What is the origin of the Four Emperors?

The Royal Four Gods are the four gods who assist the "Sanqing" in Taoism, so they are also called "four auxiliary gods". Their full names are: Zhongtian Weizi North Pole Emperor, Antarctic Immortal Emperor, Gouchen Shanggong Emperor and Chengtian Imitation. "Ten Books on the Truth" Volume 7 "Dan Jue Ge" said: "Nine-nine roads to the real day, three clean-ups and four imperial days." Daofa Hui Yuan called Sanqing and Yusi "Seven Treasures", believing that Sanqing was the creator of all things in the universe and Yusi was the master of heaven and earth. In addition, Yusi also assisted the Jade Emperor in charge of heaven. The Northern Emperor of Zhongtian Wei Zi assisted the Jade Emperor in charge of the climate of heaven, earth, latitude, sun, moon, star, morning and four seasons. The immortal emperor of Antarctica helped the Jade Emperor to be in charge of human life and destiny, and the Emperor Shanggong helped the Jade Emperor to be in charge of the three talents of the North and South poles, heaven, earth and man, leading the military revolution on the earth. Inheriting the example of Heaven, Tudi helped the Jade Emperor to take charge of the fertility of Yin and Yang, the growth of everything and the beauty of the earth. According to Volume 10 of the "Shangqing Lingbao Dafa", "The Arctic Emperor has a great position in the purple wall. According to Tian Wenzhi, the South Pole is 36 degrees into the ground, the North Pole is 36 degrees out of the ground, and the sky leans to one side, half out of the ground and half back to the ground. Everything is left-handed, and the north and south poles are hubs, but if this one doesn't move, the sky can turn. The world looks to the north, in fact, in the middle of the sky, it is the patriarch of the stars. Jerry of the Three Realms, second only to Haotian, should be called the Emperor of China in the Arctic. In the famous Taoist temple, besides Sanqing Hall and Huangyu Pavilion, there are four palaces dedicated to four emperors. The statues of the four emperors are all wearing dragon robes, which are extremely luxurious and are the images of emperors on earth. Sanqing and Yusi, as Taoist deities, are often called Sanqing together. In addition, Taoism is also known as the "Six Emperors". They are: Jade Emperor, Gouchen Emperor, Zihui Emperor, Tsinghua Emperor, Fairy Emperor and Earth Emperor. This statement originated from the concept of "Liuhe" in ancient China. The so-called "Liuhe" refers to the huge space of the universe, that is, up, down and four directions (east, west, south and north). In the Southern Song Dynasty, Liu Yongguang's Rhubarb Lodging Ceremony is arranged in the following order: Jade Jade God, Shangqing God, Gouchen Shanggong God, Zhongtian Weizi Beiji God, Dongjitaiyi Salvation God (that is, Tsinghua Emperor), Antarctic Immortal Emperor and Houtu Emperor. The first three gods are Sanqing, and the last six gods form a "six-in-one" layout in four directions: upper (jade emperor), lower (thick soil). Taoism calls it "Hao Liu Tian Chen Yuzun", and together with Sanqing, it is called "Nine Emperors' Imperial Names". Later, in order to classify the four auxiliary Taoist scriptures (Taiqing, Taiping, Taixuan and Zhengyi), "Jade Emperor" and "Tsinghua Emperor" were removed, and today's "Four Emperors" were formed. The Great Emperor of Wei Zibei in Zhongtian is also known as the Great Emperor of Wei Zibei, the Great Arctic, the King of Polaris and one of the four emperors. Wei Zi's belief in the North Pole Emperor comes from the worship of stars in ancient China. The North Pole is the abbreviation of Polaris, also known as "Beichen" and "Shu Tian", and lives on the purple emblem wall. Volume 4 of the "Shangqing Lingbao Dafa" says: "The Arctic emperor is also a purple emblem of the emperor in the wall. According to the "Tianwenzhi" cloud, the South Pole is 36 degrees into the ground, the North Pole is 36 degrees out of the ground, and the sky is tilted to the side. The cover is half underground and half underground. All the stars are left-handed, but the north and south poles are fixed, so the sky can move. When people look at the north and say the North Pole, they actually live in the sky. He is the patriarch of the stars, Jerry