differs from the one in China. In Persia, the cult is led by a woman who is selected from three specially chosen virgins called "Holy Maidens" (). There are twelve Guardian Kings () instead of four. The Three Messengers (Wind, Cloud and Moon) are tasked with safekeeping the Holy Flame Tablets, the cult's most sacred artifacts. They are also the most powerful in martial arts of all the cult's members in Persia.


Heaven and Earth Great Shift

The "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" () also translated into English as "Universal Grand Shift", is one of the Ming Cult's most powerful skills. It is also the signature skill of
Zhang Wuji Zhang Wuji () is the fictional protagonist of the ''wuxia'' novel ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' by Jin Yong. Fictional character biography Zhang Wuji's parents are from opposing sides of the ''wulin'' (martial artists' community). His ...
, the protagonist of ''
The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' (), also translated as ''The Sword and the Knife'', is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the third and final installment in the ''Condor Trilogy'', preceded by ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes ...
''. Zhang Wuji learns it in the forbidden area of the Ming Cult's headquarters at Bright Peak in the
Kunlun Mountains The Kunlun Mountains ( zh, s=昆仑山, t=崑崙山, p=Kūnlún Shān, ; ug, كۇئېنلۇن تاغ تىزمىسى / قۇرۇم تاغ تىزمىسى ) constitute one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending for more than . In the bro ...
, where the general altar of the Ming Cult in China is located. The "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" originated from the Ming Cult of Persia, and is the most powerful skill in the
Western Regions The Western Regions or Xiyu (Hsi-yü; ) was a historical name specified in the Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to the 8th century AD that referred to the regions west of Yumen Pass, most often Central Asia or sometimes more spe ...
. It is a martial art handed down from generation to generation in the Ming Cult and only the leader of the cult is qualified to cultivate it. (Although Yang Xiao was allowed to study it for many years when he wasn't the undisputed leader). The main purpose of the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" is to reverse the two kinds of '' qi'' of Heaven and Earth, namely rigidity and softness, ''yin'' and ''yang'', and the red colour of the cultivator's face indicates the sinking of blood and the transformation of true ''qi'' in the body.


Heavenly Eagle Cult

The Heavenly Eagle Cult () was founded by one of the Ming Cult's Guardian Kings, "White Brows Eagle King" Yin Tianzheng. Yin left the Ming Cult in anger during its internal conflict and established his own sect. The Heavenly Eagle Cult does not follow the Ming Cult's original practices and customs but its members are still morally disciplined. The Heavenly Eagle Cult is often regarded as a branch of the Ming Cult and deemed to be as equally evil and unorthodox in the ''wulin'' because of Yin Tianzheng's affiliation with the Ming Cult. The Heavenly Eagle Cult merges with the Ming Cult after Yin Tianzheng's maternal grandson,
Zhang Wuji Zhang Wuji () is the fictional protagonist of the ''wuxia'' novel ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' by Jin Yong. Fictional character biography Zhang Wuji's parents are from opposing sides of the ''wulin'' (martial artists' community). His ...
, becomes the new leader of the Ming Cult.


Connection to historical Manichaeism

The names ''Ming Jiao'' (literally "Religion of Light") and ''Moni Jiao'' (literally "Religion of
Mani Mani may refer to: Geography * Maní, Casanare, a town and municipality in Casanare Department, Colombia * Mani, Chad, a town and sub-prefecture in Chad * Mani, Evros, a village in northeastern Greece * Mani, Karnataka, a village in Dakshi ...
") were used in China during the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
to describe the faith practiced by Chinese adherents of
Manichaeism Manichaeism (; in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian Empire, Parthian ...
such as the
White Lotus The White Lotus () is a syncretic religious and political movement which forecasts the imminent advent of the "King of Light" (), i.e., the future Buddha Maitreya. As White Lotus sects developed, they appealed to many Han Chinese who found solac ...
.


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ming Cult Organizations in Wuxia fiction Chinese Manichaeism Condor Trilogy The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber zh:摩尼教