Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Suzaku Xuanwu
Eastern Qinglong Qisu: (angle. Kang. Di. Room. Heart. Tail. Ji)
Western White Tiger Qisu: (Kui. Lou. Wei. Ang. Bi. Gou. Shen)
Southern Suzaku Qisu: (Well. Ghost. Willow. Star. Zhang. Wing. Zhen)
North Xuanwu Qisu: (Dou. Ox. Female. Void. Danger. Room. Wall)
Qinglong: The Lord has happy events and is the god of good luck. However, if the god of taming or taming is activated, then Most of them have the symbol of extreme happiness giving rise to sorrow;
Suzaku: mostly in charge of speaking and official affairs, but sometimes also in charge of writing;
White Tiger: in charge of fierce injuries, filial piety, and bloody glory;
< p>Xuanwu: Mainly responsible for banditry and obscure matters.In ancient Chinese astronomy, the many stars in the sky are divided into twenty-eight constellations, with seven rows in the southeast, northwest and northwest. Each of them is regarded as a kind of divine object, that is, the four images. Zhang Heng's "Lingxian" of the Han Dynasty said, "The black dragon is curled up on the left, the white tiger is fiercely occupying the right, the red bird is flying in front, and the turtle is circling behind." This is a description of the four images from north to south. The green dragon is in the east, the white tiger is in the west, the black dragon is in the north, and the red bird is in the south. The names of the four images also indicate their respective colors. Xuanwu in the north is generally considered to be a combination of turtle and snake. In ancient notes, Yu Yan's "Xi Shang Fu Tan" holds another theory: "Xuanwu is a synonym for turtle. Turtle is also a water tribe. Water belongs to the north and its color is black, so it is called Xuan. Turtles have armor and can defend themselves. Therefore, it is called Wu. It is actually just a turtle. The seven constellations in the north are in the shape of a turtle, and underneath it is a snake. The common people don't know why, but they regard Xuanwu as a turtle and snake." However, judging from the Han tile tile pattern, Xuanwu is already a combination of turtle and snake.
The four images in the Chinese Book of Changes. Liangyi produces four images, and four images produce Bagua. The four pillars are the four images derived from the two rituals of the Book of Changes: the four images of the year → spring, summer, autumn and winter; the four images of the moon → new moon, Wang, first quarter, and last quarter; the four images of the day → midnight, noon, morning, and sunset (Ziwu Maoyou), The four pillars of a person are the four images, which are fixed and static. The yin and yang and the five elements are unbalanced and contain the information of the universe. If the five elements are too different, it will cause the ups and downs of the person, just like the tides of the Qiantang River. However, in the Universiade stage, dynamic balance must be obtained. The Universiade stage develops dynamically. At this time, the different effects of birth, help, and punishment produce the body's biological clock (body rhythm). In the same year, some people become rich and others become beggars, resulting in differences in people's temperament and future. Everyone is doing their own "Brownian" movement.
Let’s unify the four pillars into a pattern. Why should we unify them into a pattern? There would be no roundness without rules. It seems that all kinds of Chinese herbal medicine experts have to introduce it into a pattern and make decoctions: Shiquan Dabu Decoction, Ginseng Yangrong Decoction, Liuwei Dihuang Pills, Sancai Decoction, and Qinglong Decoction. , Ephedra soup. When people are in the four-pillar pattern, they must abide by the outline, and the outline is not clear. The eight principles are originally from the science of human relations: I was born as my parents (zhengyin and biaoyin); I was born as the God of Cookery and Shangguan (their children are the foundation of my life); I was born as my wife and talents (zhengcai). , partial wealth guide: my wife's wealth is my help, especially the money for my use); those who restrain me are official and partial official guide (people must be restricted, just like the laws issued by superiors to restrict people's irregular behavior); similar ones are Bi Jian and Jie Cai Gang (brothers and sisters are as tall as each other side by side, but they have to share the inheritance of their parents). In this way, each person has a complicated yin and yang and five elements, and a complicated pattern. When the Grand Luck stage comes, there will be a situation of birth and support, and the combination of punishment and collision. Change (using algebraic substitution, that is, the opposition and unity of contradictions in the theory of contradiction) produces various human rhythms. (Note: The eight principles are not equal to the eight characters)
Why do we use four pillars and eight principles above? This is the basic principle of the Book of Changes: Two rituals give rise to four images, and four signs give rise to the Bagua. The principle of Bagua also corresponds to the yin and yang astronomical calendar: the Zhouyi Ci says: "Three or five changes are made, and their numbers are intricately combined. Through their changes, they become the text of heaven and earth; the number of extremes determines the phenomena of the world." (ten articles) The origin of the calendar , it turns out that the number of Sanwu is "555" in octal system and is written in decimal system, which is a tropical year (365 days). Rounding: 5×64 hexagram; 5×8 hexagram; 5×l Tai Chi, that is, 555=5×64+5× 8+5×l=365 (rounded).
