![Huangdi stele in the sacrificial hall of the Xuanyuan Temple in Huangling, Yan'an, Shaanxi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Huangdi_stele_in_the_sacrificial_hall_of_the_Xuanyuan_Temple_in_Huangling%2C_Yan%27an%2C_Shaanxi.jpg)
''Xian ling'' () is the notion of a
numinous
Numinous () is a term derived from the Latin ''numen'', meaning "arousing spiritual or religious emotion; mysterious or awe-inspiring."Collins English Dictionary -7th ed. - 2005 The term was given its present sense by the German theologian and ph ...
,
sacred
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
(''
ling
Ling may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Ling, an ally of James Bond's from the film ''You Only Live Twice''
* Ling, a character in the ''Mulan'' franchise
* Ling, a playable character from the mobile game '' Mobile Legends: Bang Bang''
* Ling ...
'')
presence of a god or gods in the
Chinese traditional religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
. The term can be variously translated as "divine efficacy", "divine virtue", or also "efficacious response"; these terms describe the manifestation and activity of the power of a god (, "divine energy" or "divine effervescence", see
qi).
Within the context of traditional cosmology, the interaction of these energies constitutes the universe (the All-God,
Tian
''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their supreme god as '' Shàngdì'' (, "Lor ...
), and their proper cultivation (
bao ying
Baozi (), Pao-tsih or bao, is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings ( meat or vegetarian) and preparations, though the buns are most often steamed. They are a variation of ''mant ...
) upholds the human world order.
Reciprocity to divine response: rite and virtuous deed
The relationship between men and gods is one of reciprocal exchange of energy and the cultivation of godly energy. Through rituals of worship and proper conduct, people acquire and maintain a sense of stable world order, peace, and balance (
bao ying
Baozi (), Pao-tsih or bao, is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings ( meat or vegetarian) and preparations, though the buns are most often steamed. They are a variation of ''mant ...
). Violating the rule of reciprocity may undermine the balance and invite chaos.
The attitudes of the people towards their deities is one of awe and apprehension. Through devotional practices, a person strives to secure balance and protect himself and the world in which he is located from the power of unfavorable forces. In this sense, the traditional Chinese view of human life is not fatalistic, but is one in which one is the master of his own life through his relationship with the divine energies.
Within temples it is common to see banners bearing the phrase: "If the heart is sincere, god will reveal his power" (). This implies the belief that gods respond to the entreaties of the believer if his or her religious fervor is sincere (). If a person sincerely believes in the gods' powers and accumulates the energy of piety, the gods are confident in his faith and reveal their efficacious powers. At the same time, for faith to strengthen in the devotee's heart, the deity must prove his or her efficacy.
Worship consists of the display of reverence or respect (''jìngshén'' ) for the gods, honoring them through the fulfillment of vows (). In most of the cases, vow-fulfillment is expressed in material form, for example ''
jingxiang
Jìngxiāng (敬香 "offering incense with respect"), shàngxiāng (上香 "offering incense"), bàishén (拜神 "worshipping the Gods"), is a ritual of offering incense accompanied by tea and or fruits in Chinese traditional religion. In an ...
'' offering rituals. Many people repay vows to the gods by contributing incense, oil, candles, and money. Religious devotion may also be expressed in the form of performance troupes () involving stilt walkers, lion dancers, musicians, martial arts masters, ''
yangge
Yangge () is a form of Chinese folk dance developed from a dance known in the Song dynasty as Village Music (). It is very popular in northern China and is one of the most representative form of folk arts. It is popular in both the countryside and ...
'' dancers, and story-tellers. Some gods are considered carnivorous, for example river deities (''héshén'' ), or the
Longwang
The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the '' lóng'' in C ...
; offerings to these require an animal sacrifice (''shēngsì'' ), while other deities, for example
Zhenwu
Xuanwu () or Xuandi (), also known as Zhenwu (, ) or Zhenwudadi (, ), is a powerful deity in Chinese religion, one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is revered as a powerful god, able to control the elements and capable of great magic ...
, do not ask for animal sacrifice.
A deity may also require, in exchange for his or her help through divine effervescence, that people act morally and perform good works, virtuous deeds (''shànshì'' ), and practice self-cultivation (''xiūxíng'' ). To this end, some forms of local religion develop prescriptions for believers, such as detailed lists of meritorious and sinful deeds in the form of "books of virtue" (). This usually refers to religious booklets distributed for free.) and "ledgers of merit" (). This refers to a kind of log which one uses to record good and bad deeds he or she has done every day. This is arbitrary for some
Quanzhen
The Quanzhen School (全真: ''Quánzhēn''), also known as Completion of Authenticity, Complete Reality, and Complete Perfection is currently one of the two dominant denominations of Taoism in mainland China. It originated in Northern China in ...
