What does Taoism refer to as the Three Clears of Taoism

The three Qings refer to: Yuan Shi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Taishang Laojun.

Taoists believe that the Sanqing dwells in a very distant and wonderful world of immortals, and governs countless other gods and even all things, such as overseeing the social life of human beings. Among them, the status of Yuan Shi Tianzun is the highest, he is the creator of the entire universe, which is equivalent to the Chinese style of God.

As for Lingbao Tianzun, in order to cater to the requirements of the lower classes, the Taoists awarded him to the Jade Emperor in Chinese folk beliefs; As for Daode Tianzun, most people believe that he is the ancestor of Taoism, Lao Tzu.

In the usual Taoist palaces, their statues are enshrined, and a place of worship is specially built for them, called Sanqing Hall or Sanqing Palace. They are arranged in the following order: in the middle is the Yuan Shi Tianzun, who has a void left hand and a void hand in his right hand, symbolizing the original state of the world.

To the left of the Primordial Tianzun is the Lingbao Tianzun, holding a yin-yang mirror in his hand, symbolizing the state of the world when it has just come out of chaos; On the right is Daode Tianzun, holding a fan painted with a yin-yang mirror, symbolizing the original state in which the world was created. In Taoist art, the sculptures and portraits about the Sanqing are very rich, and many fine works are still preserved today.

"Yuqing Yuan Shi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, Taiqing Daode Tianzun".

The first median, Shanghe Xuhuang Daojun, the number Yuan Shi Tianzun. The second median, Shangqing Gaosheng Taishang Yuchen Yuanhuang Daojun (the lord of all roads). The third median, Taiji Jinque Emperor, surnamed Li (Ren Chenxia Sect Taiping Master).

The fourth median, Taiqing Taishang Laojun (for the Taiqing Daoist, down to the people), the emperor Taishang Supreme Daojun.

However, the order of the name of the "Three Qings" has not yet been determined, and the third place is the "Emperor of Jinque", and Taishang Laojun is in the fourth middle. Later, the name of the "Three Qings" gradually changed and developed, and it became a definite theory in the Tang Dynasty. "Daozang, Taipingbu, Three Caves Bead Sac" Volume 7 quotes "Laojun Sacred Miracles" cloud:

This is the Jade Qing Realm, the Yuan Shi Tian Venerable Throne, above the thirty-five heavens. This is the Shangqing Realm, the Taishang Dao Jun (Lingbao Tianzun) position, above the thirty-four heavens. Taiqing Realm Taiji Palace, that is, the old monarch of Taishang, is above the thirty-three.

As a result, the "Three Qings" became the supreme god of Taoism.

Taoist Sanqing refers to the highest god in Taoism, the three Qing gods, the three Qings are Yuqing Yuan Shi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun and Taiqing Daode Tianzun.

In the position of the statue of the Taoist temple, the Taiqing Daodaotianzun is on the left, holding the Taiji diagram or yin and yang fan, symbolizing the original state of the world being created; Yuqing Yuan Shi Tianzun is in the center, holding a mixed yuan bead, symbolizing the original state of the world; Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun is on the right, holding a jade ruyi, symbolizing the state of the world when it has just come out of chaos.

The Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing in the name of Sanqing refer to the name of the fairyland where Sanqing lives, and Tianzun means that the honor of the extreme way, the supreme and the extreme, hence the name Tianzun.

"Sanqing" refers to Yuqing, Shangqing and Taiqing.

"Sanqing" refers to Yuqing, Shangqing and Taiqing. That is, the Yuan Shi Tianzun, the Lingbao Tianzun and the Daode Tianzun. Sanqing is the supreme god of Taoism and the embodiment of "Tao".

In the Sanqing Palace, the Yuan Shi Tianzun is in the first place, holding the Xuanzhu in his hand, and the left hand is empty or empty, symbolizing the "Wuji" state when the heaven and earth are not formed, all things are not born, the turbidity is not judged, the yin and yang are not divided, and the chaos is not divided, that is, the first century of the formation of the universe.

"Yuqing Yuan Shi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, Taiqing Daode Tianzun".

1, Yuan Shi Tianzun.

Among the three Qings, Yuan Shi Tianzun has the highest status and is the "ancestor who presides over the heavenly realm". The word "Yuanshi" was originally a Taoist term used to describe the origin of the universe, which means the origin and beginning, and later Taoism mythologized it as the supreme god.