This Return Year is the relationship between the movement of the universe and the connection between the I Ching Bagua and the information of the universe. One person's chronology of Jiazi contains growth, harvest, and growth laws, and expresses the connection with the information of the universe. The Chinese language abbreviates it as "the unity of nature and man", which gives people a simple concept. I have explained it in a simple way. I wonder if I have solved the "mystery"? In short, the human rhythm biological clock is closely related to the movement of celestial bodies. Don’t you see that the crops are artificially irrigated and grow green without rain?
As for the gods, the six gods are the constellations in the sky: Qinglong, Suzaku, White Tiger, Xuanwu, Gouchen, and Tengshe. They are not superstitious.
Qinglong, White Tiger, Suzaku, Xuanwu: Four Ancient Chinese Legend of the Great Divine Beast
Oriental Green Dragon
There are many legends about dragons, and there are many opinions about the origin of dragons. Some say they were introduced from India, and some say they were imported from India
p>
Chinese stars become. India itself is said to be about the dragon god, but the status of the dragon in India is not high, and there is also a real thing
-a python.
In the era when the Five Elements theory was popular, stories about the green dragon slowly began to spread; Five Elements experts assigned five colors to the southeast, northwest, and middle according to Yin and Yang
, and each color is matched with a mythical beast and a god; the east is cyan, with dragons, the west is white, with tigers, the south is vermilion, with birds, the north is black, with weapons, and yellow It is the central color.
Among the gods from all directions, according to the Book of Mountains and Seas, ‘Zhurong from the south has a beast body and a human face, riding two dragons. ’; ‘Western
Luxiang, there is a snake in the left ear, riding on two dragons. ’; ‘There is Jumang in the east, with the body of a bird and the face of a human, riding on two dragons. ’; ‘In the north of Yujiang, black
is skilled and capable, riding on two dragons. ', what's more interesting is that the dragons in the Classic of Mountains and Seas are all ridden, while the snakes of the same kind are held, manipulated or wrapped around the neck, showing that both However, the five gods in the five directions are not much the same as the four gods in the four directions, so I won’t go into details here. Suzaku, Xuanwu (black turtle and snake, Wu means turtle and snake), Qinglong, and White Tiger
respectively represent the twenty-eight constellations in the four directions, and the dragon represents the seven constellations in the east - Jiao, Kang, Di, and Fang. , heart, tail, and Ji, and the shape of these seven places is very similar to a dragon. It can be seen from the meaning of their words that the horn is the horn of the dragon, the horn is the neck, and the di is the base.
But the root of the neck, the room is the shoulder, the ribs, the heart is the heart, the tail is the tail, and the Ji is the end of the tail.
Also in the part of the dragon’s heart, some people call it the ‘big fire’, which is related to sunshine and rain, and because Qinglong belongs to wood, it is also
the year of Jupiter. After the rise of Taoism, these four spirits were also given human names to make it easier for humans to call them. The green dragon was called "Mengzhang", the white tiger was called "Jianbing", the red bird was called "Lingguang", and the Xuanwu spirit was called "Lingguang". In order to 'hold on to the Ming Dynasty', among many dynasties
there are also some monarchs who use Qinglong as their reign name, such as Emperor Wei Ming of the Three Kingdoms, and there is also information about the Xia Dynasty in the Historical Records
Belonging to the Mu De dynasty, there is a record of the auspicious omen that "the blue dragon was born in the suburbs".
