Zhengyi Dao

Zhengyi Dao (Chinese: ; pinyin: Zheng Yi Do) or the Way of Orthodox Unity is a
Chinese Daoist movement that emerged/timbul during the Tang dynasty as a transformation of
the earlier Tianshi Dao movement. Like Tianshi Dao, the leader of Zhengyi Daoism was known
as the Celestial Master.

A rite to worship the Jade Emperor at the Qinciyangdian, the focal temple of the Zhengyi school
in Shanghai.

History

Longhu Shan, the headquarters of the Zhengyi Daoists, in Jiangxi, China

By the beginning of the Tang dynasty in 618, the term 'Celestial Master' had lost the potency it
had in earlier movements such as the Five Pecks of Rice, and any prominent Daoist could be
accorded the title.[1] Emperor Xuanzong (712-756) canonized the first Celestial Master Zhang
Daoling during his reign. This did not benefit the original territory of his followers in Sichuan, but
rather benefited a temple in the Jiangnan area of Jiangxi province. This temple, located at Mount
Longhu, claimed to be the spot where Zhang Daoling had obtained the Tao, and where his
descendants still lived. Recognized by the emperor as the legitimate descendants of Zhang
Daoling, these new Celestial Masters established a new patriarchy at their base of Longhu
Shan.[2]
The importance of the Zhengyi school grew during the Song dynasty, with the Celestial masters
frequently receiving imperial appointments. In 1239, the Southern Song dynasty's Emperor
Lizong commanded the 35th Celestial Master Zhang Keda to the united Lingbao School,
the Shangqing School and Zhengyi Dao. The new school was to retain the Zhengyi name and
remain based at Mount Longhu. Shortly after the schools were united, the Mongols under Kublai
Khan conquered the Southern Song dynasty and established the Yuan dynasty in China. He
accepted the claim that the Celestial Master of Mount Longhu was descended from Zhang
Daoling and granted the school the right to control affairs relating to Daoism in the Jiangnan
area. In 1304, as a result of Zhengyi Dao's increased importance under the Mongols, all of the
Daoist schools, with the exception of the Quanzhen School, were united under the banner of the
Zhengyi School, with the 38th Celestial Master, Zhang Yucai, as leader.[3]
The founding of the Ming dynasty in 1368 marked the beginning of a long decline in the power of
the Zhengyi Daoism. The first Ming ruler, the Hongwu Emperor (136898), suppressed the use
of the title of 'Celestial Master' among the Zhengyi School, and the 50th Celestial Master Zhang
Guoxiang had his title stripped/diepaskan by the Longqing Emperor (156772).[4] By
the Daoguang period (182150) of the Qing dynasty, relations between the court and the
Celestial Masters came to an end. The school's activities became localized to regions in which
the school was particularly important.[5] Despite ending association with the court, the Celestial
Master himself still retained a great deal of prestige and importance among Daoists throughout
China.[6] This prestige, which arose from the belief that he was descended from Zhang Daoling,
was evident when the Celestial Master traveled and attracted crowds of people wherever he
went.[7]

Beliefs
Unlike prior incarnations of the Celestial Masters, like the school based at Louguan, the Zhengyi
Daoists did not venerate/memuliakan Laozi as a god. Instead, he was viewed as the ancestor of
the school's teaching.[8]

Practices

The main gate of the residence of the Celestial Master at Longhu Shan
During the Tang dynasty, the primary activity of Zhengyi Daoists was to sell protective talismans.
Local cults developed around the sale of these talismans, and around guilds/serikat kerja and
associations patronized by members of the church.[9]
One of the fundamental practices of the school was conferring registers (lu) upon people entering
Daoism. A register was a way to allow that the Daoist tradition passed on to future generations
by ensuring those who received them had an adequate knowledge of the school's
teachings.[8] Registers also had the names of deities written on them who could be called upon by
the bearer to assist in times of need.[10] Once one received a register, they were considered to be
part of the priesthood. There were different grades of registers for laypeople/orang kebanyakan
with differing levels of religious knowledge.[8]
The Celestial Masters adopted the Thunder Rites during the last two decades of the Northern
Song dynasty. The Five Thunders variety appeared earlier and was linked with the Celestial
Masters.
Rituals
There are two main types of rituals performed by the Zhengyi Daoists the jiao (Offering)
and zhai (Retreat) rituals.[8] The zhairitual is performed as a way to gain benefits through
purification and abstinence, and usually takes place immediately before the jiao ritual. In
performing a ritual, an adherent must first recite a litany of repentance, then notify the deities of
the merits gained though repentance by submitting a document to heaven. Upon completion of
the zhai ritual, the jiao ritual begins in which deities are given offerings and
thanked.[11] The jiao ritual is usually performed over a three-day period. Much of the ritual is
performed by priests in a temple, but can also involve religious processions through the city,
musical performances and a mass offering in front of the temple.[12]

