Taoist festival?

Taoism regards the days closely related to its own beliefs, as well as the birthdays of gods and ancestors as festivals. On some important festivals, a grand fast will be held to celebrate.

Because each festival celebrates different people, it starts in different years. Judging from the available data, Sanhui Day, Sanyuan Day and Wula Day are earlier festivals, and the rest are later. Because of the different beliefs of different factions, the gods and ancestors they worship also have similarities and differences. Generally speaking, the "birthdays" of Sanqing, Supreme God, Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West, Emperor Dongyue, Emperor Wenchang and Emperor Zhenwu, three officials with a long history and great social influence, are festivals celebrated by various factions. Birthdays of founders of various factions, such as Zhang Ling, San Mao Zhen Jun, Xu Zhen Jun, Qiu Chuji, etc., are all separate festivals.

Due to the complexity of Taoist sects and the influence of regional secular beliefs, the worship of gods and ancestors by many small sects in various regions has increased, and festivals have also increased accordingly. Now, only the important festivals are briefly described as follows:

According to Lu's "Daomen Lulve", the third day will be the seventh day of the first lunar month (the same below), the seventh day of July and the fifth day of October. (1) It is said that these three days are the days of "three officials' assessment (Taoist merits and demerits)", and they are also the three days of Taoist gatherings in the early period (that is, the period of Wudou Mi Dao and Shitiandao). During these three days, Taoist priests will go to the local academic affairs office, declare their family background, listen to the precepts preached by non-commissioned officers, and accept the merits and demerits of the three officials, thus deciding the order of acceptance. This system prevailed during the reign of Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. Since then, due to the change of conditions, the system has been gradually abandoned. During the Southern Song Dynasty, during the reform and rectification of Taoism, Lu reiterated discipline, words and deeds, and intended to make the three-day system persist for a long time, but it had little effect and was no longer implemented.

A ternary day is called a ternary festival. Sanyuan refers to the three officials of heaven, earth and water, and is the main god that Wudou Midao believed in when it was first established. Three Dynasties' Book of Three Officials, the last chapter, was given to these three gods. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, this belief prevailed, and the so-called God bless the people, local officials forgive sins, and water officials forgive Eritrea. (2) It is believed that the three officials control people's life and death, and they will go to the world on three specific days in a year to test the merits and demerits of the proofreader to determine people's life span. "Sanyujuan Xuan Jing Du Dajingxian" published in the Southern and Northern Dynasties said: "All the records of life and death, good and evil, and their genealogy are in the three yuan and nine houses.

Heaven, earth and water have passed the exam without loss. Those who say ternary, the fifteenth day of the first month is Shangyuan, that is, Tianguan stops; July 15 is the Central Plains, and local officials check it; 1October 15 is Xiayuan, that is, Shuiguancha. (3) Later, these three days of human merits and demerits evolved into the birthdays of the three officials. See Christmas in the Christmas of the Gods and Emerald Sagger. , published in the Ming Dynasty, said: The fifteenth day of the first month is Christmas in Shangguan; July 15 is Christmas in Central Plains. The following year1October15th, Yuan Navy officially celebrated Christmas. Since then, Sanyuan Festival has been passed down as a Taoist festival to this day.

According to the ancient "La Ri", Taoism offered sacrifices to ancestors and gods and created the Five La Ri. Calling the first day of the first month nature is the day when the Five Emperors set a time limit for strangers. May 5 is Dirac's day, the day when "the Five Emperors decided to be the official rank, and the flesh and blood declined"; July 7 is a moral wax, a day when "the bones of the five emperors are dying"; 1 October1day is the year of People's Republic of China (PRC), which is the day when the Five Emperors School decided to give birth to the official title of Lu Ke. 12 months (lack of days? d？ D) It is the day when the Five Emperors sent their troops to a foreign land and were divided by Lu. ⑥ This festival first arose (recorded in the book Zhang Li of Red Pine Nuts written in the Northern and Southern Dynasties), and Taoism has been followed to this day. Especially on the first day of the first month, it is still an important festival of Taoism. At that time, it was necessary to set up sacrifices to heaven and ancestors according to tradition in order to live longer.