of the Three Realms, second only to Wu Tian, and Shang Yingyuan is also the Arctic Emperor. Volume 48 of the Book of the Later Han Dynasty also said, "There is a Wei Zi Palace in the sky, where God lives." Therefore, Ziweiyuan is Wei Zi Palace, and later the emperor also called his place the Forbidden City. Taoism believes that Beichen is the eternal star, located in the center of the sky, with the highest status and the most noble, and is the "Lord of the stars" and "the foundation of the gods". So I have great respect for him. "Chi" said: "The five stars in the North Pole and the six stars in Chen are all in the palace, and the North Pole and Beichen are the most respected; Its thin star is also the hub of the sky. And regard it as "the seat of the great emperor" and "the son of heaven lives in it forever" "In the Book of Shoushu written by Confucius in the Tang Dynasty, it was said:" The Beidou circumnavigates the North Pole, and the emperor of Wei Zhou, a scholar of Qing Dynasty, traveled in five-star hotels and was the governor of Youzhou. Twenty-eight lodgings are distributed in all directions, and the princes of Judah are also guarding the land for the emperor. Astronomical phenomena are the law of inferiority. "Regarding the origin of Wei Zi's Northern Emperor, Emperor Tai Shang said that Tian Xuansheng's reaching Zhenwu was a magical spell, and quoted the Beidou Bible as saying:" Yesterday, the Dragon and Han Dynasties were robbed at the beginning, and last spring, Lady Yuguo Ziguang swam in the Wen bath, and then undressed and bathed. Suddenly, she felt that the lotus was nine bracts, and when she developed well, she turned into nine children. His wife hugged and bowed in the palace, and she volunteered to be a sage and assistant. Emperor, eldest son, Zihui, Shanggong Jigang, Yuanxing. The second son, Wei Zi, assisted Zhongmou Tang Ming in establishing an army in the Arctic. According to Taoist records, the function of Wei Zi Polaris Emperor is: to be in charge of heaven and earth, to command Samsung and the gods of mountains and rivers, to be the king of all things, to call the wind and rain, and to serve lightning and ghosts. For example, the book "Notes on Jade Classics, Tianzun" says: "The emperor of the Arctic in China is proficient in the five thunders." Therefore, Emperor Wei Zi was worshipped by emperors of past dynasties, especially in the Song Dynasty, and was often worshipped with the Jade Emperor. Now, in Dazu, Sichuan and other places, you can also see the statue of the purple emblem shaped by the Song Dynasty. "Book of Rites IV in the Ming Dynasty" states: "In the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court also built the Wei Zi Temple and set up the Elephant Memorial Hall". Its image is dressed as an emperor, with a commander in chief, very noble and dignified. Wei Zi's birthday is on April 18th of the lunar calendar. The full name of the Antarctic immortal emperor is "Tian Tong Sheng Yuan Tian Zun, Emperor Wang Changsheng of Xiao Qing Town" and Xiao Qing Fu Shen, referred to as Fu. There are two theories about the origin of the immortal emperor in Antarctica: one is the theory of Yuan Di's eldest son. According to the Taoist Scripture "Preface to Master Wang Zishu of Lei Yuqing", "In the past, the space was not completed, Cheng Yuan was not born, and the heavenly king was the ancestor of Hao Mang in the early Yuan Dynasty, and he was bent on life, which was called chaos. Chaos is torn down, but there is heaven and earth. Chinese and foreign names are mixed. At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, the heavenly king, Yun Hua, painted, Jin Rong was brilliant, jade was as beautiful as the sky, Tao Yumiao was absolutely free from vulgarity, and he was divided into Kun and Kun. It comes from the upper and lower reaches of Yujing Mountain. When Wancheng's grandmother met her, she went to Qing's mother for nine days and went to the big cave to mix men and women. She gave birth to eight children and was called the immortal emperor of Antarctica. Also known as the Emperor of Japan Palace in Fusang, Kowloon. Also known as Gao Shenxiao. Take three people at a time, and the holy one is also. " The real king, absorbed in the golden que, missed all sentient beings in the