Ancient Chinese Mythology
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:19
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:19
MYTHOLOGICAL GODS
CH'ENG-HUANG
God of moats and walls. Every village and town had its own Ch'eng-Huang, most often a local dignitary or important person who had died and been promoted to godhood. His divine status was revealed in dreams, though the gods made the actual decision. Ch'eng-Huang not only protects the community from attack but sees to it that the King of the Dead does not take any soul from his jurisdiction without proper authority. Ch'eng-Huang also exposes evil-doers in the community itself, usually through dreams. His assistants are Mr. Ba Lao-ye and Mr. Hei Lao-ye . Mr. Daywatchman and Mr. Nightwatchman.
CHU JUNG
God of fire. Chu Jung punishes those who break the laws of heaven.
CH'ENG-HUANG
God of moats and walls. Every village and town had its own Ch'eng-Huang, most often a local dignitary or important person who had died and been promoted to godhood. His divine status was revealed in dreams, though the gods made the actual decision. Ch'eng-Huang not only protects the community from attack but sees to it that the King of the Dead does not take any soul from his jurisdiction without proper authority. Ch'eng-Huang also exposes evil-doers in the community itself, usually through dreams. His assistants are Mr. Ba Lao-ye and Mr. Hei Lao-ye . Mr. Daywatchman and Mr. Nightwatchman.
CHU JUNG
God of fire. Chu Jung punishes those who break the laws of heaven.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:20
KUAN TI
God of war. The Great Judge who protects the people from injustice and evil spirits. A red-faced god dressed always in green. An oracle. Kuan Ti was an actual historical figure, a general of the Han dynasty renowned for his skill as a warrior and his justness as a ruler. There were more than 1600 temples dedicated to Kuan Ti.
KWAN YIN
Goddess of mercy and compassion. A lady dressed in white seated on a lotus and holding an infant. Murdered by her father, she recited the holy books when she arrived in Hell, and the ruler of the underworld could not make the dead souls suffer. The disgruntled god sent her back to the world of the living, where Kwan Yin attained great spiritual insight and was rewarded with immortality by the Buddha. A popular goddess, Kwan Yin's temple at the Mount of the Wondrous Peak was ever filled with a throng of pilgrims shaking rattles and setting off firecrackers to get her attention.
KUAN TI
God of war. The Great Judge who protects the people from injustice and evil spirits. A red-faced god dressed always in green. An oracle. Kuan Ti was an actual historical figure, a general of the Han dynasty renowned for his skill as a warrior and his justness as a ruler. There were more than 1600 temples dedicated to Kuan Ti.
KWAN YIN
Goddess of mercy and compassion. A lady dressed in white seated on a lotus and holding an infant. Murdered by her father, she recited the holy books when she arrived in Hell, and the ruler of the underworld could not make the dead souls suffer. The disgruntled god sent her back to the world of the living, where Kwan Yin attained great spiritual insight and was rewarded with immortality by the Buddha. A popular goddess, Kwan Yin's temple at the Mount of the Wondrous Peak was ever filled with a throng of pilgrims shaking rattles and setting off firecrackers to get her attention.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:20
LEI KUN
God of thunder. Lei Kung has the head of a bird, wings, claws and blue skin, and his chariot is drawn by six boys. Lei Kung makes thunder with his hammer, and his wife makes lightning with her mirrors. Lei Kung chases away evil spirits and punishes criminals whose crimes have gone undetected.
LEI KUN
God of thunder. Lei Kung has the head of a bird, wings, claws and blue skin, and his chariot is drawn by six boys. Lei Kung makes thunder with his hammer, and his wife makes lightning with her mirrors. Lei Kung chases away evil spirits and punishes criminals whose crimes have gone undetected.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:21
PA HSIEN
The Eight Immortals of the Taoist tradition. Ordinary mortals who, through good works and good lives, were rewarded by the Queen Mother Wang by giving them the peaches of everlasting life to eat. They are:
TIEH-KUAI Li - of the Iron Crutch. A healer, Li sits as a beggar in the market place selling wondrous drugs, some of which can revive the dead.
CHUNG-LI CH'UAN - A smiling old men always beaming with joy, he was rewarded with immortality for his ascetic life in the mountains.
LAN TS'AI-HO - A young flute-player and wandering minstrel who carries a basket laden with fruit. His soul-searching songs caused a stork to snatch him away to the heavens.
LU TUNG-PIN - A hero of early Chinese literature. Renouncing riches and the world, he punished the wicked and rewarded the good, and slew dragons with a magic sword.
CHANG-KUO LAO - An aged hermit with miraculous abilities. Chang owned a donkey that could travel at incredible speed. The personification of the primordial vapor that is the source of all life.
HAN HSIANG-TZU - A scholar who chose to study magic rather than prepare for the civil service. When his uncle chastised him for studying magic, Han Hsiang-Tzu materialized two flowers with poems written on the leaves.
TS'AO KUO-CHIU - Ts'ao Kuo-Chiu tried to reform his brother, a corrupt emperor, by reminding him that the laws of heaven are inescapable.
HO HSIEN-KU - Immortal Maiden - A Cantonese girl who dreamed that she could become immortal by eating a powder made of mother-of-pearl. She appears only to men of great virtue.
PA HSIEN
The Eight Immortals of the Taoist tradition. Ordinary mortals who, through good works and good lives, were rewarded by the Queen Mother Wang by giving them the peaches of everlasting life to eat. They are:
TIEH-KUAI Li - of the Iron Crutch. A healer, Li sits as a beggar in the market place selling wondrous drugs, some of which can revive the dead.
CHUNG-LI CH'UAN - A smiling old men always beaming with joy, he was rewarded with immortality for his ascetic life in the mountains.
LAN TS'AI-HO - A young flute-player and wandering minstrel who carries a basket laden with fruit. His soul-searching songs caused a stork to snatch him away to the heavens.
LU TUNG-PIN - A hero of early Chinese literature. Renouncing riches and the world, he punished the wicked and rewarded the good, and slew dragons with a magic sword.
CHANG-KUO LAO - An aged hermit with miraculous abilities. Chang owned a donkey that could travel at incredible speed. The personification of the primordial vapor that is the source of all life.
HAN HSIANG-TZU - A scholar who chose to study magic rather than prepare for the civil service. When his uncle chastised him for studying magic, Han Hsiang-Tzu materialized two flowers with poems written on the leaves.
TS'AO KUO-CHIU - Ts'ao Kuo-Chiu tried to reform his brother, a corrupt emperor, by reminding him that the laws of heaven are inescapable.
HO HSIEN-KU - Immortal Maiden - A Cantonese girl who dreamed that she could become immortal by eating a powder made of mother-of-pearl. She appears only to men of great virtue.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:21
P'AN-CHIN-LIEN
Goddess of prostitutes. As a mortal, she was a widow who was much too liberal and inventive with her favors, and her father-in-law killed her. In death her more professional associates honored her and eventually became the goddess of whores.
SHI-TIEN YEN-WANG
The Lords of Death, the ten rulers of the underworld. They dress alike in royal robes and only the wisest can tell them apart. Each ruler presides over one court of law. In the first court a soul is judged according to his sins in life and sentenced to one of the eight courts of punishment. Punishment is fitted to the offense. Misers are made to drink molten gold, liars' tongues are cut out. In the second court are incompetent doctors and dishonest agents; in the third, forgers, liars, gossips, and corrupt government officials; in the fifth, murderers, sex offenders and atheists; in the sixth, the sacrilegious and blasphemers; in the eighth, those guilty of filial disrespect; in the ninth, arsonists and accident victims. In the tenth is the Wheel of Transmigration where souls are released to be reincarnated again after their punishment is completed. Before souls are released, they are given a brew of oblivion, which makes them forget their former lives.
