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Zhengyi Tao/Dao

In pinyin: Zheng Yi Dao. It’s also known as: the Way of Orthodox Unity, Teaching of the Orthodox Unity, & Branch of the Orthodox Unity.

This is a Chinese Taoist movement that traditionally refers to the same Taoist lineage as: the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice & Way of the Celestial Masters. But in the period of the Tang Dynasty & its history thereafter.

The leader of Zhengyi Taoism is known as a Celestial Master, like in the Way of Celestial Masters (Tianshi Dao).

The term Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) has been used since Taoism became an organized religion in 142 AD. This was when Taishang Laojun granted the Covenant with the Powers of Orthodox Unity (zhengyi mengwei) on Zhang Daoling. Zhang Daoling was a Chinese Taoist religious leader during the Eastern Han dynasty. He founded the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice millenarian movement.

Zhang’s followers called his teachings the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice, while the Six Dynasties Period. The Southern Taoists called it the Way of the Celestial Masters. The Covenant, Five Pecks of Rice, & Celestial Masters all refer to the Zhengyi branch of Taoism but in different periods.

Celestial Master communities suffered from many migrations in the late Three Kingdoms & Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms periods. Cao Cao resettled them in the North. 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 Taoist Community, Lu Xiujing lamented that Taoist Assemblies no longer observed the proper rules & the position of libationer had become hereditary. A libationer is a religious official that’s responsible for leading pa6rishes & performing rituals.

By the Tang Dynasty, the title of Celestial Master had been degraded to where ANY prominent Taoist could claim the title. Celestial Master priests no longer figured prominently in Taoist texts.

Emperor Xuanzong (7 12-756) canonized the first Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling, during his reign. This didn’t have any effect/benefit to the original base of Celestial Masters in Sichuan. It did, however, benefit a temple in the Jiangnan area of Jiangxi Province.

This temple was located at Mount Longhu. This is claimed to be the spot where Zhang Daoling had gotten the Tao & where his descendants still lived. Recognized by the emperor as the legit descendants of Zhang Daoling, these new Celestial Masters established a new patriarchy at their base at Mount Langhu.

The importance of the Zhangyi school grew during the Song Dynasty. The Celestial Master frequently got imperial appointments. In 1239, the Southern Song Dynasty‘s Emperor Lizong commanded the 35th Zhang Keda to unite 3 schools: Lingbao School, Shangqing School, & Zhengyi Dao. The new unified school kept the Zhengyi name & stayed based in Mount Longhu.

Shortly after the schools were united, the Mongols, under Kublai Khan, conquered the Southern Song Dynasty. Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty in China. Kublai Khan accepted the claim that the Celestial Master of Mount Longhu was descended from Zhang Daoling. Kublai Khan also granted the school the right to control affairs relating to Taoism in the Jinagnan area.

In 1304, as result of Zhengyi Dao‘s increased importance the Mongols, all of the Taoist schools (except the Quanzhen school) were united under the banner of the Zhengyi School, with the 38th Celestial Master, Zhang Yucai, as the spiritual leaders.

The founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368 started at the beginning of a long decline of the power of Zhengyi Taoism. The first Ming ruler, the Hongwu Emperor (1368-98), suppressed the use of the title of “Celestial Master” among the Zhengyi School.

By the Daoguang period (1821-50) of the Qing Dynasty, relations between the court & the Celestial Masters came to an end. The activities became more localized to regions in which the school was particularly important.

Even though their court association was over the Celestial Master themselves still had a great deal of prestige, & importance, among Taoists throughout China. This importance, that arose from the belief that they were descended from Zhang Daoling, was evident when the Celestial Master traveled & attracted crowds of people wherever they went.

Unlike prior incarnations of the Celestial Masters, like the school based at Louguan, the Zhengyi Taoists didn’t venerate Laozi as a god. They viewed him as the ancestor of the school’s teaching.

There are 2 main types of rituals performed by the Zhengyi Taoists: the jiao (offering) & zhai (retreat) rituals. The zhai rituals are performed as a way to gain benefits through purification & abstinence. They usually take place immediately after the jiao ritual.

In performing a ritual, the participant recites a litany of repentance first. Then notify the deities of the merits gained through repentance by submitting a document to Heaven. When the zhai ritual is done, the jiao ritual begins in which deities are given offerings & are thanked.

