Zhengyi Dao

Zhengyi Dao (Chinese: 正一道; pinyin: Zheng Yi Dào), also known as the Way of Orthodox Unity, Teaching of the Orthodox Unity, and Branch of the Orthodox Unity is a Chinese Daoist movement that traditionally refers to the same Daoist lineage as the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice and Way of the Celestial Masters, but in the period of the Tang dynasty and its history thereafter. Like the Way of Celestial Masters (Tianshi Dao), the leader of Zhengyi Daoism was known as the Celestial Master.

A rite to worship the Jade Emperor at the Qinciyangdian, the focal temple of the Zhengyi school in Shanghai.

Name

The term Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) has been used since Daoism became an organized religion in 142 AD when Laozi bestowed the Covenant with the Powers of Orthodox Unity (zhengyi mengwei) on Zhang Daoling. Zhang's followers called his teachings the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice while during the Six Dynasties period, the southern Daoists called it the Way of the Celestial Masters. The Covenant, Five Pecks of Rice, and Celestial Masters all refer to the Zhengyi branch of Daoism but in different periods.[1]

History

Longhu Shan, the headquarters of the Zhengyi Daoists, in Jiangxi, China

Post-Han decline

Celestial Master communities suffered from numerous migrations in the late Three Kingdoms and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periods. Cao Cao resettled them in the north and then they joined mass migrations to the south after the loss of Northern China in 317 to the Uprising of the Five Barbarians. In the 5th century Abridged Codes for the Daoist Community, Lu Xiujing laments that Daoist Assemblies no longer observed the proper rules and the position of libationer had become hereditary. By the Tang dynasty, the title of Celestial Master had been debased to the point where any prominent Daoist could claim the title. Celestial Master priests no longer figured prominently in Daoist texts.[2]

Mount Longhu

Emperor Xuanzong (712-756) canonized the first Celestial Master Zhang Daoling during his reign. This brought no benefit to the original base of the Celestial Masters in Sichuan, but rather benefited a temple in the Jiangnan area of Jiangxi province. This temple was located at Mount Longhu, claimed to be the spot where Zhang Daoling had obtained the Dao, and where his descendants still lived. Recognized by the emperor as the legitimate descendants of Zhang Daoling, these new Celestial Masters established a new patriarchy at their base of Longhu Shan.[3]

Revival

The importance of the Zhengyi school grew during the Song dynasty, with the Celestial masters frequently receiving imperial appointments. In 1239, the Southern Song dynasty's Emperor Lizong commanded the 35th Celestial Master Zhang Keda to the united Lingbao School, the Shangqing School and Zhengyi Dao. The new school was to retain the Zhengyi name and remain based at Mount Longhu. Shortly after the schools were united, the Mongols under Kublai Khan conquered the Southern Song dynasty and established the Yuan dynasty in China. He accepted the claim that the Celestial Master of Mount Longhu was descended from Zhang Daoling and granted the school the right to control affairs relating to Daoism in the Jiangnan area. In 1304, as a result of Zhengyi Dao's increased importance under the Mongols, all of the Daoist schools, with the exception of the Quanzhen School, were united under the banner of the Zhengyi School, with the 38th Celestial Master, Zhang Yucai, as leader.[4]

Post-Yuan decline

The founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368 marked the beginning of a long decline in the power of the Zhengyi Daoism. The first Ming ruler, the Hongwu Emperor (1368–98), suppressed the use of the title of 'Celestial Master' among the Zhengyi School, and the 50th Celestial Master Zhang Guoxiang had his title stripped by the Longqing Emperor (1567–72).[5] By the Daoguang period (1821–50) of the Qing dynasty, relations between the court and the Celestial Masters came to an end. The school's activities became localized to regions in which the school was particularly important.[6] Despite ending association with the court, the Celestial Master himself still retained a great deal of prestige and importance among Daoists throughout China.[7] This prestige, which arose from the belief that he was descended from Zhang Daoling, was evident when the Celestial Master traveled and attracted crowds of people wherever he went.[8]