P'AN-CHIN-LIEN
Goddess of prostitutes. As a mortal, she was a widow who was much too liberal and inventive with her favors, and her father-in-law killed her. In death her more professional associates honored her and eventually became the goddess of whores.
SHI-TIEN YEN-WANG
The Lords of Death, the ten rulers of the underworld. They dress alike in royal robes and only the wisest can tell them apart. Each ruler presides over one court of law. In the first court a soul is judged according to his sins in life and sentenced to one of the eight courts of punishment. Punishment is fitted to the offense. Misers are made to drink molten gold, liars' tongues are cut out. In the second court are incompetent doctors and dishonest agents; in the third, forgers, liars, gossips, and corrupt government officials; in the fifth, murderers, sex offenders and atheists; in the sixth, the sacrilegious and blasphemers; in the eighth, those guilty of filial disrespect; in the ninth, arsonists and accident victims. In the tenth is the Wheel of Transmigration where souls are released to be reincarnated again after their punishment is completed. Before souls are released, they are given a brew of oblivion, which makes them forget their former lives.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:21
TI-TSANG WANG
God of mercy. Wandering in the caverns of Hell, a lost soul might encounter a smiling monk whose path is illuminated by a shining pearl and whose staff is decorated with metal rings that chime like bells. This is Ti-Tsang Wang, who will do all he can to help the soul escape hell and even to put an end to his eternal round of death and rebirth. Long ago, Ti-Tsang Wang renounced Nirvana so that he could search the dark regions of Hell for souls to save from the kings of the ten hells. Once a priest of Brahma, he converted to Buddhism and himself became a Buddha with special authority over the souls of the dead.
T'SHAI-SHEN
God of wealth who presides over a vast bureaucracy with many minor deities under his authority. A majestic figure robed in exquisite silks. T'shai-Shen is quite a popular god; even atheists worship him.
TSAO WANG
God of the hearth. Every household has its own Tsao Wang. Every year the hearth god reports on the family to the Jade Emperor, and the family has good or bad luck during the coming year according to his report. The hearth god's wife records every word spoken by every member of the family. A paper image represents the hearth god and his wife, and incense is burned to them daily. When the time came to make his report to the Jade Emperor, sweetmeats were placed in his mouth, the paper was burned, and firecrackers were lit to speed him on his way.
TI-TSANG WANG
God of mercy. Wandering in the caverns of Hell, a lost soul might encounter a smiling monk whose path is illuminated by a shining pearl and whose staff is decorated with metal rings that chime like bells. This is Ti-Tsang Wang, who will do all he can to help the soul escape hell and even to put an end to his eternal round of death and rebirth. Long ago, Ti-Tsang Wang renounced Nirvana so that he could search the dark regions of Hell for souls to save from the kings of the ten hells. Once a priest of Brahma, he converted to Buddhism and himself became a Buddha with special authority over the souls of the dead.
T'SHAI-SHEN
God of wealth who presides over a vast bureaucracy with many minor deities under his authority. A majestic figure robed in exquisite silks. T'shai-Shen is quite a popular god; even atheists worship him.
TSAO WANG
God of the hearth. Every household has its own Tsao Wang. Every year the hearth god reports on the family to the Jade Emperor, and the family has good or bad luck during the coming year according to his report. The hearth god's wife records every word spoken by every member of the family. A paper image represents the hearth god and his wife, and incense is burned to them daily. When the time came to make his report to the Jade Emperor, sweetmeats were placed in his mouth, the paper was burned, and firecrackers were lit to speed him on his way.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:22
TU-TI
Local gods. Minor gods of towns, villages and even streets and households. Though far from the most important gods in the divine scheme, they were quite popular. Usually portrayed as kindly, respectable old men, they see to it that the domains under their protection run smoothly.
YENG-WANG-YEH
Lord Yama King - Greatest of the Lords of Death. Yeng-Wang-Yeh judges all souls newly arrived to the land of the dead and decides whether to send them to a special court for punishment or put them back on the Wheel of Transmigration.
YU-HUANG-SHANG-TI
Father Heaven - e August Supreme Emperor of Jade, whose court is in the highest level of heaven, originally a sky god. The Jade Emperor made men, fashioning them from clay. His heavenly court resembles the earthly court in all ways, having an army, a bureaucracy, a royal family and parasitical courtiers. The Jade Emperor's rule is orderly and without caprice. The seasons come and go as they should, yin is balanced with yang, good is rewarded and evil is punished. As time went on, the Jade Emperor became more and more remote to men, and it became customary to approach him through his doorkeeper, the Transcendental Dignitary. The Jade Emperor sees and hears everything; even the softest whisper is as loud as thunder to the Jade Emperor.
TU-TI
Local gods. Minor gods of towns, villages and even streets and households. Though far from the most important gods in the divine scheme, they were quite popular. Usually portrayed as kindly, respectable old men, they see to it that the domains under their protection run smoothly.
YENG-WANG-YEH
Lord Yama King - Greatest of the Lords of Death. Yeng-Wang-Yeh judges all souls newly arrived to the land of the dead and decides whether to send them to a special court for punishment or put them back on the Wheel of Transmigration.
YU-HUANG-SHANG-TI
Father Heaven - e August Supreme Emperor of Jade, whose court is in the highest level of heaven, originally a sky god. The Jade Emperor made men, fashioning them from clay. His heavenly court resembles the earthly court in all ways, having an army, a bureaucracy, a royal family and parasitical courtiers. The Jade Emperor's rule is orderly and without caprice. The seasons come and go as they should, yin is balanced with yang, good is rewarded and evil is punished. As time went on, the Jade Emperor became more and more remote to men, and it became customary to approach him through his doorkeeper, the Transcendental Dignitary. The Jade Emperor sees and hears everything; even the softest whisper is as loud as thunder to the Jade Emperor.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:25
China - the Middle Kingdom - is an ancient country full of mystery and paradox.
Although hard-working and down-to-earth, the Chinese people have always had a streak of poetry in their souls. Only the Chinese could mix sublime philosophy and mindless paperwork and get away with it.
With a recorded history reaching back practically to the Big Bang, China has had plenty of time to perfect its pantheons. Over the aeons, primitive folk religion absorbed sophisticated ideas - the common sense of Confucious (Kongzi), the ritual and magic of Daoism, the sublime spirituality of Buddhism - to produce a stir-fry mix of Gods for all occasions. You certainly get value for money with China.
One thing we love about Chinese mythology is its sense of humor. For every starched civil servant in Heaven there's a mocking fable or unexpected pun. Most Chinese Gods and Goddesses are deified humans - which means they're as prone to mistakes as we are. But rather than airbrush out the embarrassments, China revels in them. We suspect that even the JADE-EMPEROR, the stern-faced Ruler of Heaven, sometimes has trouble keeping a straight face.
What makes Chinese Gods more inscrutable than most to the Western eye is the transliteration problem. Written Chinese consists of symbols; little pictures illustrating an idea or a thing. One Chinese word can mean a whole sentence in English. Each of the four hundred basic characters contains a concept, and by putting them together, more complex words are formed. ('fly' + 'machine' = 'aeroplane', 'small' + 'heart' = 'beware'
.