Sanqing Christmas Sanqing, as the highest Taoist god, was founded in the early Tang Dynasty. Among them, Yuanshi Tianzun and Lingbao Tianzun were originally the embodiment of "Tao", with no beginning and no end. There was no birthday at all, and later Taoism explained it and gave them a birthday. It is said that the Buddha in Yuan Dynasty symbolized chaos, which was the first century when Yin and Yang were first judged. Therefore, it takes the winter solstice as its birthday. Lingbao Buddha symbolizes chaos and the early Qing Dynasty, which is the second century when Yin and Yang began to distinguish. Therefore, it takes the summer solstice as its birthday. ⑦ Laozi, the third moral god, was a real person in history. However, due to the few records left, it can only be inferred that he was from the Spring and Autumn Period, and he could not know his date of birth. In the struggle between Buddhism and Taoism in the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Taoism constantly advanced the birth date of Laozi to the early Zhou Dynasty in order to promote Laozi's teachings. In the Three-hole Pearl Capsule, Volume 9, Lao Zi is a Master's Product, the Tang King said: "In the Eighth Volume of Lao Zi's Notes on Teaching Classics, Disciplines and Instruments, the Taiping Department said: Lao Zi is a great sage of Taoism ... He was born in the early Zhou Dynasty. ..... When Wang Wen was there, he was an official who kept Tibetan history. " ⑧ His "Old Zi Hua Xi Hu Pin" said: "On the occasion of the Yin and Zhou Dynasties." Pet-name ruby has no specific date of birth. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Du Guangting's "Tao Te Ching Guang Sheng Ren Yi" pushed the age of Lao Zi's life to the Shang Dynasty and determined the year, month and day. The second volume "The Year of Clan Birth" said: "The old gentleman was born on February 15, the ninth year of Yin Wuding." After this birthday of Lao Zi, later biographical works of Lao Zi appeared, such as Biography of Youlong by Jia Shanxiang in the Northern Song Dynasty, Shengji of Mixed Yuan by Xie Shouhao in the Southern Song Dynasty, Chronicle of the Old Man in Taishang and Daxian School by Chen Yuan and Xu Zhi, which became the conclusion of Lao Zi's birthday. Although the birthday of Laozi in Sanqing Middle School was set in the Tang Dynasty, it is difficult to judge when the other two birthdays were set.

Jade Emperor's Christmas belief flourished in the Song Dynasty. Shang Gao Jade Emperor Bank's Collection called him "born in the palace at noon on the ninth day of the third lunar month". AC this scripture has not been written, but it is recorded in the fifth volume of "Reading Records of County Zhai" by Chao in Southern Song Dynasty. He said: "The Jade Emperor collected three volumes of scriptures, and the Shu version was also engraved by Cheng Yu You Jiaxi in Lin 'an Mansion for four years." According to Jia, in 654 AD, Chao was appointed as Shao Yin and Guan Dao of Lin 'an Prefecture (1165 ~1173). Is Jia the best choice? V or Xichun (1174 ~1189). If so, the birthday of the Jade Emperor would be recognized in the Song Dynasty. Since then, the book Search for Ji Shen, which originated in Yuan Dynasty and was written in Ming Dynasty, has the same catalogue as the book Jade Sagger on the Birthday of the Gods, which was written in the middle of Ming Dynasty. Christmas also said that the Jade Emperor was born on the ninth day of the first month.

The origin of the myth of the Queen Mother of Christmas is very old, but it was not until the end of the Tang Dynasty that Du Guangting's Miscellaneous Notes on the Collection of Immortals in Yucheng was handed down, and it was still said that it was born by a wonderful spirit in West China, and there was no date of birth. Then it was called "Born on July 18th" in Ming Dynasty, and it was named "Search for Ji Shen" and "Search for Shen Daquan by Three Religions" (originated in Yuan Dynasty). AE's "Christmas Festival" also said: "July 18, the Queen Mother Christmas." AF knew that this birthday was also recognized by the Ming Dynasty.

The belief in Dongyue's birthday originated very early, and it was more common when he was crowned king and emperor in the Tang and Song Dynasties. However, in the Yuan Dynasty, the book Confessions of Dongyue Health Treasure was also called "Born in the Early Period of Chaos". AG has no birthday. The book Search for Ji Shen, which originated in the Yuan Dynasty and was written in the Ming Dynasty, began to say that it was born on March 28th. Ah, a catalogue of collections such as Jade Sagger on the Birthday of the Immortal written in the middle of Ming Dynasty? Christmas is recorded in the same way as Tomita Rucheng's Joy of the Tide and Ten Thousand Miscellanies on the list of wise gods. It can be seen that Dongyue Birthday was also recognized in the Ming Dynasty.

Wenchang was born Wenchang Emperor, also known as Zitong Emperor, or Yuan Di Tiandi. It is a compound god that combines wenchang star and Zitong. His beliefs were very popular in the Song Dynasty. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Li Zongzheng wrote the book "The Fairy Classic of Wenchang Cave", which was said to have been born on the third day of February. Ai's Biography of Qinghe at the end of Yuan Dynasty said that he was born in the early Zhou Dynasty and in the late Western Jin Dynasty. V Between the two counties in the south, 19 1 1 February 3rd is Jiazi's birthday. AJ, the second volume of Search for the Gods, the Jade Sagger on Christmas Day of the Gods and other collections? The same is true of the Christmas season.

Zhenwu Christmas After the Song Dynasty, people's belief in Zhenwu God became more and more common, and its deity became higher and higher, so it was called Zhenwu, also known as Tian Xuan God. The second volume of Sou Shen Ji mentioned above called Tian Xuan God "born on the third day of March". AK In the early years of Ming Dynasty, Zhu Quan's Book of the Jade Emperor, also known as the third day of March, was born in Naive Wu, Beizhen. LB The Revelation of God in the late Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty is the same as the Catalogue of Jade Saggers in the Festival of God's Birthday in the middle Ming Dynasty. This day has become one of the important festivals in Taoism.