According to the Taoist book, the Yuan Shi Tianzun lived in the highest heaven of the thirty-six heavens, and existed before the creation of all things in the universe, and he was immortal, and whenever a new heaven and earth were formed, he descended to the earth and taught the world the way of mysteries.

2, Lingbao Tianzun.

Lingbao Tianzun is the second highest god in the Three Qings, also known as Taishang Daojun. The Taoist Sutra says that he was born from the chaotic state of Yuan Qi before the universe was formed. It was originally "the essence of the second morning, the purple smoke of Jiuqing", born after 3,700 years of birth, living in the Xuandu Yujing Immortal Mansion in Shangqing Realm, with 300,000 guards of the golden boy and the jade girl, worshipping the gods, and countless people who are excessive.

3. Moral Heavenly Respect.

Among the three Qings, the belief in moral Tianzun is the most common. Daode Tianzun was originally called Taishang Laojun, which is a Taoist myth to Lao Tzu, the founder of the pre-Qin Taoist school in China. Lao Tzu's surname is Li Ming'er, and he was born with white hair, so he is called Lao Tzu.

Sanqing is the symbol of the Taoist philosophy of "Trinity".

Chapter 42 of the Tao Te Ching says: "Tao gives birth to one, life to two, two to three, three to all things, all things negative yin and embrace yang, impulsive and harmonious." "From the nameless avenue to generate chaotic vitality, from the vitality to generate yin and yang two qi, the harmony of yin and yang, give birth to all things in the world.

Chapter 14 also says: "If you don't see it, you can't see it, you can't hear it, you can't see it, you can't see it, you can't see it, These three cannot be cross-examined, so they are mixed into one", thinking that one is three, three is one, "use is divided into three, and this is always one".

Later, Taoism derived from this to derive the three gods who lived in the Sanqing Shengjing. The position of the Sanqing Zun God in the Taoist immortal system.

The seventh volume of the Taoist Doctrine Hub quotes the "Taizhen Branch" and says: "Da Luo gave birth to the three qi of Xuanyuan and turned into three clear heavens: one is said to be Qingwei Tianyu Qingjing, which is made of the first qi; On the second day, Yu Yu cleared the realm in the sky, and the vitality was formed; The three are said to be too clear in the red sky, and they are made of Xuanqi.

Since then, the three qi have their own life". According to the records of Taoist books such as "Seven Signatures of the Cloud Pipe" and "Dao Fa Hui Yuan", Qingwei Tianyu Qingjing, the mixed cave is too Yuanless, its qi is green, the true way ascends to the holy realm, and Tianbao respects it; Yu Yu is in the clear realm of the sky, its qi yuan is yellow, the fairy road ascends to the true realm, and the spirit treasure is respected; The big red sky is too clear, its qi is white, humanity ascends to the fairyland, and the Dao Tianzun resides in it. Wen said:

These four kinds of people's heavens, that is, above the three realms, are beyond the disaster of the four kinds of people's heavens, and there are three clear realms. Above the three Qings is Da Luo Tian, and the Yuan Shi Tianzun lives in it, and Shi Hua is taught. Tianbao Junzhi is in the Yuqing realm, and Qingwei Tianye is also.

Lingbao Junzhi is in Shangqing Realm, that is, Yu Yu Tianye, and Shenbao Zunzhi is in Taiqing Realm, that is, Da Chitian. (Yun Ji Seven Signatures, Volume 3, "The Beginning of Taoism") and according to the "Collection of Sayings and Interpretations", the "Reading Chronicles" is quoted from the cloud: "The Three Qings are in the holy realm of Yuqing, and the Yuan is the first to live in it; Shangqing Holy Realm, Daojun dwells there; Taiqing Wonderland, where the old gentleman lives.

At the same time, the three Qingzun gods of Taoism also reflect the deification of the "Three Caves True Scripture" of Taoism. "Yun Ji Seven Signs" volume 6 "Three Caves Sutra Education Department" said: "The "Daomen Great Treatise" cloud three caves, the cave is also a hole.

Through the mysterious, there are three of them, so the cloud 'three holes'. The first cave is true, the second cave is mysterious, and the third cave is a god. It is the purpose of the three scenes and the spiritual chapter of the eight associations.