This presents a problem for Westerners, who are used to looking at marks on pieces of paper and knowing what they sound like. (How do you pronounce a picture of a tree?)
For most of the 20th Century, Chinese was romanized using the Wade-Giles system. This was a reasonable attempt to transcribe Chinese sounds into English - but, being created mostly for linguists and not the general public, has a number of peculiarities. For example, the sound 'dao' is spelt tao, and 'tao' is spelt t'ao. Omitting that little apostrophe causes much confusion.
The Wade-Giles system has now been officially replaced by Pinyin, which represents the sounds somewhat more accurately. Unfortunately the old spellings are still very much alive, so we have included these as variants to make it easier for you to track down those elusive Gods. We have also added a complete pronunciation guide to Chinese God names - available nowhere else on the net!
Add to all this confusion the bureaucracy of Heaven, the legions of Civil Servant Gods, and more esoteric philosophy than you can fit in a wok, and you have a pantheon you can really get your teeth into. Enjoy
China - the Middle Kingdom - is an ancient country full of mystery and paradox.
Although hard-working and down-to-earth, the Chinese people have always had a streak of poetry in their souls. Only the Chinese could mix sublime philosophy and mindless paperwork and get away with it.
With a recorded history reaching back practically to the Big Bang, China has had plenty of time to perfect its pantheons. Over the aeons, primitive folk religion absorbed sophisticated ideas - the common sense of Confucious (Kongzi), the ritual and magic of Daoism, the sublime spirituality of Buddhism - to produce a stir-fry mix of Gods for all occasions. You certainly get value for money with China.
One thing we love about Chinese mythology is its sense of humor. For every starched civil servant in Heaven there's a mocking fable or unexpected pun. Most Chinese Gods and Goddesses are deified humans - which means they're as prone to mistakes as we are. But rather than airbrush out the embarrassments, China revels in them. We suspect that even the JADE-EMPEROR, the stern-faced Ruler of Heaven, sometimes has trouble keeping a straight face.
What makes Chinese Gods more inscrutable than most to the Western eye is the transliteration problem. Written Chinese consists of symbols; little pictures illustrating an idea or a thing. One Chinese word can mean a whole sentence in English. Each of the four hundred basic characters contains a concept, and by putting them together, more complex words are formed. ('fly' + 'machine' = 'aeroplane', 'small' + 'heart' = 'beware'
.
This presents a problem for Westerners, who are used to looking at marks on pieces of paper and knowing what they sound like. (How do you pronounce a picture of a tree?)
For most of the 20th Century, Chinese was romanized using the Wade-Giles system. This was a reasonable attempt to transcribe Chinese sounds into English - but, being created mostly for linguists and not the general public, has a number of peculiarities. For example, the sound 'dao' is spelt tao, and 'tao' is spelt t'ao. Omitting that little apostrophe causes much confusion.
The Wade-Giles system has now been officially replaced by Pinyin, which represents the sounds somewhat more accurately. Unfortunately the old spellings are still very much alive, so we have included these as variants to make it easier for you to track down those elusive Gods. We have also added a complete pronunciation guide to Chinese God names - available nowhere else on the net!
Add to all this confusion the bureaucracy of Heaven, the legions of Civil Servant Gods, and more esoteric philosophy than you can fit in a wok, and you have a pantheon you can really get your teeth into. Enjoy
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:26
Also known as SUN-WUKONG, SUN-WU-KONG, SUN-WU-K'UNG, SUN-HOU-ZI, SUN-HOU-TZE, PI-MA-WEN
MONKEY: The infamous irrepressible Monkey King, Trickster God, and Great Sage Equal Of Heaven.
Star of stage, screen and scroll, MONKEY is the true hero of Journey To The West (Xiyou Ji) — the amazing novel of frivolity and profundity written by Wu Cheng'en in the Sixteenth Century. (It's one of China's Four Great Novels, and we highly recommend it to anyone seeking enlightenment or entertainment.)
From the beginning of time, a certain rock on the Mountain of Fruit and Flowers had been soaking up the goodness of nature and QI energy. One day this pregnant rock released a stone egg, and from it hatched a Stone Ape, who solemnly bowed to the Four Corners of the Earth — then jumped off to have fun.
This was MONKEY. He was high-spirited, egotistical and full of mischievous pranks. He was soon having a wonderful time as King of the Apes. But a niggling worry began to gnaw at him — one which would change his life. The Monkey King feared Death.
To find immortality, MONKEY became the disciple of Father Subodhi, a rather dour DAOist sage. The sage, unimpressed with his simian tricks, gave the Monkey King a new title: 'Disciple Aware of Emptiness'. MONKEY was very pleased with this epithet, not realising it referred to the vacuum in his head.
But after much haggling, Father Subodhi uttered the words of Illumination, explained the process of Cloud-Flying — and also revealed the secret of the Seventy-Two Transformations. Which, thought MONKEY, was extremely good value for money.
Returning home to his monkey subjects, he discovered they were under seige by a fearsome monster. Magic tricks were no good — what he needed was a weapon. So he whizzed off to the Dragon King AO-KUANG and cajoled his way into the Treasury. There he found the great Magic Wishing Staff, a huge rod of black iron which Heaven had used to flatten the bed of the Milky Way. It weighed 13,000 pounds but could expand to fill the Universe or shrink to the size of a needle. MONKEY was delighted with this Weapon of Mass Destruction and used it to bludgeon many a demon thereafter.
It wasn't long before reports of MONKEY's tricks started to reach the austere ears of the JADE-EMPEROR. First the DRAGON-KINGS complained of rudeness and theft. Then YEN-LO-WANG, the God of Death, lodged a formal protest. "That intolerable ape has just vandalised my filing system and made monkeys immortal. What are you going to do about it?"
Not wishing to shed needless karma, the JADE-EMPEROR invited MONKEY to Heaven and gave him a job. Without pay, of course. This plan to keep the peace was amazingly successful for an entire day. Then MONKEY discovered that his post as Keeper of the Heavenly Stables was so lowly, even the horse manure ranked higher than him.
Insulted beyond belief, MONKEY ran amok, burst into the JADE-EMPEROR's court and dared to threaten his august person. The Ruler of the Universe sighed, consulted his advisors and bestowed a new title upon him: Great Sage, Equal Of Heaven. "That's much better," said MONKEY, impressed.
But by his very nature the Great Sage was irrepressibly naughty. He just couldn't help it. He gobbled up LAO-ZI's Longevity Pills, stuffed his face with the precious Peaches of Immortality, gatecrashed official parties and made insulting gestures to all and sundry. Finally he left Heaven in disgust, claiming it wasn't good enough for him.
Now the JADE-EMPEROR finally lost his esteemed cool. He sent the Heavenly army to obliterate MONKEY once and for all. Nothing could withstand this mighty force... But the Great Stone Ape — immortal, spiritually illumined and filled with Heavenly essences — was not only indestructable but also pretty handy in a fight. The forces of Heaven made an embarrassing display and slunk off in defeat. There was nothing for it — the Ruler of Heaven called for BUDDHA.
Now BUDDHA, in his infinite wisdom, knew better than to subdue MONKEY by force. Instead he offered him a wager. "If you're so clever, jump off the palm of my hand. If you can do that, I'll take the Emperor in as a lodger and give Heaven to you. But if you can't, I'll expect a full apology and penance."
