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Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (detail)
Early Qing dynasty, 17th/18th century
Hanging scroll; ink and colors on silk 160 x 80 cm
White Cloud Monastery² (Baiyun Guan), Beijing cat. no. 66
Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure

This and the following painting, the Celestial Worthy of the Way and Its Power, were originally part of a triptych depicting the Three Purities, the highest gods of Taoism. Such a triptych¹ would have been made to serve as the central object of worship in the most revered place in a Taoist temple.

This painting shows the second of the Three Purities³, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous⁴ Treasure. His name comes from the scriptures written in response to the growing influence of Buddhism in the early fifth century. These writings eventually formed the basis for the second section of the Taoist Canon, which is dedicated to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure. Like the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, he is considered a source of Taoist knowledge and scripture. He is often described as the attendant of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, who gives him the task of revealing the scriptures to lesser gods and humans. As such, he is the principal disseminator of Taoist teachings. He is depicted here sitting on a throne in his celestial realm and holding his identifying attribute, a scepter in the shape of a mushroom - called a ruyi. The hierarchic scale⁵ of his two attendants emphasizes the superiority of this lofty god.

T A O I S M A N D T H E A R T S O F C H I N A

the symbol of yin and yang, in modern art form

THE TAOIST CHURCH

The Taoist Pantheon

Overview
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of deities in Taoism. The first formed spontaneously out of the primordial energies at the beginning of the world. These are the highest gods of Taoism who hold titles like "Celestial Worthy" or "Emperor." These gods hold court in celestial paradises and govern a complex hierarchy of lesser gods similar to the hierarchy of emperor and officials on earth. Many of the most fundamental gods of this category developed between the second and sixth centuries A.D. and were consolidated into a well-defined pantheon by the Tang dynasty. Among them are the Three Purities³ (including Laozi) and the Three Officials. As pure embodiments of the Way, these Taoist gods are abstract figures defined more by their rank than by their personal mythology. They do not accept sacrifices of food or alcohol and can only be contacted through official requests written by Taoist priests.

The second category of Taoist deities consists of human beings who—through learning, self-discipline, alchemy, or other means—have purified themselves of mortal imperfections and become gods, a transformation often described as "ascending to the heavens in broad daylight."

glossary:
1 triptych a work of art composed of three panels or parts, usually a center section and one wing on each side. The three sections often share one common subject or theme.

^{2
White Cloud
Monastery
(Baiyun Guan) one of the most famous Taoist
monasteries in
China. The temple, located in Beijing, was first built in the Tang
dynasty and assumed its present name when it was rebuilt in 1394 during
the Ming dynasty.}³Three Purities (Three Clarities) the highest deities in Taoism, they reside over the three greatest heavenly realms. Their names are the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, and the Celestial Worthy of the Way and Its Power.

4 numinous having spiritual, mysterious, or holy qualities

^{5
hierarchic scale an
artist's method of indicating the importance of individuals through
relative size, regardless of actual dimensions. Persons of lesser
importance are thus depicted smaller in size in relation to their
superiors.}

^review

^{Complete
Realization
sect a Taoist monastic order founded in northern
China
around 1160. The sect combines the teachings of Taoism, Buddhism, and
Confucianism. The goal of the sect's followers was to attain
immortality by perfectly realizing the Tao in themselves. Both male and
female members of this sect practiced a strict monastic lifestyle. It
survives today as one of the two major sects of Taoism, and its
headquarters is the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing.}

^{religious Taoism
a
term used to define Taoism as an organized, institutionalized religion
as opposed to the original philosophical tradition. Religious Taoism
developed between the second and fifth centuries A.D. and built on the
earlier philosophical foundations. Unlike philosophical Taoism,
religious Taoism incorporated new ritual practices and religious
institutions, established a priesthood, defined the Taoist Canon, and
created a pantheon of deities.}

^{Taoist
Canon the
collected scriptures of Taoism, systematically catalogued by imperial
decree for the first time in the fifth century A.D. The present Taoist
Canon dates to the 15th century.}

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