world, suffered three disasters and eight hardships, and all guilty souls were rewarded. Also, because of robbery, many people's sufferings are endless, and they are reluctant to give up day and night, and life and death are like spinning wheels. Therefore, the true gentleman showed mercy to all sentient beings in the three realms with his magical powers, that is, under the Golden Gate Valve, please be polite and invite Wei Zi to enter the palace for Ziyu and Qiongrui. Within the treasure of nine days, please ask the secret method of the Ninth True King to be a three-volume book ... At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, God ordered the great emperor Wan Fu to "go to heaven", and the second was the ninth son of the King of the Yuan Dynasty. According to the Taoist scriptures "Leiyuyu Sutra of Great Brahma, Purple and Micro", the Yuan King said that "Nine sons were the great emperor Wang Changsheng, who was in power for thirty-six days and was immortal for thirty-six days". At the same time, the Eight Immortals of the Yuan Dynasty also recorded the priest's position of the Antarctic immortal emperor, in which it was said that the Antarctic immortal emperor was appointed as the king of the highest god Leiyuqing and served as the nine-year-old jade fairy king and jade of the sun, and it was forbidden to stick holes. The same volume "Eight Emperors' Official Positions" also said: "The eldest son was appointed as the Heavenly King Xiao Yuqing, and Chu Xiao Taiping was the Taoist Lord, which led to the nine gods of Fusang Sun. Emperor Gouchen of Shanggong, referred to as "Gouchen Emperor" and "Emperor Huang" for short, is the third god among the "Four Emperors" in Taoism. The emperor originated from the worship of stars in ancient China, just like Wei Zi, the emperor of China in the Arctic. "Pokémon Dafa" called the emperor: "It is to the left of the throne of the Arctic, with four stars. Its shape is linked by a hook, which is the name of Gouchen, and its next big star is among them, which is also the emperor. Its general star is in the same place as the North Pole, but it is the hub, and the emperor is also fine with heaven. It is advisable to start from the mouth (left head and right head). "In fact, Gou Chen and Gou Chen are the names of the purple wall constellation in the sky, close to the Polaris, and * * * consists of six stars." "The Star Classic" said: "The six stars of Gouchen are under the five emperors, which are the harem and the emperor is the princess. He also lives in the six generals of the son of heaven and is in charge of the three fairs. " Therefore, later generations took Gou Chen as their harem. "Jin Shu Tian Wenzhi" also said: "The six stars of Gou Chen are all in the palace. ..... In Gou Chen's mouth is a star called Emperor, and its god is called Witch, who is the master of ghosts and gods and holds the picture of all gods. "Taoism absorbed these beliefs, saying that Long Hannian asked a king named Tong Yu, whose virtue was boundless, and his people suffered a great disaster of eighty-four thousand. The king has a jade princess, who is wise and kind, nicknamed Mrs. Ziguang, and vowed to make a wish in the dust robbery, willing to have a son to assist Gan Kun for the benefit of nature; After three thousand robberies, the king was born, because when the flowers were in full bloom last spring, the backyard of the game came to the edge of the Jinlianwen bath, and suddenly he felt something. Lotus is a nine-bract, which develops in time and transforms into nine-bract. The second eldest son is the emperor and the emperor China. The second eldest emperor, who lived in the position of Gouchen in Ziweiyuan Taixu Palace, mastered the unity of the pagoda and Jigang and was the main leader of the stars. It is said that it was found in the Taoist scriptures "Jade Qing is the supreme spiritual treasure, the natural truth of Beidou". In addition, in Song Dynasty, Zhang Junfang's "Seven Things in the Cloud" volume 24 said: "Xing Jun, the master of the six stars, is often the tiger of Chen Tian. "Tied with the name of the Emperor Shanggong, it was listed as one of the Four Emperors. The function of Emperor Gou Chen is to assist the Jade Emperor in charge of the North and South poles, the talents of