Beliefs

Unlike prior incarnations of the Celestial Masters, like the school based at Louguan, the Zhengyi Daoists did not venerate Laozi as a god. Instead, he was viewed as the ancestor of the school's teaching.[9]

Practices

The main gate of the residence of the Celestial Master at Longhu Shan

During the Tang dynasty, the primary activity of Zhengyi Daoists was to sell protective talismans. Local cults developed around the sale of these talismans, and around guilds and associations patronized by members of the church.[10]

One of the fundamental practices of the school was conferring registers (lu) upon people entering Daoism. A register was a way to allow that the Daoist tradition passed on to future generations by ensuring those who received them had an adequate knowledge of the school's teachings.[9] Registers also had the names of deities written on them who could be called upon by the bearer to assist in times of need.[11] Once one received a register, they were considered to be part of the priesthood. There were different grades of registers for laypeople with differing levels of religious knowledge.[9]

The Celestial Masters adopted the Thunder Rites during the last two decades of the Northern Song dynasty. The Five Thunders variety appeared earlier and was linked with the Celestial Masters.

Rituals

There are two main types of rituals performed by the Zhengyi Daoists the jiao (Offering) and zhai (Retreat) rituals.[9] The zhai ritual is performed as a way to gain benefits through purification and abstinence, and usually takes place immediately before the jiao ritual. In performing a ritual, an adherent must first recite a litany of repentance, then notify the deities of the merits gained through repentance by submitting a document to heaven. Upon completion of the zhai ritual, the jiao ritual begins in which deities are given offerings and thanked.[12] The jiao ritual is usually performed over a three-day period. Much of the ritual is performed by priests in a temple, but can also involve religious processions through the city, musical performances and a mass offering in front of the temple.[13]

Texts

The Zhengyi Daoists were particularly notable for their work in gathering Daoist texts and assembling them into collections. Zhang Yuchu (1361–1410) received an imperial commission in 1406 to gather texts, in particular those produced during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor (1368–98). With these texts, Zhang compiled a reference work known as the Zhengtong Daozang (Canon of the Zhengtong Reign), which was an overview of current Daoists texts and practices.[14] Zhang Guoxiang (?-1611), compiled a similar reference work in 1607 known as the Wanli Xu Daozang (Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Reign Period).[15]