In ancient China, the one with horns on its head was called a male dragon; the one with two horns was called a dragon; the one with one horn was called a dragon; the one without horns was called a chi. In ancient times
Jade pendants often have two dragons, big and small, still called mother and child Chi; the status of the dragon is much higher than that in India. Because in China, the dragon is a divine creature, supreme
and also a symbol of the emperor. It is also a representative of the East. Among the five elements, it belongs to wood. Because cyan belongs to wood, it is said that there is a blue dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right.
Among the twenty-eight constellations, the seven constellations in the East - Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei and Ji - were used as the constellations. The ancients imagined them as dragons.
Because it is located in the east, according to the theory of color matching for the five directions according to the yin and yang and the five elements, the color of the east is green, so it is named "Qinglong".
There is also a folk saying that the dragon's nature is lustful. When it has sex with an ox, it will give birth to a unicorn, and when it has sex with a pig, it will give birth to an elephant.
The saying that the dragon gave birth to nine sons, none of whom are like dragons, is like this -
The eldest son is called Qi Niu: he loves music, so he always stands on the head of the piano. . Such as the Huqin of the Han people, the Sanxianqin of the Bai people, etc.
The Mongolian Morin Khuur may also be a variant of the Prison Niu.
The second son is Jai Pi: it loves to kill, so it is often placed on weapons to intimidate the enemy. At the same time, it is also used in ceremonies
to appear more majestic.
The third son is Chaofeng: it is a beast-shaped dragon that looks a bit like a dog. It is good at looking out, so it is often placed in the corner of the palace. It is said that it can intimidate demons and eliminate disasters.
The fourth one is Pulao: it likes to roar, so people put it on the bell, mostly in the image of Pulao. It is said that it lives on the beach, but it is very afraid of whales. Once a whale attacks, it will scream in fear. Therefore, people shaped the wooden pestle into the shape of a whale to make the copper bell extra loud.
The fifth child is Suanni: shaped like a lion. It is a foreign product that was introduced to China with Buddhism, so its personality is a bit like that of Buddha. It's quiet
It's quiet and loves fireworks. Therefore, it is often placed on the Buddha's throne or on the incense burner to protect Buddhism.
The sixth son is Baxia: also known as Bixi, he looks like a turtle. According to legend, in ancient times, it often carried three mountains and five mountains on its back to create trouble. Later
he was subdued by Xia Yu and made many great contributions to Xia Yu. After the flood control was successful, Xia Yu let it carry out its achievements.
Therefore, most of China's stone monuments are carried on its back.
The seventh child is Bian: also known as Charter, it looks like a tiger. According to legend, it upholds justice and can distinguish right from wrong, so it was placed above and below the prison door, on both sides of the door lobby, and on top of the cards that officials silently avoid when they go on patrol to maintain the solemn atmosphere of the court.
The eighth child is negative: because it loves literature, it is placed on two sides of the stone tablet.
Mozi is Chiki: also known as Ouwei, a fish-shaped dragon. It is said that around the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Indian ‘Mojiyu’ was introduced with Buddhism. It is the object under the seat of the rain god in Buddhist scriptures and can extinguish fire. Therefore, the Chi Kiss evolved from this, so it is often placed at both ends of the roof ridge to eliminate disasters and extinguish fires.
White Tiger of the West
Among the four sacred animals in China, another one that is often compared to the dragon is the 'white tiger'; the tiger is the leader of all beasts, it
's majesty and legendary ability to subjugate ghosts have made it become a yang mythical beast, often accompanying the dragon. 'The clouds follow the dragon, the wind follows the tiger' and become a means of subduing ghosts. To the best partner.