heaven, earth and people, rule the stars and preside over the military revolution on earth. Empress Chengtian imitates the earth, which is the fourth god among the "Four Emperors" in Taoism. Paired with the jade emperor who presided over the heaven, she is the goddess who dominates the mountains and rivers of the earth. The belief in Houtu originated from the worship of land in ancient China. " "Book of Rites Special Sacrifice" says: "The earth carries everything, and the sky hangs like an elephant. Borrowing materials from the earth and taking the method of heaven is a respect for the sky and a kiss to the earth. Therefore, people in the church have a good report. "In ancient times, people were born on the ground, so they were' near the ground' and' rewarded', so there was a worship of' Houtu', which began in the Spring and Autumn Period. There are many records about Houtu, most of which are concentrated in Zuo Zhuan, Book of Rites, Shan Hai Jing and Huai Nan Zi. In the text, Houtu is roughly called the son of Gong's family and the God of the Central Committee. For example, in Twenty-nine Years of Zuo Gong, there are five elements of officials, which refer to five senses, namely, wood, fire, Zhu Rong, Admiralty, water and earth. Zhuan Xu's son, Li, is Zhu Rong. * * * There is a saying in the Gong family that "dragon" means "changed". After that, it is the soil of society. "The Book of Rites Sacrifice Law": "The * * * government is the master of Kyushu, and its son Hou Tu can ping Kyushu, so he worships it as a society." "Book of Rites and Moon Order": "The central soil, its emperor Huangdi, its god is behind the soil." (Zheng Note: King Yuzhu, the god of local officials, is also the son of Zhuan Xu and a local official. ) "Shan Hai Jing Hai Nei Jing": "* * * Workers are born in the afterlife, and the afterlife is born in the snoring. They were two years old when they were born. "Guo Pu's Note: Twelve sons are born in the name of years old, so they are clouds. Yuan Ke's full translation of Shan Hai Jing: In ancient mythology, it was said that choke was born at the age of twelve or at the age of one in December. Classic of Mountains and Seas: "Li (Houtu) choked on the ground and was in the west pole, so he could travel around the sun, the moon and the stars." This choke is the god of time. ) Shan Hai Jing Huang Da Bei Jing: "In the middle of the desert, there is a mountain called Chengdu, which carries the sky. Some people named two yellow snakes Kuafu. After the birth of Tu, Xin was born in Kuafu. " Note: Hou Tu, son of Gong, Gou, see Zuo Zhuan, Nineteen Years of Zhao and Shan Hai Jing. "Shan Hai Jing Hai Nei Jing": "* * * workers were born later. "Yuan Ke's Complete Translation of Shan Hai Jing: Guoyu Luyu says:" * * * Gong's overlord has nine, and his son's name is Houtu, and he can be a grade nine. "Yes, this is the history of" workers were born in the past "." Chu Ci Evocation: "Yuan Jun is more secluded here. "Wang Yi's Note: Youdu is governed by underground soil. Underground ghost, so it is called Youdu. "Huainanzi Astronomical Training": "China is also its emperor Huangdi, and its auxiliary soil is also. "The above records about Hou Di, have a plenty of appear as immortals, have a plenty of appear as ordinary people, have a plenty of records of official names, are all men. However, in the ancient tradition of China, the sky is sunny and the ground is cloudy. In Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Jin Wen, the word "Hou" is the shape of a woman. As for "earth", the explanation of the name and Heaven said: "Earth, spit it, can spit everything. Worship: In Taoist temple, besides Sanqing Hall, there are four royal halls dedicated to four royal gods. In the large-scale ritual activities of fasting, in addition to offering sacrifices to Sanqing, there are also shrines of the Four Emperors. The Taoist book says, "Everyone walks and lives with respect." The four gods also have their own birthdays. The Jade Emperor is on the ninth day of the first month, the Purple Arctic Emperor is on October 27th, the Gouchen Emperor is on the second day of February, and the Houtu Emperor is only on March 18th. Many Taoist believers go to the Taoist temple to burn incense and worship on the birthday of the four royal gods.