The Monkey King laughed to himself. He could travel thousands of miles in a single leap. The bet was on. BUDDHA stretched out his hand and MONKEY jumped...
Several thousand miles later, the Great Sage landed in a desolate plain with great columns reaching up the sky. "These must be the Five Pillars of Wisdom at the end of the Universe", he thought. "That BUDDHA is just plain stupid to make such a silly bet." And, to show his disrespect, he pissed all over the nearest pillar and jumped back to claim his reward.
"Is the Emperor packing his bags yet?" asked MONKEY as he landed. The Holy One raised a sublime eyebrow. "I don't know why you're grinning," he said, "you've been on my palm the whole time. Look." An astonished MONKEY rubbed his eyes and stared at the five familiar-looking pink pillars of BUDDHA's hand. Then he smelt the stench of monkey pee and trembled. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground with a mountain on top of him.
And there he stayed for five hundred long years, being fed molten copper and iron pills by an attendent demon while the moss grew in his ears. By the time GUAN-YIN came along, the Great Sage Equal of Heaven was a thoroughly humble creature.
As told in Journey To The West, GUAN-YIN enlisted MONKEY as chief disciple of the young Buddhist monk TRIPITAKA. Together with SANDY and PIGSY, he protected the boy on his quest to India, battling demons and righting wrongs along the way. His natural monkey trickery now had a holy purpose which he unleashed with much enthusiasm — and his uncontrollable ego was kept firmly in place by a little device of GUAN-YIN's devising: a head-band made of gold.
The unsuspecting Great Sage was not prepared for the terrible torture of the Headache Sutra! Whenever MONKEY misbehaved, TRIPITAKA recited the Sutra and the golden fillet squeezed until his very eyeballs felt like bursting. Try as he might, he could not remove it. There was no defense except submission, and pretty soon MONKEY was the most humble disciple the world has ever known. Usually.
After many many many many adventures, the travellers fulfilled their quest. MONKEY was rewarded for all his efforts with the title 'Buddha Victorious Against Disaster' and finally made his peace with Heaven. We don't know what the Great Sage gets up to nowadays, but presumably he keeps himself occupied.
Also known as SUN-WUKONG, SUN-WU-KONG, SUN-WU-K'UNG, SUN-HOU-ZI, SUN-HOU-TZE, PI-MA-WEN
MONKEY: The infamous irrepressible Monkey King, Trickster God, and Great Sage Equal Of Heaven.
Star of stage, screen and scroll, MONKEY is the true hero of Journey To The West (Xiyou Ji) — the amazing novel of frivolity and profundity written by Wu Cheng'en in the Sixteenth Century. (It's one of China's Four Great Novels, and we highly recommend it to anyone seeking enlightenment or entertainment.)
From the beginning of time, a certain rock on the Mountain of Fruit and Flowers had been soaking up the goodness of nature and QI energy. One day this pregnant rock released a stone egg, and from it hatched a Stone Ape, who solemnly bowed to the Four Corners of the Earth — then jumped off to have fun.
This was MONKEY. He was high-spirited, egotistical and full of mischievous pranks. He was soon having a wonderful time as King of the Apes. But a niggling worry began to gnaw at him — one which would change his life. The Monkey King feared Death.
To find immortality, MONKEY became the disciple of Father Subodhi, a rather dour DAOist sage. The sage, unimpressed with his simian tricks, gave the Monkey King a new title: 'Disciple Aware of Emptiness'. MONKEY was very pleased with this epithet, not realising it referred to the vacuum in his head.
But after much haggling, Father Subodhi uttered the words of Illumination, explained the process of Cloud-Flying — and also revealed the secret of the Seventy-Two Transformations. Which, thought MONKEY, was extremely good value for money.
Returning home to his monkey subjects, he discovered they were under seige by a fearsome monster. Magic tricks were no good — what he needed was a weapon. So he whizzed off to the Dragon King AO-KUANG and cajoled his way into the Treasury. There he found the great Magic Wishing Staff, a huge rod of black iron which Heaven had used to flatten the bed of the Milky Way. It weighed 13,000 pounds but could expand to fill the Universe or shrink to the size of a needle. MONKEY was delighted with this Weapon of Mass Destruction and used it to bludgeon many a demon thereafter.
It wasn't long before reports of MONKEY's tricks started to reach the austere ears of the JADE-EMPEROR. First the DRAGON-KINGS complained of rudeness and theft. Then YEN-LO-WANG, the God of Death, lodged a formal protest. "That intolerable ape has just vandalised my filing system and made monkeys immortal. What are you going to do about it?"
Not wishing to shed needless karma, the JADE-EMPEROR invited MONKEY to Heaven and gave him a job. Without pay, of course. This plan to keep the peace was amazingly successful for an entire day. Then MONKEY discovered that his post as Keeper of the Heavenly Stables was so lowly, even the horse manure ranked higher than him.
Insulted beyond belief, MONKEY ran amok, burst into the JADE-EMPEROR's court and dared to threaten his august person. The Ruler of the Universe sighed, consulted his advisors and bestowed a new title upon him: Great Sage, Equal Of Heaven. "That's much better," said MONKEY, impressed.
But by his very nature the Great Sage was irrepressibly naughty. He just couldn't help it. He gobbled up LAO-ZI's Longevity Pills, stuffed his face with the precious Peaches of Immortality, gatecrashed official parties and made insulting gestures to all and sundry. Finally he left Heaven in disgust, claiming it wasn't good enough for him.
Now the JADE-EMPEROR finally lost his esteemed cool. He sent the Heavenly army to obliterate MONKEY once and for all. Nothing could withstand this mighty force... But the Great Stone Ape — immortal, spiritually illumined and filled with Heavenly essences — was not only indestructable but also pretty handy in a fight. The forces of Heaven made an embarrassing display and slunk off in defeat. There was nothing for it — the Ruler of Heaven called for BUDDHA.
Now BUDDHA, in his infinite wisdom, knew better than to subdue MONKEY by force. Instead he offered him a wager. "If you're so clever, jump off the palm of my hand. If you can do that, I'll take the Emperor in as a lodger and give Heaven to you. But if you can't, I'll expect a full apology and penance."
The Monkey King laughed to himself. He could travel thousands of miles in a single leap. The bet was on. BUDDHA stretched out his hand and MONKEY jumped...
Several thousand miles later, the Great Sage landed in a desolate plain with great columns reaching up the sky. "These must be the Five Pillars of Wisdom at the end of the Universe", he thought. "That BUDDHA is just plain stupid to make such a silly bet." And, to show his disrespect, he pissed all over the nearest pillar and jumped back to claim his reward.
"Is the Emperor packing his bags yet?" asked MONKEY as he landed. The Holy One raised a sublime eyebrow. "I don't know why you're grinning," he said, "you've been on my palm the whole time. Look." An astonished MONKEY rubbed his eyes and stared at the five familiar-looking pink pillars of BUDDHA's hand. Then he smelt the stench of monkey pee and trembled. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground with a mountain on top of him.
And there he stayed for five hundred long years, being fed molten copper and iron pills by an attendent demon while the moss grew in his ears. By the time GUAN-YIN came along, the Great Sage Equal of Heaven was a thoroughly humble creature.