List of Celestial Masters

Number Name Chinese Dates
1 Zhang Daoling 张道陵 2nd century CE
2 Zhang Heng 张衡 ?-179
3 Zhang Lu 张鲁 ?-215
4 Zhang Sheng 张盛
5 Zhang Zhaocheng 张昭成
6 Zhang Jiao 张椒
7 Zhang Hui 张回
8 Zhang Jiong 张迥
9 Zhang Fu 张符
10 Zhang Zixiang 张子祥 ca. 600
11 Zhang Tongxuan 张通玄
12 Zhang Heng 张恒
13 Zhang Guang 张光
14 Zhang Cizheng 张慈正
15 Zhang Gao 张高 ca. 735
16 Zhang Yingshao 张应韶
17 Zhang Yi 张颐
18 Zhang Shiyuan 张士元
19 Zhang Xiu 张修
20 Zhang Chen 张谌
21 Zhang Bingyi 张秉一
22 Zhang Shan 张善
23 Zhang Jiwen 张季文
24 Zhang Zhengsui 张正随 fl. 1015
25 Zhang Qianyao 张干曜
26 Zhang Sizong 张嗣宗
27 Zhang Xiangzhong 张象中
28 Zhang Dunfu 张敦复 fl. 1077
29 Zhang Jingduan 张景瑞 1049?-1100?
30 Zhang Jixian 张继先 1092–1126
31 Zhang Shixiu 张时修
32 Zhang Shouzhen 张守真 ?-1176
33 Zhang Jingyuan 张景渊
34 Zhang Qingxian 张庆先
35 Zhang Keda 张可大 1218-63
36 Zhang Zongyan 张宗演 1244-91
37 Zhang Yudi 张与棣 ?-1294
38 Zhang Yucai[16] 张与材 ?-1316
39 Zhang Sicheng[17] 张嗣成 ?-1344?
40 Zhang Side 张嗣德 ?-1353
41 Zhang Zhengyan 张正言 ?-1359
42 Zhang Zhengchang (Awarded the title of 正一嗣教眞人[18][19][20]) 张正常 1335-78
43 Zhang Yuchu 张宇初 1361–1410
44 Zhang Yuqing 张宇清 1364–1427
45 Zhang Maocheng 张懋丞
46 Zhang Yuanji 张元吉
47 Zhang Xuanqing 张原庆
48 Zhang Yanpian 张彦页 1480–1550
49 Zhang Yongxu 张永绪 ?-1566
50 Zhang Guoxiang 张国祥 ?-1611
51 Zhang Xianyong 张显庸
52 Zhang Yingjing 张应京
53 Zhang Hongren 张洪任
54 Zhang Jizong 张继宗 ?-1716
55 Zhang Xilin 张锡麟 ?-1727
56 Zhang Yulong 张遇隆 ?-1752
57 Zhang Cunyi 张存义 ?-1779
58 Zhang Qilong 张起隆 ?-1798
59 Zhang Yu 张钰
60 Zhang Peiyuan 张培源 ?-1859
61 Zhang Renzheng 张仁政 1841–1903
62 Zhang Yuanxu 张元旭 1862–1924
63 Zhang Enpu 张恩溥 1904–1969
64 Zhāng Yuanxian 張源先 1971 - 2008

See also

Notes

  1. Cheng 2008, p. 1258.
  2. Kleeman 2008, p. 985-986.
  3. Schipper & Verellen (2004), p. 634.
  4. Chen (2008), p. 1258-1259.
  5. Boltz (2008), p. 1226.
  6. Chen (2008), p. 1260.
  7. Goossaert (2004), p. 125-126.
  8. Goossaert (2004), p. 128.
  9. Chen (2008), p. 1259.
  10. Robinet (1997), p. 78.
  11. Miller (2008), p. 41.
  12. Toshiaki (2008), p. 1217.
  13. Andersen (2008), p. 539.
  14. Boltz (2008), p. 324.
  15. Boltz (2008), p. 1226-1227.
  16. Modern Chinese Religion I (2 vol.set): Song-Liao-Jin-Yuan (960-1368 AD). BRILL. 8 December 2014. pp. 1035–. ISBN 978-90-04-27164-7.
  17. Modern Chinese Religion I (2 vol.set): Song-Liao-Jin-Yuan (960-1368 AD). BRILL. 8 December 2014. pp. 1035–. ISBN 978-90-04-27164-7.
  18. H.S. Brunnert; V.V. Hagelstrom (15 April 2013). Present Day Political Organization of China. Routledge. pp. 494–. ISBN 978-1-135-79795-9.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. https://archive.org/stream/presentdaypoliti00brun#page/494/mode/2up

References

  • Andersen, Poul. "Jiao." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 539-544.
  • Boltz, Judith. "Daomen Shigui." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1226-1227.
  • Boltz, Judith. "Zhang Guoxiang." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1226-1227.
  • Chen, Yaoting. "Zhengyi." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1258-1260.
  • Goossaert, Vincent. "Bureaucratic charisma: The Zhang Heavenly Master institution and court Taoists in late-Qing China," Asia Major 17.2 (2004), 121-159.
  • Kleeman, Terry. "Tianshi Dao." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 981-986.
  • Miller, Amy Lynn. "Lu." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 40-42.
  • Robinet, Isabelle. Taoism: Growth of a Religion. Stanford: Stanford University, 1997.
  • Schipper, Kristopher and Franciscus Verellen. The Taoist Canon: A Historical Companion to the Daozang. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2004.
  • Toshiaki, Yamada. "Zhai." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1216-1217.
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