Taoism has a very large system of immortals. There are many gods. Such as the Three Pure Ones and Five Elders, the Six Imperial Heavenly Emperors, the Golden Mother Mugong, the Three Officials Great Emperor, the Ten Directions Heavenly Lords, etc.
1. Sanqing
Yuanshi Tianzun (also known as Yuqing Emperor, Tianbaojun, full name Yuqing Holy Realm Nihility Natural Original Tianzun)
Lingbao Tianzun ( Also known as Taishang Daodaojun, Shangqing Emperor, Lingbaojun, etc.)
Moral Heavenly Lord (also known as Taishang Laojun, Hunyuan Laojun, Born Emperor, Taiqing Emperor, etc.)
< p>2. Five Directions and Five LaojunsEastern Anbao Hua Lin Qingling Shi Laojun (referred to as Qingling Shi Lao Cang Dijun)
Southern Brahma Bao Changyang Danling Zhen Laojun ( Referred to as Dan Ling Zhen Lao Chi Di Jun)
The central jade treasure Yuan Ling Yuan Lao Jun (referred to as Yuan Ling Yuan Lao Huang Dijun)
Western Seven Treasures Golden Gate Hao Ling Huang Lao Jun (referred to as Hao Ling Huang Laojun) Old White Emperor)
North Cave Yin Shuo Shan Yu Jue Wulingxuan Laojun (referred to as Wulingxuan Old Black Emperor)
3. Six Emperors of Heaven
The six emperors are ranked below the three pure and five elders. This view originates from the ancient Chinese concept of "Liuhe". The so-called "liuhe" refers to the upper, lower, and four directions (east, west, south, and north)
< p>Above: The Jade Emperor (also known as the Jade Emperor of Xuan Qiong Gao Shang, Haotian Golden Tower Supreme Jade Emperor, full name Haotian Golden Tower Supreme Supreme Natural Wonderful Miluo Zhizhen Jade Emperor God), rules the gods and the heavens;North: The Great Emperor of the North Pole, who controls the sun, moon, and stars;
West: the Emperor of Gouchen Shanggong, who controls all the weapons and thunder;
South : The Antarctic Immortal Emperor, who rules over all spirits; (commonly known as the longevity star)
Part 2: Chengtian follows the example of the Empress Earth Emperor, the wife of the Jade Emperor, who rules over the mountains and rivers;
East: The Qinghua Emperor of the East Pole (also known as Taiyi the Suffering God), the servant of the Jade Emperor, who rules all kinds of things; (commonly known as Taiyi Zhenren)
Ziwei the North Pole Emperor, the Antarctic Immortal Emperor, Gou The emperor Chen Shanggong and the emperor Chengtian followed suit and were collectively called the four emperors; Taiyi Jiuzhu Tianzun was located after the four emperors;
4. Golden Mother Mu Gong
To rule and manage the male and female immortals.
The Queen Mother of the West, also known as the Queen Mother of the West, the Queen Mother, the Golden Mother and the Golden Mother Yuanjun (especially emphasize that in the orthodox Taoist pantheon, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West are not husband and wife, and the Queen Mother of the West appeared earlier than the Jade Emperor) . The Queen Mother of the West is formed from the condensation of innate yin energy. She is the head of all female immortals and is in charge of the Kunlun Fairy Island. (Commonly known as the Queen Mother)
Dong Wanggong, formed by the condensation of innate yang energy, is the head of all male immortals and is in charge of Penglai Fairy Island.
5. The Three Officials
Refers to the Tianguan, Diguan and Shuiguan, which are under the jurisdiction of the Western Emperor Gouchen of the Six Imperial Guards. In the Taoist immortal system, the Three Officials The Great Emperor appeared earlier than the Three Pure Gods and was the earliest god worshiped by Taoism.