The jian ritual is usually performed over 3 days. A lot of the ritual is performed by priests in a temple. But can also involve religious processions through the city, musical performances & a mass offering in front of the temple.

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Seven Lucky Gods

In Japanese mythology, the 7 Lucky Gods that are believed to grant good luck & are often represented in netsuke & in artwork. Netsuke is a miniature sculpture, beginning in 17th century Japan. 1 of the 7, Jurojin, is said to be based on an actual historical figure.

These deities mostly have their roots as ancient gods of fortune from religions popular in Japan like: from Mahayana Buddhism (Benzaiten, Bishamonten, Daikokuten, Hotei), which came to Japan via China but began in India; & from Chinese Taoism (Fukurokuju & Jurojin); the last 1 (Ebisu) is has a Japanese native ancestry.

In the beginning, these gods were worshipped by merchants as the first 2 (Ebisu & Daikokuten) were gods of business & trade. Other classes of Japanese society looked for gods that could parallel with their professions: Benzaiten as the patron of the arts, Fukurokuju as the patron of the sciences, etc.

In ancient times, these gods were worshipped separately. This rarely happens today. Only when it’s required for the specific god to act on behalf of the applicant.

The 7 Gods of Fortune started being mentioned as a collective in 1420 in Fushimi. This was in order to imitate the processions of the feudal lords, daimyos, of pre-modern Japan.

It’s said that Buddhist priest, Tenkai, picked these gods after speaking with the shogun he served, Iemitsu Tokugawa. This was at the order of seeking whoever possessed the perfect virtues: longevity, fortune, popularity, sincerity, kindness, dignity, & magnanimity. Shortly after this, Kano Yasunobu, a famous artist of the time.

List of the deities:

Ebisu: From the era of the gods Izanami & Izanagi, Ebisu is the only 1 whose beginnings are purely Japanese. He’s the god of prosperity & wealth in business, & of plenitude & abundance in crops, cereals, & food in general. He’s the patron of fishermen & is shown with fishermen’s costumes such as a typical hat, a fishing rod in his right hand & a fish that is either a carp, a hake, a codfish, a sea bass, or any large fish. In general, that symbolizes abundance in meals, like a feast or banquet. It’s now common to see his figure in restaurants where fish is served in huge amounts of in household kitchens.
Daikokuten: He’s the God of commerce & prosperity. He’s sometimes considered the patron of cooks, farmers, bankers, & a protector of crops. He’s also considered a demon hunter. Legend says that the god Daikokuten hung a talisman on the branch of a tree in his garden &, by using this as a trap, was able to catch a demon. This god is known for his smile, his short legs, & the hat on his head. He’s usually shown with a bag full of valuable objects. Daikokuten’s popular imagery started as a syncretic conflation of the Buddhist death deity, Mahakala, with the Shinto deity, Okuninushi. Syncretic conflation is a blending of different belief systems practices or traditions into a new, single, & often confusing or contradictory whole. The Japanese name Daikoku is a direct translation of the Sanskrit name Mahakala, which means “Great Blackness.” Per the Butsuzozui compendium of 1690, Daikoku can also manifest as a female known as Daikokunyo (literally, She of Great Blackness) or Daikokutennyo (literally, She of Great Blackness of the Heavens).
Bishamonten: Bishamonten’s origins can be traced back to Hinduism. But he has been adopted into Japanese culture. He comes from the Hindu god Kubera & is also from the name Vaisravana. He’s the god of fortune in war & battles. He’s also connected with authority & dignity. He’s the protector of those who follow the rules & behave properly. As the patron of fighters, he was represented dressed in armor & a helmet. He’s often seen carrying a pagoda. He also acts the protector of holy sites & important places & wields a spear to fight against the evil spirits. He’s usually shown in pictures with a hoop of fire.
Benzaiten: Benzaiten’s origin is found in Hinduism. As she comes from the Hindu goddess Saraswati. She’s the only Fukujin in modern grouping. She’s named in a number of ways: Benzaiten, Benten, Bentensama, or Benzaitennyo. When she was adapted from Buddhism, she was given the qualities of financial fortune, talent, beauty, & music among others. Often she shows up with a Torii. She’s depicted as a smart, beautiful woman with all the aforementioned attributes. She carries a biwa, a Japanese traditional lute-like instrument, & is normally accompanied by a white snake. She’s the patron of artists, writers, dances, & geisha.
Jurojin: He’s considered the incarnation of the southern pole star, Jurojin, is the god of the elderly & of longevity in Japanese Buddhist mythology. It’s said that the legendary Juroujin is based on a real person who lived in ancient times. He was approximately 1.82 meters (or 5.97 feet) tall with a very long head. Besides his unique skull, he’s shown with a long white beard, riding a deer, & is often accompanied by a 1500-year crane (the bird) & a tortoise. These are symbols of his affinity with long lives. In addition, he is usually represented under a peach tree. The fruit of this tree is considered, by Chinese Taoism, being able to prolong life. In his hand, he holds a crane & a book or a scroll. The wisdom of the world remains written in its pages. Jurojin enjoys rice & wine &is a very cheerful figure.
Hotei: He’s the god of fortune, guardian of children, patron of diviners, & barmen. He’s also the god of popularity. He’s shown as a fat, smiling, bald man with a curly moustache. He always appears half-naked. His clothes aren’t wide enough to cover his huge belly. He blessed the Chinese. They nicknamed him “Cho-Tei-Shi” or “Ho-Tei-Shi,” meaning ‘bag of old clothes.’ Hotei was a Zen priest. His looks & some of his actions were against their moral code. His looks made him look like a naughty person & he didn’t have a fixed place to sleep. He carries a bag on his shoulders. The bag was loaded with fortunes for those who believe in his virtues. Hotei’s traits & virtues are contentment, magnanimity, & happiness. Hotei’s original Chinese name was Kaishi. According to legend, he passed away in March 916. The Japanese began to believe in Hotei during the Edo era. The reasoning for why the Japanese have such a great respect for this god comes from a legend that says that, before Zen Buddhism came to Japan, an alternative Buddhist thought was extended by a priest of suspicious aesthetic, who was actually was a manifestation of Miroku. Miroku was the patron of those who couldn’t be saved by the beliefs of Buddha. Hotei was later observed & accepted by the Japanese as a 2nd Miroku.
Fukurokuju: (Sometimes omitted) The god Fukurokuju also has his beginnings in China. It’s believed that he used to be a hermit during the Chinese Song dynasty. He’s distinguished for being a reincarnation of the Taoist god, Hsuan-wu. He’s the god of wisdom, luck, longevity, wealth, & happiness. This god receives certain credits, such as being 1 of the Chinese philosophers who could live without eating called breatharian. He’s the only god who was said to have the ability to resurrect the dead. Fukurokuju is portrayed by the size of his head, being almost as large as the size of his whole body. He’s represented wearing traditional Chinese costumes. He normally carries a cane in 1 hand & a scroll with writings about the world in the other hand. He’s usually accompanied by a turtle, a crow, or a deer. These animals are frequently used in Japan to symbolize a long life. It’s also said that he likes to play chess. He’s the patron of chess players. The characteristics of Fukurokuju & Jurojin overlap as they both trace back to the Chinese Taoist deity. Nanjilaoren, which is why Fukurokuju’s position is sometimes granted instead to the goddess Kichijoten, as in Butsuzosui compendium of 1783. The Butsuzosui compendium is a collection of Buddhist iconographic sketches said to have been painted by Hidenobu Tosa of the Tosa school. Originally published in 1690 in 5 volumes.
Kichijoten: (Sometimes omitted) She’s also known as Kisshoten or Kisshoutennyo. She was adapted via Buddhism from the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. Kisshoten has the traits of beauty, happiness, & fertility. In the 1783 edition of the Butsuzozui compendium, Kichijoten replaced Fukurokuju as 1 of the Fukujin. Kichijoten’s iconography is distinguished from the other Fukujin goddesses by the Nyoihiju gem in her hand. When Kichijoten replaces Fukurokuju, & Daikoku is regarded in feminine form, all 3 of the Hindu Tridevi goddesses are then represented among the 7 Fukujin.

During the first 3 days of the New Year, the 7 Lucky Gods are said to pilot through the Heavens the Takarabune or Treasure Ship. A picture of the ship forms an essential part of traditional Japanese New Year celebrations.

There are 4 shrines:

Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, Osaka
Nanyo Kanjizai, Shikoku
Nishinomiya Shrine, Hyogo
Toka Ebisu Shrine, Fukuoka