As told in Journey To The West, GUAN-YIN enlisted MONKEY as chief disciple of the young Buddhist monk TRIPITAKA. Together with SANDY and PIGSY, he protected the boy on his quest to India, battling demons and righting wrongs along the way. His natural monkey trickery now had a holy purpose which he unleashed with much enthusiasm — and his uncontrollable ego was kept firmly in place by a little device of GUAN-YIN's devising: a head-band made of gold.
The unsuspecting Great Sage was not prepared for the terrible torture of the Headache Sutra! Whenever MONKEY misbehaved, TRIPITAKA recited the Sutra and the golden fillet squeezed until his very eyeballs felt like bursting. Try as he might, he could not remove it. There was no defense except submission, and pretty soon MONKEY was the most humble disciple the world has ever known. Usually.
After many many many many adventures, the travellers fulfilled their quest. MONKEY was rewarded for all his efforts with the title 'Buddha Victorious Against Disaster' and finally made his peace with Heaven. We don't know what the Great Sage gets up to nowadays, but presumably he keeps himself occupied.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:27
Also known as GUAN-YUN-CHANG, GUAN-GONG, GUAN-DI, KUAN-YU, KUAN-KUNG, KUAN-TI, ZHANG-YUN, CHANG-YUN, CHANG-SHENG, ZHANG-SHENG
GUAN-YU: A DAOist God of War and Martial Arts. Also well thought of by Buddhists.
As told in Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, he started life as a mortal vendor of soya bean curd (see TO-FU). But after a heroic incident involving the rescue of a harrassed lady and the killing of a tax inspector, he got the taste for battle and embarked on a famous military career with LIU-BEI and ZHANG-FEI, becoming one of the Three Brothers of the Peach Orchard.
Unusually for a God of War, he uses his skill to avoid confrontations if at all possible. A peace-loving deity, he tries to minimize every battle he's in. (Surely you've heard of Kung Few?) But his bravery is legendary.
In one famous tale, his arm was damaged in battle and needed surgery. To the incredulity of on-lookers, he calmly sat playing Solitaire while field surgeons did excruciating things to his tendons. (Just as well Solitaire is a one-handed game.)
When he was finally captured, GUAN-YU was told by Wu, the evil new Emperor, to change sides or face death. GUAN-YU not only refused, he uttered a terrible insult which made even the soldiers blush.
Loyal GUAN-YU knew that changing sides during a war was not only immoral but also against the Law. For his bravery, and because he died defending legal issues, he also became the patron God of Police Officers.
Legend tells that after he died, GUAN-YU appeared before a meditating Master of Buddhism and asked for spiritual guidance. Which was only natural under the circumstances.
Quickly learning the Five Precepts, he became a Buddhist, reached Enlightenment, and now devotes the rest of his Immortality to defending the faith. A completely honorary position, but extremely well-regarded.
Finally, GUAN-YU is also worshipped as a God of Literature — because he managed to read a whole page of Confucius without going cross-eyed.
Also known as GUAN-YUN-CHANG, GUAN-GONG, GUAN-DI, KUAN-YU, KUAN-KUNG, KUAN-TI, ZHANG-YUN, CHANG-YUN, CHANG-SHENG, ZHANG-SHENG
GUAN-YU: A DAOist God of War and Martial Arts. Also well thought of by Buddhists.
As told in Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, he started life as a mortal vendor of soya bean curd (see TO-FU). But after a heroic incident involving the rescue of a harrassed lady and the killing of a tax inspector, he got the taste for battle and embarked on a famous military career with LIU-BEI and ZHANG-FEI, becoming one of the Three Brothers of the Peach Orchard.
Unusually for a God of War, he uses his skill to avoid confrontations if at all possible. A peace-loving deity, he tries to minimize every battle he's in. (Surely you've heard of Kung Few?) But his bravery is legendary.
In one famous tale, his arm was damaged in battle and needed surgery. To the incredulity of on-lookers, he calmly sat playing Solitaire while field surgeons did excruciating things to his tendons. (Just as well Solitaire is a one-handed game.)
When he was finally captured, GUAN-YU was told by Wu, the evil new Emperor, to change sides or face death. GUAN-YU not only refused, he uttered a terrible insult which made even the soldiers blush.
Loyal GUAN-YU knew that changing sides during a war was not only immoral but also against the Law. For his bravery, and because he died defending legal issues, he also became the patron God of Police Officers.
Legend tells that after he died, GUAN-YU appeared before a meditating Master of Buddhism and asked for spiritual guidance. Which was only natural under the circumstances.
Quickly learning the Five Precepts, he became a Buddhist, reached Enlightenment, and now devotes the rest of his Immortality to defending the faith. A completely honorary position, but extremely well-regarded.
Finally, GUAN-YU is also worshipped as a God of Literature — because he managed to read a whole page of Confucius without going cross-eyed.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:28
Also known as YU-HUANG, YU-HUANG-SHANGDI, TIAN-GONG, TIEN-KUNG
JADE-EMPEROR: Supreme God of Chinese Folk Religion, the JADE-EMPEROR is Ruler of Heaven, Creator of the Universe, member of the SAN-QING, and Lord of the Imperial Court.
Starting at the bottom by creating the Universe, he helped YUAN-SHI-TIAN-ZONG bring order to the cosmos. Working his way to the top, he spent a billion aeons contemplating his Holy Navel before finally achieving a state of the most amazingly perfect Godliness.
Having achieved Illumination and Omnipotence, he went on to become supreme Heavenly Ruler and Emperor of the Universe. The human imperial ruler of China was merely a manifestation and vassal of the JADE-EMPEROR. Earthly Emperors were given leave to rule by the MANDATE-OF-HEAVEN, provided they checked in every so often via a Jade PI-DISC.
The JADE-EMPEROR's word is law and he rules all Heaven and Earth with a vast company of civil servants and bureaucrats at his beck and call. The CHENG-HUANG and TU-DI look after Earthly paperwork, and every year the ZAO-JUN file a report on your conduct for him to assess.
If that's not impressive enough, the JADE-EMPEROR found further fame when DAOism and Buddhism came into play and engulfed him in the utmost holiness. Not to mention the most amazingly complicated symbolism.
His list of official titles expanded in all directions. 'Most Venerable Jade Emperor Of The Heavenly Golden Palace'... 'Supremely High Emperor Of The Heavens, Holder Of Talismans, Container Of Perfection and Embodiment Of Dao'... and finally, 'Most Venerable And Highest Jade Emperor Of All-Embracing Sublime Spontaneous Existence Of The Heavenly Golden Palace'. We think that just about covers everything.
The only other deity to compare is the magnificent MONKEY, who arrogantly challenged his rule, caused havoc in Heaven and was finally persuaded to behave by being given a meaningless but magnificent-sounding official title. That's politics for you.
In fact, the JADE-EMPEROR is a master of winning without really doing anything. He knows all aspects of The Way (DAO) and its Principle of Least Action (Wu Wei), making Heaven's regime the ultimate example of a do-nothing policy. He can become almost flustered if anything actually happens.
Also known as YU-HUANG, YU-HUANG-SHANGDI, TIAN-GONG, TIEN-KUNG
JADE-EMPEROR: Supreme God of Chinese Folk Religion, the JADE-EMPEROR is Ruler of Heaven, Creator of the Universe, member of the SAN-QING, and Lord of the Imperial Court.
Starting at the bottom by creating the Universe, he helped YUAN-SHI-TIAN-ZONG bring order to the cosmos. Working his way to the top, he spent a billion aeons contemplating his Holy Navel before finally achieving a state of the most amazingly perfect Godliness.