The white tiger is also the god of war and killing. The white tiger has many magical powers such as avoiding evil, warding off disasters, praying for good fortune and punishing evil, promoting good deeds, making wealth, and getting married. And it is one of the four spirits, and of course it is also made of stars. Among the twenty-eight constellations, there are seven in the west: Kui, Lou, Wei, Ang, Bi, Xi, and Shen. Therefore, it is a representative of the West, and its white color is because it is the West.
The West belongs to gold among the five elements, and its color is white. So it is called White Tiger not because it is white, but because of the five elements.
In addition to the four spirits in Taoism including the green dragon and white tiger, when a Feng Shui master is exploring a cemetery, the protruding terrain on the left and right sides in front of the terrain can be used as a tomb. Each place has a unique title, called Zuo Qinglong and Right Baihu, which means guard. The same decoration is also found in the public hall. On the left and right pillars, there are blue dragons and hundreds of tigers. It suppresses evil spirits. After the rise of Taoism, dragon and tiger were borrowed as Taoist alchemy terms, which refer to the synonyms of "lead and mercury, Kanli, water and fire, yin and yang", etc. . Taoist alchemy is divided into internal and external (internal elixir refining qi and external elixir refining elixirs. The author is not very knowledgeable and I am not sure). In terms of yin and yang and the five elements, dragon and yang are born in Li, and Li belongs to fire. , so it is said that 'the dragon emerges from the fire', tiger yin is born in the ridge, and the ridge belongs to water, so it is said that 'the tiger is born by the water'. After the two are combined, one yin and one yang complement each other. Harmony, called Taoben, is a representative of Yuanshen and Yuanjing. Another way of saying it is that nature belongs to wood, and wood represents the east. In the hexagram, it is zhen, so it is compared to a green dragon; love belongs to gold.
Gold represents the west. In the hexagram, it is dui, so gold is white, so it is a metaphor. For the white tiger. Metal can overcome wood, so many emotions will damage the nature, and use the true essence of twenty-eight to combine them into one, then metal and wood will be seamless, dragons and tigers will form elixirs by themselves, and in the human body The liver is represented by the dragon and the kidneys are represented by the tiger.
The external elixir still takes the meaning of yin and yang, with the dragon being lead and the tiger being mercury.
In the minds of ancient people, tigers are both scary and respectable things. The scary thing is that it can eat humans and animals. What is admirable
is that it is extremely powerful and can ward off evil spirits. And in some ancient books, such as "Customs and Customs. Sacrificial Code" written by Ying Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty:
'If you paint a tiger on the door, ghosts will not dare to enter', 'Tiger is a male object, one of all beasts' Long too. Able to hold on, crush sharp objects, and eat ghosts and ghosts. Nowadays, if a soldier encounters a bad situation, he will burn the tiger skin and drink it. Hitting its claws can also ward off evil. This is the test. ’ The ancients also believed that the white tiger was an auspicious sign: ‘
The most virtuous bird and beast. ’
The original Western Star Gods were bears and owls, but later the totems of the ancient Qiang people changed from bears to dragons. And when the Yellow Emperor developed eastward, the dragon totem was brought to the east and merged with the "Eastern Blue Dragon Constellation", and the red bird became unified
The new home of the phoenix totem in the southern kingdom of heaven finally became a 'dragon and phoenix in auspiciousness' due to the fusion of the two major tribes. As an ancient totem, it is the east phoenix and the west dragon. As a star, it is the east blue dragon and the west red bird. After the Zhou Dynasty, the feudal system was formally established and the Five Elements thought matured. The celestial images were re-divided, and the red bird was placed in the south and worshiped together with the Zhurong Fire God. In the West, white tigers are worshiped
. During the tribal struggle and migration, the dragon in the northwest moved eastward, the phoenix in the east moved south, and the tiger in the south moved north. The whole country showed a great turnover concept movement. By the Han Dynasty, the concept of the Five Elements had become a unified thought, and Xuanwu was added to complete the "God of the Four Directions".