Tianguan (Blessing): The Tianguan is named Shangyuan Yipin Blessing Tianguan, Ziwei Emperor, and belongs to Yuqing Realm. The Heavenly Official is composed of the three qi of blue, yellow and white, and is the master of all heavenly kings. Every fifteenth day of the first lunar month, during the Shangyuan Festival, people descend to the human world to determine their sins and blessings. Therefore, it is called blessing from heavenly officials. (Commonly known as Lucky Star among the people)
Diguan (forgiveness): The local official is named Zhongyuan Second Grade Pardoner, Emperor Qingxu, and belongs to Shangqing Realm. The Earth Official is composed of the Yuandong Hunling Qi and the Extreme Yellow Essence, and is the master of the Five Emperors, Five Mountains and all the gods of the earth. Every July 15th, the Ghost Festival, people come to the human world to abstain from sins and forgive their sins.
Shuiguan (Jiehe): Shuiguan is named Xiayuan third-grade Jiehe Shuiguan, Emperor Dongyin, and belongs to Yuqing realm. Shuiguan is composed of the energy of Fengze and the essence of Chenhao, and is the master of all the great gods in the water. Every October 15th, Xiayuan Festival, he comes to the human world to abstain from sins and eliminate misfortunes.
Extended information:
Taoism is a native religion in China, with "Tao" as the highest belief. Taoism is based on the concept of worshiping ghosts and gods in ancient China. It is based on the thoughts of Huang and Lao Taoism and inherited the immortal alchemy since the Warring States Period. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, a large number of Taoist organizations appeared, the famous ones being Taiping Taoism and Wu Dou Mi Taoism. The ancestral master Zhang Daoling formally founded the religious order, which has a history of 1,800 years ago. Taoism is a multi-god worship, and the gods worshiped personify the Taoist belief in "Tao". Taoist priests are Taoist clergy, and there are more than 30,000 Taoist priests living in the country. Temples are places for Taoist activities. There are more than 2,000 temples registered and open across the country.
Overview of Taoism
Taoism is the Fangxian Taoism that originated from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in ancient China. It is a native form of polytheism that worships many gods. Its main purpose is to pursue immortality and gain. Tao becomes immortal, helps the world and saves people. It occupies an important position in ancient Chinese traditional culture and is also actively developing in the modern world. Although Taoism has been one of the hundreds of schools of thought since the Warring States Period, Taoism has deified the original moral philosopher.
It was not until the late Han Dynasty that a religious order emerged. The Celestial Master in Yizhou (now Sichuan) worshiped Laozi as the Supreme Lord. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the religious form of Taoism gradually improved. Laozi Li Er (Taishang Laojun) is the ancestor of the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, Laozi was honored as the Taishang Xuanyuan Emperor, the sage ancestor of Dao Yuanque.
Taoism regards "Tao" as its highest belief and believes that "Tao" is the origin of all things. In traditional Chinese culture, Taoism, together with Confucianism and Buddhism, is a dominant theoretical doctrine and seeks to practice methods to become immortals.
The Taoism that the academic circles now refer to refers to the Taoism that is gradually formed on the basis of ancient Chinese religious beliefs and inherits most of the religious concepts and practice methods such as Fangxian Taoism, Huanglao Taoism and folk belief in gods. Take "Tao" as the highest belief. It is mainly a Chinese religion that worships Taishang Laojun as its leader, and uses Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" as the classics of the realm of immortality, not the main classics of cultivation, and pursues cultivation to become an immortal. The main method of Taoism to become an immortal or a god can be roughly It can be summarized into five types, including taking elixirs, external elixirs, etc., refining and guiding Qi, cultivating inner elixirs, and using Taoist rituals and one's own magic skills to achieve immortality through rituals. It is common that later gods are mostly inner elixirs. People who have become gods through cultivation and meritorious deeds, and practitioners of Taoism.
Reference materials: Baidu Encyclopedia - Taoist Immortals, Baidu Encyclopedia - Genealogy of Immortals, Baidu Encyclopedia - Taoism