Having achieved Illumination and Omnipotence, he went on to become supreme Heavenly Ruler and Emperor of the Universe. The human imperial ruler of China was merely a manifestation and vassal of the JADE-EMPEROR. Earthly Emperors were given leave to rule by the MANDATE-OF-HEAVEN, provided they checked in every so often via a Jade PI-DISC.
The JADE-EMPEROR's word is law and he rules all Heaven and Earth with a vast company of civil servants and bureaucrats at his beck and call. The CHENG-HUANG and TU-DI look after Earthly paperwork, and every year the ZAO-JUN file a report on your conduct for him to assess.
If that's not impressive enough, the JADE-EMPEROR found further fame when DAOism and Buddhism came into play and engulfed him in the utmost holiness. Not to mention the most amazingly complicated symbolism.
His list of official titles expanded in all directions. 'Most Venerable Jade Emperor Of The Heavenly Golden Palace'... 'Supremely High Emperor Of The Heavens, Holder Of Talismans, Container Of Perfection and Embodiment Of Dao'... and finally, 'Most Venerable And Highest Jade Emperor Of All-Embracing Sublime Spontaneous Existence Of The Heavenly Golden Palace'. We think that just about covers everything.
The only other deity to compare is the magnificent MONKEY, who arrogantly challenged his rule, caused havoc in Heaven and was finally persuaded to behave by being given a meaningless but magnificent-sounding official title. That's politics for you.
In fact, the JADE-EMPEROR is a master of winning without really doing anything. He knows all aspects of The Way (DAO) and its Principle of Least Action (Wu Wei), making Heaven's regime the ultimate example of a do-nothing policy. He can become almost flustered if anything actually happens.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:28
Also known as BAO-YAN-LUO, YAN-LUO-WANG, YANLUO-WANG, YENG-WANG-YEH
YEN-LO-WANG: The God of Death and Ruler of the Fifth Court of FENG-DU, the Chinese Hell.
The Chinese version of YAMA, he was originally King of the First Court of Hell, but Heaven accused him of undue leniency. Far too many souls were crossing the Golden Bridge to Heaven and the place was getting crowded.
To prevent spiritual overpopulation, the JADE-EMPEROR put QIN-GUANG-WANG in charge of Judgment and assigned YEN-LO-WANG to the Fifth Hell of Wailing, Gouging and Boiling. Once there he developed a real relish for making souls miserable, so everyone was happy again. Except the souls, of course.
As a God of some importance, YEN-LO-WANG is far more than just a dealer of boiling oil. He rules over the whole of FENG-DU and has a team of deadly assistants. His filing system contains the records of every soul, complete with their allotted death date. MONKEY once paid him a visit and wreaked havoc, but we imagine security has been tightened up since then.
Also known as BAO-YAN-LUO, YAN-LUO-WANG, YANLUO-WANG, YENG-WANG-YEH
YEN-LO-WANG: The God of Death and Ruler of the Fifth Court of FENG-DU, the Chinese Hell.
The Chinese version of YAMA, he was originally King of the First Court of Hell, but Heaven accused him of undue leniency. Far too many souls were crossing the Golden Bridge to Heaven and the place was getting crowded.
To prevent spiritual overpopulation, the JADE-EMPEROR put QIN-GUANG-WANG in charge of Judgment and assigned YEN-LO-WANG to the Fifth Hell of Wailing, Gouging and Boiling. Once there he developed a real relish for making souls miserable, so everyone was happy again. Except the souls, of course.
As a God of some importance, YEN-LO-WANG is far more than just a dealer of boiling oil. He rules over the whole of FENG-DU and has a team of deadly assistants. His filing system contains the records of every soul, complete with their allotted death date. MONKEY once paid him a visit and wreaked havoc, but we imagine security has been tightened up since then.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:29
Also known as CHUAN-YIN, KUAN-YIN, KWAN-YIN
GUAN-YIN: Goddess of Compassion and Caring, and one of the Four Supreme BODHISATTVAs of Chinese Buddhism.
GUAN-YIN's mission is Victim Support. She supports the distressed and hungry, rescues the unfortunate from peril, and gives comfort and aid wherever it is needed. GUAN-YIN's work would put many a charity to shame — and she doesn't ask for donations.
Otherwise known as AVALOKITESVARA in India, she had finally attained Enlightenment after much non-struggling with non-things. She was just about to enter Heaven to join the other BUDDHAs when she heard the cries of the poor unsaved souls back on Earth.
Her heart touched by pity, she vowed never to rest until every single soul was brought to Buddhahood. The magnitude of contemplating this task made her head explode into a thousand pieces, but she was perfectly fine after BUDDHA gave her a few Aspirin Sutras.
Turning aside from Heaven, GUAN-YIN went to the sacred island of Potuoshan and embarked on her new career. This selfless sacrifice brought her much credit, and reverence which persists to this day.
As a deity often called upon to appear in the most unusual and difficult situations, GUAN-YIN has the ability to transform into any living thing. In fact she's better known in India as a male. But she often appears in female form to avoid gossip — and because she likes it. Like her Japanese equivalent KANNON, GUAN-YIN is known as a female deity, and has taken on a modest amount of fertility work. Childless women pray to her for offspring. In this respect she is also a Goddess of Rice, filling it with her own milk to give nourishing tit-bits.
The Bodhisattva who saves us from the Three Calamities and the Eight Disasters, GUAN-YIN is always on call, and has appeared in many a Chinese tale to help the likes of MONKEY out of tricky situations. His — or her — peaceful benevolence has soothed many a worried brow. We are full of admiration.
Also known as CHUAN-YIN, KUAN-YIN, KWAN-YIN
GUAN-YIN: Goddess of Compassion and Caring, and one of the Four Supreme BODHISATTVAs of Chinese Buddhism.
GUAN-YIN's mission is Victim Support. She supports the distressed and hungry, rescues the unfortunate from peril, and gives comfort and aid wherever it is needed. GUAN-YIN's work would put many a charity to shame — and she doesn't ask for donations.
Otherwise known as AVALOKITESVARA in India, she had finally attained Enlightenment after much non-struggling with non-things. She was just about to enter Heaven to join the other BUDDHAs when she heard the cries of the poor unsaved souls back on Earth.
Her heart touched by pity, she vowed never to rest until every single soul was brought to Buddhahood. The magnitude of contemplating this task made her head explode into a thousand pieces, but she was perfectly fine after BUDDHA gave her a few Aspirin Sutras.
Turning aside from Heaven, GUAN-YIN went to the sacred island of Potuoshan and embarked on her new career. This selfless sacrifice brought her much credit, and reverence which persists to this day.
As a deity often called upon to appear in the most unusual and difficult situations, GUAN-YIN has the ability to transform into any living thing. In fact she's better known in India as a male. But she often appears in female form to avoid gossip — and because she likes it. Like her Japanese equivalent KANNON, GUAN-YIN is known as a female deity, and has taken on a modest amount of fertility work. Childless women pray to her for offspring. In this respect she is also a Goddess of Rice, filling it with her own milk to give nourishing tit-bits.
The Bodhisattva who saves us from the Three Calamities and the Eight Disasters, GUAN-YIN is always on call, and has appeared in many a Chinese tale to help the likes of MONKEY out of tricky situations. His — or her — peaceful benevolence has soothed many a worried brow. We are full of admiration.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:30
Also known as BA-XIAN, PA-HSIEN
EIGHT-IMMORTALS: Eight Chinese individuals who, by pure chance, achieved Immortality via a bizarre set of events.