In the ancient "Historical Records. Tiangong Shu", "Canglong in the East Palace, Zhuniao in the South, Xianchi in the West Palace, and Xuanwu in the North Palace." ’ What’s here is not the White Tiger, but the Xianchi. Xianchi is the star of grains and autumn. Since grains are harvested in autumn, it is placed in autumn. However, it is not an animal. How can it be paired with dragons, birds and turtles? What about Cheng Si Ling? In "Justice": "The Three Stars of Xianchi"
Among the five cars, the sky is in the south, where the fish and birds are. ’ Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, questions were raised: ‘Canglong, Zhuniao, Xuanwu, etc. are all divided into seven places. As for Xianchi, there is another star, which is outside the twenty-eight constellations. There is another explanation for Xianchi, which is a place where the sun bathes
. In "Huainanzi. Astronomical Chapter": "The sun rises in Yanggu, bathes in the salty pond, and brushes against the hibiscus. This is called morning brightness." It can be seen that Xianchi was originally regarded as the place where the sun rises by the Qiang people. Xianchi is also an alkaline lake, which should be a taro lake in the Minshan area, or Qinghai.
This proves that the celestial phenomena worshiped by primitive people do not yet have the concept of green dragons and white tigers. In "Book of Rites. Liyun" it is said: 'Lin
Phoenix, turtle, dragon, are called the four spirits. ’ Replace Xianchi, which is not an animal, with Qilin.
In later generations, it was customary for the four spirits to have lins and the four elephants to have tigers
And because the white tiger is the god of war, many powerful generals were said to be white tiger stars throughout the world, such as: Generals of the Tang Dynasty< /p>
Luo Cheng, Xue Rengui and his son, etc. In addition, the white tiger was attracted by Taoism and deified, becoming the door god of various temples.
Southern Suzaku
The Suzaku can also be said to be a phoenix or black bird. Suzaku is one of the four spirits. Like the other three spirits, it comes from the stars.
It is the general name of the seven stars in the south: well, ghost, willow, star, Zhang, Yi and Zhen. When I think of it, it's Suzaku. Zhu is red, like
fire, and the south belongs to fire, hence the name Phoenix. It also has the property of being reincarnated from the fire, just like the phoenix in the West, so it is also called the Fire Phoenix
Phoenix.
According to records in ancient books, the phoenix is ??a beautiful bird, and with its singing and appearance, it is the king of birds. It can bring auspiciousness to the world
and at the same time It also has the special spirituality of "it will not live unless it is a parasol tree, it will not eat unless it is a bamboo tree, and it will not drink unless it is a sweet spring spring". Since it is as long as a "feather insect", it is the same as the dragon as long as a "scale insect". In the legend, they gradually became a pair, one with many changes and the other with beautiful virtues, and they became a pair that complemented each other in folk customs. Moreover, because the dragon symbolizes the solstice of the yang, there is also a yin and yang. After facing the dragon, the phoenix (phoenix is ??the male and the female is phoenix) gradually became the representative of pure yin.
There are many original forms of the phoenix. Such as golden pheasants, peacocks, eagles, swans, blackbirds (swallows), etc... It is also said that they were transformed into the Buddhist roc Garuda. The phoenix mentioned in the Phoenix myth has the head of a chicken, the chin of a swallow, the neck of a snake, the tail of a fish, and has five-color patterns. There are five kinds of phoenixes, divided by color: red is the phoenix, green is the phoenix, white is the swan, and there are yellow and purple.
The explanation of the black bird comes from the "Book of Songs. Ode to Shang. Xuannio": "The black bird of destiny descended and gave birth to Shang, and its Yin earth shines brightly."
The ancient emperor ordered Wutang and Zhengyu to be in all directions. ’, the descendants of the Yin and Shang Dynasties said that their ancestor Qi was born from Xuanniao
and established a powerful Shang Dynasty. Therefore, Xuanniao became the founder of merchants. "Historical Records. Yin Benji" also records this period of history: '
Yin Qi and his mother were called Jian Di, and they had the daughter of Rong Di, who was the emperor's second concubine... The three of them were taking a bath, and they met The black bird followed its eggs, and Jian Di took them and swallowed them
because of the pregnancy and the birth of the contract. ’ In addition to the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the Qin Dynasty during the Warring States Period, the Shizuo of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the Shizuo of the Korean Silla were also related to fairies
devouring black bird eggs. Regardless of whether it is a black bird or a phoenix, following the development of Taoism, it was transformed from a bird, or a peacock
or a pheasant, etc... first into a half-human, half-bird, From fairies who teach people the art of war to fairies who are completely human, they all developed with Taoism
.
