The Harmonious Church of the Three-in-One (), or Sanyiism () and Xiaism (), is a

Chinese folk religious sect Chinese salvationist religions or Chinese folk religious sects are a Chinese religious tradition characterised by a concern for salvation (moral fulfillment) of the person and the society.; ''passim'' They are distinguished by egalitarianism, a f ...

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

character founded in the 16th century by Lin Zhao'en, in Putian.Seiwert, 2003. p. 343 In 2011, it was officially recognised by the government of

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...

.China Zentrum:
Religions & Christianity in Today's China
''. Vol. IV, 2014, No. 1. . pp. 22-23 The religion is based on Confucian moral ideas and

ancestral worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

, and includes meditation techniques modeled after ''

neidan Neidan, or internal alchemy (), is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an immortal spiritual body that would survive after death. Also known as Jindan ...

'' and pursuit of enlightenment.Edward L. Davis. ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture''. �
Sanyi jiao
/ref> Differently from other Chinese folk religious sects, the Sanyi philosophy is not expounded in the sentimental vernacular language but in the elaborate language of the Confucian literary tradition. The "Three in One" is a

philosophical Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

concept expressing the original trinity proceeding from the

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 ...

, the two principles,

yin and yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...

, of the Great Pole. The Great Pole is the One that contains yin and yang, the Two, in the Three.

History

Sanyiism was founded by Lin Zhao'en (1517–98), in Putian,

. Lin was born in an upper-class family, and among his ancestors and relatives were many officials and scholars. He started the usual career for the son of an influential family and passed the first civil examinations in 1534, but after failing the higher exams he forsook the career of an official to become a master of religion and philosophy according to the Confucian tradition. Given this background, Lin Zhao'en doctrines show little influence from the vernacular folk religious tradition of the ''

baojuan Baojuan (宝卷 ''bǎojuǎn''), literally precious scrolls, are a genre of prosimetric texts (texts written in an alternation of prose and verse) of a religious or mystical nature, produced within the context of Chinese folk religion and individua ...

'' literature. Lin Zhao'en was instructed by other religious leaders, including a Confucian who taught him the true meaning of the Confucian classics and Taoists from whom he learnt ''

'' techniques. In 1585 the regional official Yang Sizhi wrote a proclamation of heterodoxy against Lin, upset by his claim to be the true interpreter of the Confucian tradition, rejecting

Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...

, and to continue the teachings of the sages of antiquity. Despite the accusation of heterodoxy, the strength of the sect remained unshaken. In Sanyi holy scriptures Lin Zhao'en is portrayed as a supernatural savior of cosmic significance.Seiwert, 2003. p. 356 After Lin died, he was deified as the "Lord of the Three-in-One", and is worshipped in over a thousand temples in Fujian, and also in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

's Chinese communities. The religious community split into a number of schools and spread beyond the borders of Fujian up to

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...

, and then reaching

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. The community in

Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

developed as an influential centre of gravitation for the religion. In Fujian, the religion developed into two major competing branches led by two direct disciples of Master Lin, namely Lu Wenhui and Lin Zhenming (alias Lin Zhijing). Through the Qing dynasty the religion survived strong in Fujian but declined elsewhere, and at the end of the 19th century it started to strongly revive. As of 1998 the Church of the Three-in-One had approximately 500,000 adherents in Putian, which is 17% of the total population.Dean, 1998. p. 7 In 2011 it was officially recognised as a legal religion by the government of Fujian.

Rituals

Three-in-One practices include the "heart method" of self-cultivation, which is still widely practised in Putian today. The religion has its independent ritual tradition, similar to those of Taoism and Buddhism. Its ritual specialists perform communal offerings ( ) and

merit-making Merit ( sa, puṇya, italic=yes, pi, puñña, italic=yes) is a concept considered fundamental to Buddhist ethics. It is a beneficial and protective force which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts, or thoughts. Merit-making is important ...

funeral services A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as w ...

( ), along with individual rites. In some communities in the Putian region, the Sanyi temple has become the primary village temple, the centre of collective life. Annual pilgrimages are made to the religion's central temple in Putian, Fujian.

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

* Kenneth Dean. ''Lord of the Three in One: The Spread of a Cult in Southeast China''. Princeton University Press, 1998. * Edward L. Davis. ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture''. Routledge, 2005. * Hubert Michael Seiwert. ''Popular Religious Movements and Heterodox Sects in Chinese History''. Brill, 2003.

External links

Three-One website
{{religion topics Chinese salvationist religions Putian Three teachings