The cast, not necessarily in order of appearance, is as follows:
CAO-GUOJIU — Royal Outcast
HAN-XIANGZI — The Flying Philosopher
HE-XIANGU — Self-raising Flower
LAN-CAIHE — Drunk and Disorientated
LI-TIEGUAI — Body Snatcher
LU-DONGBIN — Tactical Withdrawal
ZHANG-GUOLAO — Stubborn Old Mule
ZHONG-LIQUAN — Explosive Revelations
See their individual entries for the thrilling details of How To Become Immortal.
Each of them represents a different aspect of DAOist perfection. Over the centuries, these characters formed a team of kindred souls. Not having the usual Godly pedigree, they couldn't just mix with the Gods in Heaven, who are notoriously snobbish about such things. So instead they set up home at PENGLAI-SHAN, a mountainous island located in the mysterious East.
As told in many famous DAOist legends, they embarked on many incredible adventures and quests — taking on dragons and demons, righting wrongs and putting things to rights. And every so often, a mortal such as HUAI-NANZU or LI-BABAI would come along for the ride, hoping for a swig from the Bottle of Immortality.
Also known as BA-XIAN, PA-HSIEN
EIGHT-IMMORTALS: Eight Chinese individuals who, by pure chance, achieved Immortality via a bizarre set of events.
The cast, not necessarily in order of appearance, is as follows:
CAO-GUOJIU — Royal Outcast
HAN-XIANGZI — The Flying Philosopher
HE-XIANGU — Self-raising Flower
LAN-CAIHE — Drunk and Disorientated
LI-TIEGUAI — Body Snatcher
LU-DONGBIN — Tactical Withdrawal
ZHANG-GUOLAO — Stubborn Old Mule
ZHONG-LIQUAN — Explosive Revelations
See their individual entries for the thrilling details of How To Become Immortal.
Each of them represents a different aspect of DAOist perfection. Over the centuries, these characters formed a team of kindred souls. Not having the usual Godly pedigree, they couldn't just mix with the Gods in Heaven, who are notoriously snobbish about such things. So instead they set up home at PENGLAI-SHAN, a mountainous island located in the mysterious East.
As told in many famous DAOist legends, they embarked on many incredible adventures and quests — taking on dragons and demons, righting wrongs and putting things to rights. And every so often, a mortal such as HUAI-NANZU or LI-BABAI would come along for the ride, hoping for a swig from the Bottle of Immortality.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:31
Also known as FENGDU, FENG-TU
FENG-DU: The Realm of the Dead, containing all the Chinese Hells.
Like so many other concepts in Chinese mythology, the Underworld is a tangled mix of DAOist, Buddhist and traditional folk legend. It's not actually underground but housed in an enormous mountain on the other side of the astral plane. But all legends agree that it's a dark and sinister place something like a prison complex — with ample torture facilities.
We don't want to worry you, but Hell is open to everyone and the invitation is not negotiable. When you die, officers place your soul under arrest and march you to the office of YEN-LO-WANG, the King of Hell. There you are registered, given an identity card, and sucked into the mire of Underworld bureaucracy. No doubt it's all computerised by now.
Then it's off to the Court of QIN-GUANG-WANG for inspection in his Mirror of Retribution. Particularly virtuous souls may find themselves excused from further judgment and sent on vacation to paradise. But the vast majority will have to be punished for Earthly sins. It's the rules.
Some of the punishments are very nasty indeed, and to add insult to injury there are — like most government offices — pious slogans wherever you look. It's all very well being reminded that virtue is a good thing, but when you're about to be plunged into boiling oil for the hundredth time you really have other things to worry about.
FENG-DU is divided into several courts or levels, each with its own set of departments and ruling deity. The exact number of courts is variously given as four, five, eight and ten. We've chosen to include ten as it seems better value.
The Ten Courts of Chinese Hell
Court 1: Mirror of Retribution. Ruled by QIN-GUANG-WANG.
Court 2: The Pool of Filth and the Hell of Ice. Ruled by QU-JIANG-WANG.
Court 3: Black Rope Hell and the Upside-Down Prison. Ruled by SONG-DI-WANG.
Court 4: The Lake of Blood and the terrible Bee Torture. Ruled by WU-GUAN-WANG.
Court 5: Sixteen Departments of Heart Gouging. Ruled by YEN-LO-WANG.
Court 6: Screaming Torture and Administrative Errors. Ruled by BIAN-CHENG-WANG.
Court 7: Torture by Mincing Machine. Ruled by TAI-SHAN-WANG.
Court 8: Hot Suffocation Hell. Ruled by DU-SHI-WANG.
Court 9: Iron Web and Office of Fair Trading. Ruled by PING-DENG-WANG.
Court 10: The Wheel of Rebirth. Ruled by ZHUANG-LUN-WANG.
When your agony is complete and you've repented for all you're worth, it's time to be reborn. You're summoned to the Tenth Court, where ZHUANG-LUN-WANG decides the manner of your next existence. (Human being or slug?) Then Lady MENG-PO gives you the Tea of Forgetfulness, which erases your memory and ensures that you completely forget all the punishments you've just been suffering. There is a very good reason for this, but we don't know what it is.
Finally you are given a free ride on the Wheel of Life. Round and round you go, faster and faster, until you shoot off into the void and land in the body of a newborn baby. Or, if you haven't repented enough, the body of a slug.
Also known as FENGDU, FENG-TU
FENG-DU: The Realm of the Dead, containing all the Chinese Hells.
Like so many other concepts in Chinese mythology, the Underworld is a tangled mix of DAOist, Buddhist and traditional folk legend. It's not actually underground but housed in an enormous mountain on the other side of the astral plane. But all legends agree that it's a dark and sinister place something like a prison complex — with ample torture facilities.
We don't want to worry you, but Hell is open to everyone and the invitation is not negotiable. When you die, officers place your soul under arrest and march you to the office of YEN-LO-WANG, the King of Hell. There you are registered, given an identity card, and sucked into the mire of Underworld bureaucracy. No doubt it's all computerised by now.
Then it's off to the Court of QIN-GUANG-WANG for inspection in his Mirror of Retribution. Particularly virtuous souls may find themselves excused from further judgment and sent on vacation to paradise. But the vast majority will have to be punished for Earthly sins. It's the rules.
Some of the punishments are very nasty indeed, and to add insult to injury there are — like most government offices — pious slogans wherever you look. It's all very well being reminded that virtue is a good thing, but when you're about to be plunged into boiling oil for the hundredth time you really have other things to worry about.
FENG-DU is divided into several courts or levels, each with its own set of departments and ruling deity. The exact number of courts is variously given as four, five, eight and ten. We've chosen to include ten as it seems better value.
The Ten Courts of Chinese Hell
Court 1: Mirror of Retribution. Ruled by QIN-GUANG-WANG.
Court 2: The Pool of Filth and the Hell of Ice. Ruled by QU-JIANG-WANG.
Court 3: Black Rope Hell and the Upside-Down Prison. Ruled by SONG-DI-WANG.
Court 4: The Lake of Blood and the terrible Bee Torture. Ruled by WU-GUAN-WANG.
Court 5: Sixteen Departments of Heart Gouging. Ruled by YEN-LO-WANG.