Daoist priests). Involvement in the affairs of communal or intra-village temples are perceived by believers as ways of accumulating merit (''gōngdé'' ). "Doing good deeds to accumulate virtue" () is a common formula for religious practice. Virtue is believed to accumulate in one's heart, which is seen as the energetic center of the human body (''zài jūn xīn zuò fú tián'' ).
Temples and holy locations: shrines of divine effervescence
The term ''xian ling'' may be interpreted as the god revealing his
divine presence
Divine presence, presence of God, Inner God, or simply presence is a concept in religion, spirituality, and theology that deals with the ability of God to be " present" with human beings.
According to some types of monotheism God is omnipresen ...
in a particular area and temple, through events perceived as extraordinary, miraculous, and filling the place of their ''
ling qi''. Divine power usually manifests in public; once the event is witnessed and acknowledged, reports about it spread quickly and the cult of the deity establishes itself and grows in popularity, and temples are built.
Scholar Zavidovskaya studied the ways the incentive of temple restoration since the 1980s in northern China was triggered by numerous instances of gods becoming "active" and "returning", and claiming back their temples and places in society. She cites a
Chenghuang Temple in
Yulin,
Shaanxi Province
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ni ...
that, during the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...
, was turned into a granary; in the 1980s the temple was restored to its original function because the seeds kept in the temple always rotted. This event was recognized as a sign from the god Chenghuang to empty his residence of grain and let him back in. The (), divine energy, is believed to accumulate in certain places, such as temples, making them holy. Temples with a long history are considered holier than newly built ones, which still need to be filled by divine energy.
Zavidovskaya also cited an example of the cult of the god
Zhenwu
Xuanwu () or Xuandi (), also known as Zhenwu (, ) or Zhenwudadi (, ), is a powerful deity in Chinese religion, one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is revered as a powerful god, able to control the elements and capable of great magic ...
in Congluoyu Town (,
Lin County,
Lüliang
Lüliang or Lyuliang () is a prefecture-level city in the west of Shanxi province, People's Republic of China, bordering Shaanxi province across the Yellow River to the west, Jinzhong and the provincial capital of Taiyuan to the east, Linfen to ...
),
Shanxi Province
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level ...
. The temples were in ruins and the cult was inactive until the mid-1990s, when a man with terminal cancer prayed (''bài'' ) to Zhenwu. The man began to recover, and after a year he was completely healed. To thank the god, he organized an opera performance in his honor. A temporary altar with a statue of Zhenwu and a stage for performances were set up in an open space at the foot of a mountain. While the opera was being performed, large, white snakes appeared; they were unafraid of people and did not attack them, seemingly watching the opera. The snakes were considered by locals as incarnations of Zhenwu, who came to watch the opera held in his honor.
Kinds of efficacy
The most common display of divine power is the cure of diseases after a follower asks for aid. Another manifestation is the fulfillment of a request by children. The deity may also manifest through media, entering the body of a shaman-medium and speaking through his or her lips. There have been cases of people curing illnesses "on behalf of a god" (''tì shén zhì bìng'' ). Gods may also speak to people when they are asleep ( ).
See also
*
Numen
Numen (plural numina) is a Latin term for " divinity", "divine presence", or "divine will." The Latin authors defined it as follows:For a more extensive account, refer to Cicero writes of a "divine mind" (''divina mens''), a god "whose numen eve ...
*
Divine presence
Divine presence, presence of God, Inner God, or simply presence is a concept in religion, spirituality, and theology that deals with the ability of God to be " present" with human beings.
According to some types of monotheism God is omnipresen ...
*
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
*
Wu
*
Bao ying
Baozi (), Pao-tsih or bao, is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings ( meat or vegetarian) and preparations, though the buns are most often steamed. They are a variation of ''mant ...
*
Ming yun
''Ming yun'' () is a concept of the personal life and destiny in the Chinese folk religion. ''Ming'' is "life" or "right", the given status of life, and ''yùn'' defines "circumstance" and "individual choice"; ''mìng'' is given and influenced by ...
*
Yuan fen
Yuan may refer to:
Currency
* Yuan (currency), the basic unit of currency in historic and contemporary mainland China and Taiwan
** Renminbi, the current currency used in mainland China, whose basic unit is yuan
** New Taiwan dollar, the current ...
References
{{notelist, 2
Sources
* Ekaterina A. Zavidovskaya.
Deserving Divine Protection: Religious Life in Contemporary Rural Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces'. St. Petersburg Annual of Asian and African Studies. Ergon-Verlag GmbH, 97074 Würzburg, Vol. I, 2012, pp. 179–197.
* Fan Lizhu, Chen Na.
The Revival of Indigenous Religion in China'.
Fudan University
Fudan University () is a national public research university in Shanghai, China. Fudan is a member of the C9 League, Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First Class University identified by the Ministry of Education of China. It is als ...
, 2013.
Deities in Chinese folk religion
Concepts in Chinese folk religion