According to the record of the Qingwei Divine Position in the first volume of the "Dao Fa Hui Yuan" "Qingwei Dao Law Hub": Qingwei Holy Ancestor Yu Qing Yuan Shi Miao Dao God represents the Dongzhen Sutra Department, Taixuan Fuzhi, and preaches the Qingwei School; Qingwei Xuanzu Shangqing Lingbao Baoyu Chen Daojun, on behalf of the Dongxuan Sutra Department, Taiping Fuzhi, and Lingbao School; The ancestor of Qingwei, Taiqing Daode Five Spirits, Xuan Laojun, represents the nerve department of the cave, Taiqing assists it, and the way of Zhengyi Mengwei runs through the three holes, and the morality school and the Zhengyi faction are transmitted.

In the standard mythological system of Taoism, the mainstream of the 'Three Qings' is correctly ordered as follows: the largest in the middle is the Yuan Shi Tianzun, the second on the left is the Lingbao Tianzun, and the third on the right is the Daode Tianzun. In fact, the current order of the Three Qing Dynasty went through a series of development processes, and finally in the sixth century AD, it was really determined by Taoism during the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

At the beginning, Zhang Daoling created the 'Five Buckets of Rice Sect', which is the Heavenly Master Sect, and respects Lao Tzu alone, and Taishang Laojun is the largest. Later, there were different big factions in Taoism, and different big gods began to appear in each faction, such as: Shangnian Huaiqing faction respected Taishang Daojun and Primordial Heavenly King, and Tangerine felt that Lao Tzu and Pangu were all incarnations of the Yuan Shi Heavenly King; The Lingbao faction respects the Taishang Laojun and the primordial king, and feels the same as the primordial king incarnated as Lao Tzu; And the Lord of the Heavenly Master Sect respects Lao Tzu, feeling that he is the embodiment of the Tao, and the primordial Heavenly King and others are all the incarnations of Taishang Laojun.

Note Wu Youyi: At that time, Taishang Daojun was not Taishang Laojun, the Tang Dynasty mainly referred to Lingbao Tianzun was actually Taishang Daojun, and the Song Dynasty was officially named Lingbao Tianzun.

With the integration of the various sects of Taoism, mainly the Lingbao faction, the Shangqing faction, and the Tianshi faction, and finally in the late Northern and Southern Dynasties, the 'Three Qings' were officially unified, and all Taoist sects in the country were respected. Yuqing Yuan Shi Tianzun, his original name is Yuan Shi Tianwang, he is transformed by innate green qi, living in Yuqing Realm and Qingwei Tian! At first, the word Tianzun appeared in Buddhist classics such as "The Buddha Says the Sutra of Amitayus" in the Wei and Jin dynasties, and was introduced by Taoism after the Jin Dynasty and became the Yuan Shi Tianzun.

Formerly known as Taishang Dao Jun, he is Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, who is the original Xuanhuang Qi of the world, fixes Taiji, drives Yin and Yang two qi, and transforms the five elements. Living in the Xuandu Yujing Immortal Mansion in the Shangqing Realm, there are 300,000 guards of the jade girl and the golden boy, and there are countless people who are excessive, and all gods worship. There are seventy-two and thirty-six changes, and people can see him anytime and anywhere.

The original name is Taishang Laojun, is Taiqing Daode Tianzun that is, Lao Tzu, because it passed down the "Tao Te Ching", so it is also said to be Daode Tianzun, belonging to the world's original Xuanbai Qi incarnated, living in Taiqing Realm, Da Chitian! Recognized as the ancestor of Taoism, it is said to be the embodiment of "Tao", and passed down the "Tao Te Ching" to educate all beings in the universe.

1. The avenue is the root of creation. There is no great way to incarnate Tai Chi Yin and Yang and the five elements of Qi, the avenue is born in two lifetimes and three incarnations of all things, so the avenue is called the ancestor of the three Qing Dao. The Great Dao is the ancestor of all things.

2. The avenue is the foundation of education. After all things are born, they sink and fall, and the ancestors of Sanqing Dao set up three caves to educate and save them, so they call the avenue as: Sanqing Sanbao Tianzun. The Great Dao is the master of all things.

3. The Great Dao is the lord of all things. After the incarnation of all things, the Great Dao turned into the true ruler of all things in the Three Realms and the Ten Directions, maintaining the order of time and space and the discipline of Qiankun, so the Great Dao was honored as God. The Great Dao is the master of all things.

Sanqing Daozu (Creation), Sanqing Sect Master (Enlightenment), Jade Emperor God (Domination), Separation of Theocracy and Ecclesiastical Power, Miaoyi Qing Tongyuan.