Zhang Tianshi's birthday, Zhang Ling, is known as the Zu Tianshi, and is revered by orthodox Taoism.

There is no record of Zhang Ling's birthday in his early biography. About his birthday, the earliest record is The Mirror of True Immortal Wind Daoism compiled by Taoist Zhao in Yuan Dynasty, and its volume 18, Biography of Zhang Tianshi, says that he was "born on the 15th day of the first month of Jianwu in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wudi Tianmu Mountain". LC In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Quan's Imperial Jade Book was the same as the Origin of Taoism, Volume I, Jade Sagger Catalogue on the Birthday of the Gods. Since then, it has been one of the important festivals.

The Liang tablet recorded in Volume 16 of Biography of Mao Ying, The Birthday of San Mao Jun, The Inscription of San Mao Jun in Jiuxi, Volume 5 of Three Gods, and Volume 16 of Historical Records of Immortals all show that he was born in the fifth year of Emperor Han Jing. LD didn't say the month and date. "Search Ji Shen" two volumes of clouds: "San Mao Zhen Jun was born on March 18." Since then, "Music" has become one of the important festivals.

When Xu Zhenjun was born in the Tang and Song Dynasties, Xu Xun was widely praised in the south of the Yangtze River, but when he wrote Biography of Xu Zhenjun in Jingyang in the Southern Song Dynasty and Eighty-five Records of Xu Zhenjun in the Western Hills compiled by Shi Cen in the Southern Song Dynasty, it was just a cloud: "Wu Chiwu didn't live for two years, and my mother dreamed that golden phoenix had a pearl in her hand, so she swallowed it for fun, and ... she was pregnant and gave birth to a real gentleman." LF The Mirror of True Immortals and Immortals, Volume 26 and Biography of Master Xu are also recorded, but the date and month are not mentioned. Biographies of Xu Zhenjun and Biographies of Xu Taishi Zhenjun made in Yuan Dynasty began to record their birthdays, saying that they were born on the 28th day of the first month of the second year of Wu Chiwu. LG's complete Taoist Book of the Jade Emperor also has the same record. Since then, it has been one of the important festivals.

The earliest record of Lv Zu's birthday is the Record of Jin Ping Mei written by Qin Zhi 'an in the early Yuan Dynasty. The first volume, Biography of Lv Chunyang, says that Bingzi was born under a woodbird tree on April 14th, the 14th year of Xingyuan in Tang Dezong. LH Miaoshanshi was born on April 14th, the 14th year of Zhenyuan, and Yuan and Da (13 1 1) set up "Pure Yang deified Miaotongji". Li Taibo wrote (1324 ~ 1327) The Authentic Fairy Tale of Jin Ping Mei, saying that he was "born in Zhenyuan (12th year) on April 14th". At the end of LJ Yuan, Chen's Records of the Great Immortal of Shangyangzi also said that he was "born on April 14th, the 14th year of Tianbao (755); A cloud is born in Tang Dezong Zhenyuan Bingzi. " LK said that life has four years: 14 years (only one year according to the star yuan, no 14 years? d？ D cited note), Zhenyuan fourteen years, Zhenyuan twelve years, Tianbao fourteen years; And the first day of the month (April 14). This day is designated as Lv Dongbin's birthday, which is one of the important festivals of Quanzhen Daoism.

There is no record of the date of birth and death in Wang's early biography collected in A Record of Jin Ping Mei by An in the early Yuan Dynasty, and in The Tale of Ganshui Fairy Source compiled by Zhiyuan (1264 ~ 1294) by Li Daoqian. However, Li Daoqian wrote The Chronicle of Seven truths in Zhiyuan, only saying that he was born on December 22nd, the second year of Zheng He. MB Tai Dingjian's Biography of the Authentic Fairy Source of Jinlian is the same as this, and it has been designated as the birthday of Wang since then, which is one of the important festivals of Quanzhen Road.

Qiu Chuji's early biographies in Jin Ping Mei Shi Lu and Narcissus Source Lu did not record his date of birth and death. At the beginning of Li Daoqian's Chronicle of Seven Deaths, he said that he was born in Qixia County, Dengzhou on the 19th day of the first month of the eighth year of Xi. The Same Notes of Biography of the Golden Lotus Immortal Source written by MC Taiding Jian. Since then, it has been regarded as Qiu Chuji's birthday and one of the important festivals of Quanzhendao.

As can be seen from the above, except that Sanhui Day, Sanyuan Day and Wula Day appeared earlier, and the birthdays of Laozi and Jade Emperor were confirmed in the late Tang and Song Dynasties respectively, the birthdays of gods or ancestors were confirmed in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. It seems to be inferred that there were few festivals in early Taoism, and most of them were decided in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties (mainly in the Ming Dynasty).

The reason may be related to the fact that Taoism was at the turning point from prosperity to decline. After entering the Ming Dynasty, Taoism gradually lost the support of the upper rulers and had to turn to the people for development, secularizing Taoism and increasing fasting festivals in large numbers to meet the needs of the people.