What God is Zhang Tianshi (comparable to Zhang Tianshi of Confucius)?

Those who want to live forever often die quickly. At that time, Qin Shihuang ruled the country and tried his best to seek "the inheritance of the descendants of the emperor", but he died the next year. Others are witty and careless, but later they are admired by the world and later generations. Such a wise man first recommended Confucius, which can be compared with Confucius. Zhang Tianshi is a character. His hereditary family lasted for more than 2000 years. Although he keeps a low profile, he is also an important person.

First of all, the legendary Zhang Tianshi

The word "Shi Tian" first appeared in "Zhuangzi Xu Wugui": "The Yellow Emperor bowed down and kowtowed again, calling Shi Tian back". Although Zhuangzi didn't make it clear in his fable what kind of formidable figure "Shi Tian" was, everything was clearly shown through the reflection of the Yellow Emperor. The first person who really called himself "Shi Tian" in history was Zhang Daoling, an "alternative" celebrity in the late Han Dynasty.

Zhang Daoling, formerly known as Zhang Ling, was born after Sean, the founding hero of the Western Han Dynasty. Because of his talent, Zhang Daoling followed the trend at that time and successfully entered imperial academy to study Confucianism. But with the deepening of the research, he found that what he learned was not the meaning of dealing with life and death. So Zhang Daoling turned to Taoism and founded Justice Road (also known as Shitian Road and Wudoumi Road). , the names of different periods are slightly different) to understand heaven and earth.

Zhang Daoling quickly became famous in the field of Taoism. Han and Emperor, who also pursued immortality, frequently recruited him to the DPRK. Zhang Daoling couldn't bear it, but he couldn't resist it. He just packed his bags and traveled around. He went to Taiping Mountain and Longhu Mountain, and at the age of 60, he set off for heming in central Sichuan.

In the first month of the first year of Han 'an (142), Zhang Daoling was practicing in Hemingshan. It is said that the old gentleman on the throne suddenly came. The old man not only taught him the secret laws such as Taiping East Ji Jing and the Twenty-four-product Law of Zhengpai Mengwei, but also named Zhang Daoling Shi Tian and told him to do a good job in exorcising demons for the people. The first generation of Zhang Tianshi was thus established.

Second, the Millennium Inheritance of "Zhang Tianshi"

The first generation of Zhang Tianshi Zhang Daoling died at the age of 123. His lineal son inherited his lifelong wish, Shi Tiandao founded by Zhang Daoling and the name "Zhang Tianshi".

At first, Zhang Daoling's grandson, Zhang Lu, established the Wudou Midao political power in Hanzhong, and enfeoffed Hanzhong, Ba County and other places for more than 30 years. In the 20th year of Jian 'an (2 15), Wudou Midao regime was destroyed by Cao Cao. Therefore, relying on the folk influence of Wudou Midao, Zhang Lu married Cao Cao and moved a large number of followers of Shi Tian to the north. This makes Shi Tian Dao spread in a wider area.

Since Zhang Daoling and Zhang Lu basically established the social status of Tao, Zhang Tianshi and his descendants have been active all over the country. Shi Tian Zhi Yi and Taiping Guang Ji written by Tang and Song Chengshu recorded some activities of the ninth, tenth, twelfth and thirteenth grandchildren in the south of the Yangtze River.

Before the Tang Dynasty, "Shi Tian" was only an honorific title for Zhang Daoling in Taoism. Zhang Tianshi's identity was officially recognized by the state when he arrived in Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Daoling himself was posthumously awarded as a teacher. Some members of the Shi Tian family, such as the tenth generation granddaughters Zhang Zitai and Zhang Jifei, were also awarded the honor of female librarian for their achievements in Taoism.

For various reasons, Zhang Hengchuan, which recorded Zhang Tianshi's early genealogy, was later lost. However, Bai Yuchan, a Taoist priest in the Southern Song Dynasty, once wrote a four-line poem praising Shi Tian, the 32nd generation since Zhang Daoling. Therefore, although the records of Zhang Tianshi School's early deeds are incomplete, its pedigree is complete and can be verified.

And with the increasing influence of Taoism in Shi Tian among the people, people pay more and more attention to the inheritance of Shi Tian. Zhang Pingchang, the 42nd generation Shi Tian in Ming Dynasty, wrote The Shi Tian Family in Han Dynasty, which recorded and sorted out various situations of Shi Tian family for thousands of years. In the Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Tianshi was not only recommended by Tianshidao, but also appointed by the emperor. Today, Zhang Tianshi has reached the sixty-third generation. China's biographies of Zhang Tianshi in the past dynasties also sorted out and summarized their lives.

Third, Zhang Tianshi's influence on traditional culture.

As a family that has lasted for nearly two thousand years, Zhang Tianshi's fame is far less than that of Confucius, but their influence on traditional culture should not be underestimated.

In the field of Taoism based on Zhang Tianshi, Shi Tian Taoism is the mainstream, and Zhang Tianshi is the spiritual and direct leader of Shi Tian Taoism. Therefore, Zhang Tianshi's position in Confucianism is not as important as that of Confucius, but he is also an important figure who has influenced Taoist thoughts.

In the whole folk, the legends and literary works around Zhang Tianshi are also a valuable asset. There are naturally the most stories about the first generation of Zhang Tianshi Zhang Daoling. Tianshijian, Fang's Daughter, Zhang Zhenjun and Exorcism in Shangqing Palace are all based on the deeds of Zhang Daoling. In Hanzhong, there is also an ancestral temple to commemorate the third generation daughter Lu. The locals even regard it as the goddess of fertility.

It can be said that with the development of history, Zhang Tianshi is no longer a simple religious image, but a combination of religion and secular life. Religious literature and secular literature have merged in the image of "Zhang Tianshi". Both religious thoughts and worldly wisdom are realized through Zhang Tianshi.