In the past, there were three temples dedicated to Xuannv in Beijing, called Jiutian Niangniang Temple and Xuannv Temple. There are also Xuannv temples in the north and south.
Northern Xuanwu
Xuanwu is a spiritual creature composed of a turtle and a snake. The original meaning of Xuanwu is Xuanming, and the ancient sounds of Wu and Ming are connected.
Wu means black; Ming means yin. Xuan Ming originally described turtle divination: the back of a turtle is black, and turtle divination
is to ask the turtle to go to the underworld to ask the ancestors, bring the answer back, and show it to the world in the form of a divination omen. . Therefore, the earliest Xuanwu
was the turtle. Later, the meaning of Xuan Ming continued to expand. Turtles live in rivers, lakes and seas (including turtles), so Xuan Ming became the water god; turtles live long, and Xuan Ming became a symbol of immortality; the original underworld was in the north, and the oracle bone divination of the Yin and Shang Dynasties was '
The divination must be to the north', so Xuan Ming became the god of the north again.
Like the other three spirits, Xuanwu is also formed from the twenty-eight constellations in the world: Dou, Niu, Nv, Xu, Danger, Room, and Wall
. People after ancient times have the following interpretations of Xuanwu. ‘Xuanwu’ means turtle. "Book of Rites. Qu Li Shang" says: "Xing
The front is the red bird and then the basalt..." "Xuanwu" is the turtle and snake. "Chu Ci. Yuan Yu" Hong Xingzu added annotation: "Xuanwu means turtle and snake."
It is located in the north, so it is called Xuan. The body has scales and armor, so it is called Wu. ‘Xuanwu’ is the fusion of snakes, the intersection of turtles and snakes.
’ Li Shan’s note
says: ‘The cross between a turtle and a snake is called Xuanwu. ’ "Book of the Later Han Dynasty. Biography of Wang Liang": ""Chi Fu Fu" says: "Wang Liang Zhuheng made Xuanwu. ’
’ Li Xian noted: ‘Suwu, the god of the north, is a combination of a tortoise and a snake. 'Xuanwu' is the god of water and the god of the north. "Book of the Later Han. Wang
Liang Zhuan": "Xuanwu, the name of the water god." ’ Volume 6 of "The Collection of Reconstruction of Weishu" "Hetu Emperor Lanxi": "Born from Xuanwu in the north,... controls the north and governs wind and rain." ’
But Xuanwu was upgraded by later Taoist priests to become the great emperor of the north, "Emperor Zhenwu". It is different from the other three spirits. The other green dragons and white tigers only became the door gods of the mountain temple, while Zhuniao became Youtian Xuannv.
Xuanwu's status increased in the Song Dynasty and was personified. This is inseparable from the fact that the emperors of the Song Dynasty added fuel to the flames. At the time of Taizu in the early Song Dynasty, there were legends that Zhenwu, Tianpeng and others were the generals of heaven. In the first year of Tianxi reign of Emperor Wei Zhenzong, something happened in the military camp. In Volume 7 of "Shi Jiyuan": "If a soldier in the camp sees a snake, the sergeant will build a true martial arts hall because of it." In the leap month of the second year, a spring gushed to the side of the hall, and it was inexhaustible.
Those who suffered from diseases would recover if they drank more. ’ Zhenzong heard about this and issued an edict to build a temple on the spot and named it ‘Xiangyuan’. This is probably the earliest Zhenwu Temple in China.
The life experience of Emperor Zhenwu is mostly said by later generations to be during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty. The Jade Emperor reincarnated one of his three souls into Zhuole
The empress of the country hated the world. , gave up his position and went to Wudang Mountain to practice, successfully ascended to the throne, and guarded the north, named: Xuanwu