Court 6: Screaming Torture and Administrative Errors. Ruled by BIAN-CHENG-WANG.
Court 7: Torture by Mincing Machine. Ruled by TAI-SHAN-WANG.
Court 8: Hot Suffocation Hell. Ruled by DU-SHI-WANG.
Court 9: Iron Web and Office of Fair Trading. Ruled by PING-DENG-WANG.
Court 10: The Wheel of Rebirth. Ruled by ZHUANG-LUN-WANG.
When your agony is complete and you've repented for all you're worth, it's time to be reborn. You're summoned to the Tenth Court, where ZHUANG-LUN-WANG decides the manner of your next existence. (Human being or slug?) Then Lady MENG-PO gives you the Tea of Forgetfulness, which erases your memory and ensures that you completely forget all the punishments you've just been suffering. There is a very good reason for this, but we don't know what it is.
Finally you are given a free ride on the Wheel of Life. Round and round you go, faster and faster, until you shoot off into the void and land in the body of a newborn baby. Or, if you haven't repented enough, the body of a slug.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:32
Also known as AO-CH'IN
AO-CHIN: One of the DRAGON-KINGS, he's in charge of the Southern Ocean.
AO-CHIN was the first dragon brother summoned by AO-KUANG when MONKEY showed up demanding goodies and funky clothing. Threatened by the deadly Iron Wishing Staff, AO-CHIN reluctantly handed over a cap of red gold.
Also known as AO-CH'IN
AO-CHIN: One of the DRAGON-KINGS, he's in charge of the Southern Ocean.
AO-CHIN was the first dragon brother summoned by AO-KUANG when MONKEY showed up demanding goodies and funky clothing. Threatened by the deadly Iron Wishing Staff, AO-CHIN reluctantly handed over a cap of red gold.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:32
AO-KUANG: King of the DRAGON-KINGS. He's in charge of the Eastern Ocean.
Regarded as the highest and mightiest of the Four Ocean Dragons, AO-KUANG is majestic, utterly regal and aloof. Despite that, he's always being pestered by people after a favor.
Probably the most cheeky request came from architect LU-BAN, who wanted to borrow his entire palace for a blueprint. And when MONKEY was looking for a good solid weapon, AO-KUANG's Treasury was his first port of call.
After several cups of tea and much frightfully polite haggling, MONKEY chose a huge iron rod which no-one else could lift. This was the famous Iron Cudgel or Wishing Staff, which DA-YU had used to subdue the Great Flood. It weighted 13,000 pounds and had lain for a thousand years beneath the sea. To be perfectly honest, AO-KUANG was quite pleased to get rid of it as it was taking up most of the space in his Treasury and making the place look untidy.
Despite several early feuds, battles, and complaints to the JADE-EMPEROR, MONKEY and AO-KUANG did eventually settle their differences to become deadly friends, or the best of enemies.
His son and heir AO-PING was killed in a terrible battle with LI-NEZHA, who was supposed to be killing demons, not dragons. The enraged Dragon King was so horrifically angry that he even considered making an official complaint to the JADE-EMPEROR.
Storming from his palace in an awful rage of revenge, AO-KUANG met LI-NEZHA and was defeated himself. The ultimate humiliation came when LI-NEZHA spared his life but forced him to transform into a blue snake. The poor dragon slithered off, feeling very impotent and miserable. Life was such a drag for the Eastern Dragon King.
AO-KUANG: King of the DRAGON-KINGS. He's in charge of the Eastern Ocean.
Regarded as the highest and mightiest of the Four Ocean Dragons, AO-KUANG is majestic, utterly regal and aloof. Despite that, he's always being pestered by people after a favor.
Probably the most cheeky request came from architect LU-BAN, who wanted to borrow his entire palace for a blueprint. And when MONKEY was looking for a good solid weapon, AO-KUANG's Treasury was his first port of call.
After several cups of tea and much frightfully polite haggling, MONKEY chose a huge iron rod which no-one else could lift. This was the famous Iron Cudgel or Wishing Staff, which DA-YU had used to subdue the Great Flood. It weighted 13,000 pounds and had lain for a thousand years beneath the sea. To be perfectly honest, AO-KUANG was quite pleased to get rid of it as it was taking up most of the space in his Treasury and making the place look untidy.
Despite several early feuds, battles, and complaints to the JADE-EMPEROR, MONKEY and AO-KUANG did eventually settle their differences to become deadly friends, or the best of enemies.
His son and heir AO-PING was killed in a terrible battle with LI-NEZHA, who was supposed to be killing demons, not dragons. The enraged Dragon King was so horrifically angry that he even considered making an official complaint to the JADE-EMPEROR.
Storming from his palace in an awful rage of revenge, AO-KUANG met LI-NEZHA and was defeated himself. The ultimate humiliation came when LI-NEZHA spared his life but forced him to transform into a blue snake. The poor dragon slithered off, feeling very impotent and miserable. Life was such a drag for the Eastern Dragon King.
EloraM23 2010/11/11 02:33
Also known as CHI-LIN, KI-LIN, KY-LIN, CH'I-LIN
QI-LIN: The Chinese Unicorn. It's a splendid mythological beast with the body of a deer, the hooves of a horse, and a long elegant horn.
Or is it? Despite what you might see in New Age stores, many QI-LINs have two or three horns, and sometimes even more. Not to mention scaly skin and hefty manes of hair. In fact most of them look more like dragons than unicorns.
And far from being pearly white like traditional Western unicorns, they are available in a range of colors including black, red and green. So let's just drop the unicorn idea and call them QI-LINs, okay?
As one of the Four Fabulous Beasts of Chinese Mythology (SI-LING), the QI-LINs represent all mammals and furry creatures, as well as the compass direction West. They symbolise purity, innocence, truth and justice, and if one of these rare beasts appears this is regarded as a very good omen.
Many traditional stories are told about the QI-LIN, and they are particularly good at sparing the innocent and spearing the guilty in courtroom dramas. See GAO-YAO.
Also known as CHI-LIN, KI-LIN, KY-LIN, CH'I-LIN
QI-LIN: The Chinese Unicorn. It's a splendid mythological beast with the body of a deer, the hooves of a horse, and a long elegant horn.
Or is it? Despite what you might see in New Age stores, many QI-LINs have two or three horns, and sometimes even more. Not to mention scaly skin and hefty manes of hair. In fact most of them look more like dragons than unicorns.
And far from being pearly white like traditional Western unicorns, they are available in a range of colors including black, red and green. So let's just drop the unicorn idea and call them QI-LINs, okay?
As one of the Four Fabulous Beasts of Chinese Mythology (SI-LING), the QI-LINs represent all mammals and furry creatures, as well as the compass direction West. They symbolise purity, innocence, truth and justice, and if one of these rare beasts appears this is regarded as a very good omen.
Many traditional stories are told about the QI-LIN, and they are particularly good at sparing the innocent and spearing the guilty in courtroom dramas. See GAO-YAO.
Marlou 2010/11/13 23:05
Wow!
Very nice. But i thinks its better if u seperate one story fr0m the other to avoid m0n0t0ny in reading them.
Wow!
Very nice. But i thinks its better if u seperate one story fr0m the other to avoid m0n0t0ny in reading them.
Replies: 22
#34 Myth&Mystery
For discussion of mythologies, ancient cultures, the supernatural, mysticism and folklore. Explore the darker mysteries of life here.