time
The
river, surging course,
Uninterrupted current.
Headwater, channel, mouth.
Can they be divided?
Each
day, we all face a peculiar problem. We must validate our past,
face our present, plan for the future.
Those
who believe that life was better in the “old days” sometimes are
not able to see the reality of the present; those who live only for the
present frequently have little regard for either precedent or
consequence; and those who live only for some deferred reward often
strain themselves with too much denial. Thinking of past, present, and
future is a useful conceptual technique, but ultimately they must be
appropriately balanced and joined.
We
must understand how the past affects us, we should keep the present
full of rich and satisfying experiences, and we should devote some
energy each day to building for the future. Just as a river can be said
to have parts that cannot be clearly divided, so too should we consider
the whole of our time when deciding how to spend our lives.
time
365
Tao
daily
meditations
Deng
Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN
0-06-250223-9
The Star-Lords
of Good Fortune, Emolument, and Longevity (detail)
Ming dynasty, Jingtai reign, dated 1454
Hanging scroll; ink, colors, and gold on silk
140 x 78 cm
Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, Paris
cat. no. 91
This
work will only be shown at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
The Star-Lords of Good
Fortune, Emolument, and Longevity
The three stars of Good Fortune, Emolument, and Longevity form a
popular group of gods. Still today, they remain the most commonly
depicted Chinese deities. Their worship seems to have begun in the 15th
century; only the Star of Longevity can be traced to an earlier source.
This god is shown in the upper left as an old man with white beard who
looks directly outward. The other two float below him and look to the
right. All three gods hold tablets and are dressed as Taoist priests.
Accompanying them is a smaller attendant holding a parasol with
banners. The inscriptions in gold at the upper right identify the gods
and indicate the date of the painting.
In the third century B.C., China's first emperor worshiped the Star of
Longevity. The other two gods, however, were unknown before the Ming
dynasty. Although they became quite common, there is no scripture
devoted to them in the Taoist Canon. Instead, they seem to have
originated as popular gods outside of the orthodox Taoist tradition.
With one possible exception, this painting is the earliest known
depiction of the group. The first literary source for these three stars
is a play about the lunar New Year's festival, in which the three stars
descend to the mortal world to grant the blessings suggested by their
names—good fortune, wealth, and long life. The play was published only
11 years before this painting was made. Both of these early sources are
connected with the emperor's family, suggesting that worship of the
star-lords may have been instituted at the imperial level. This is both
an example of a popular movement that originated at the highest levels
of society and an important reminder that popular religion does not
necessarily refer to the religion of uneducated peasants, but also to
that of scholars and even the imperial family.
T A O I
S M A N D T
H E A R T
S O F C H I
N A
THE
TAOIST CHURCH
THE TAOIST RENAISSANCE
Taoism
and Popular Religion
Overview
From its very beginnings,
religious
Taoism has made a special point to distinguish itself from popular
religion, especially local cults that relied on blood sacrifice as the
primary means of worship. At the same time, Taoism developed from
popular religious beliefs and practices and has been influenced by
different regional traditions throughout its history. Popular religion
has been an important source of new gods, and the orthodox Taoist
establishment has frequently turned to popular traditions to renew its
own spiritual doctrines.
The
relationship between Taoism and popular religion, in particular the
incorporation of popular gods into the official Taoist pantheon, became
increasingly subject to official rules and procedures in the Song
dynasty. Absorption of a local deity into the official Taoist pantheon
meant imperial recognition of the deity's followers, with the political
security that this recognition entailed. Imperial recognition could
also provide increased economic opportunity for cults that centered
around merchants and guilds. After the Song dynasty, Taoism and popular
traditions often maintained a mutually beneficial relationship. Taoism
was able to increase its appeal and expand its pantheon by absorbing
popular deities, while local cults were able to avoid persecution and
reach a wider audience through the elevation of their gods to national
status.
© 2000 AND many thanks to
the Chicago Institute of Art
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