Texts
The Zhengyi Daoists were particularly notable/tokoh terkemuka for their work in gathering Daoist
texts and assembling them into collections. Zhang Yuchu (13611410) received an imperial
commission in 1406 to gather texts, in particular those produced during the reign of the Hongwu
Emperor (136898). With these texts, Zhang compiled a reference work known as the Zhengtong
Daozang (Canon of the Zhengtong Reign), which was an overview of current Daoists texts and
practices.[13] Zhang Guoxiang (?-1611), compiled a similar reference work in 1607 known as the
Wanli Xu Daozang (Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Reign Period).[14]

See also

Taoism portal

List of Celestial Masters

Mount Longhu
Celestial Masters
Quanzhen Dao

Notes[edit]
1. Jump up^ Kleeman (2008), p. 686.
2. Jump up^ Schipper & Verellen (2004), p. 634.
3. Jump up^ Chen (2008), p. 1258-1259.
4. Jump up^ Boltz (2008), p. 1226.
5. Jump up^ Chen (2008), p. 1260.
6. Jump up^ Goossaert (2004), p. 125-126.
7. Jump up^ Goossaert (2004), p. 128.
 8. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Chen (2008), p. 1259.
9. Jump up^ Robinet (1997), p. 78.
10. Jump up^ Miller (2008), p. 41.
11. Jump up^ Toshiaki (2008), p. 1217.
12. Jump up^ Andersen (2008), p. 539.
13. Jump up^ Boltz (2008), p. 324.
14. Jump up^ Boltz (2008), p. 1226-1227.

References[edit]
Andersen, Poul. "Jiao." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The
Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 539-544.
Boltz, Judith. "Daomen Shigui." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The
Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1226-1227.
Boltz, Judith. "Zhang Guoxiang." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The
Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1226-1227.
Chen, Yaoting. "Zhengyi." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The
Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1258-1260.
Goossaert, Vincent. "Bureaucratic charisma: The Zhang
Heavenly Master institution and court Taoists in late-Qing
China," Asia Major 17.2 (2004), 121-159.
Kleeman, Terry. "Tianshi Dao." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The
Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 981-986.
Miller, Amy Lynn. "Lu." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The
Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 40-42.
Robinet, Isabelle. Taoism: Growth of a Religion. Stanford:
Stanford University, 1997.
Schipper, Kristopher and Franciscus Verellen. The Taoist
Canon: A Historical Companion to the Daozang. Chicago:
University of Chicago, 2004.
Toshiaki, Yamada. "Zhai." in Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., The
Encyclopedia of Taoism (London: Routledge, 2008), 1216-1217.

Mount Longhu
Mount Longhu (Chinese: ; pinyin: Lngh Shn; literally: ""Dragon Tiger
Mountain"", Gan: Lung-fu San), is located in Jiangxi, China. It is famous for being one of the
birthplaces of Taoism, with many Taoist temples built upon the mountainside. It is particularly
important to the Zhengyi Dao as it the Shangqing Temple and the Mansion of the Taoist Master
are located here.[1] It is known as one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism.
Two of them are the temples of Immortal City () and Zheng Yi (), all founded by Zhang
Daoling (), the Han Dynasty founder of the religion. There are more Taoist temples in
nearby Shangqing Town (). One of the temples in Shangqing is mentioned in the beginning
of the famous Chinese novel () "Outlaws of the Marsh".
Mount Longhu also has cultural significance has a historical burial site of the Guyue people, who
placed their dead in hanging coffins on the mountains cliff faces.[2]
In August 2010 UNESCO inscribed Mount Longhu on the World Heritage List as part of the
complex of six sites that make up the China Danxia.[3]
Mount Longhu can be reached from the nearby city of Yingtan.

Longhu Shan

Mount Longhu

Highest point

Elevation 150 m (490 ft)

Coordinates 28649N 1165730E

Geography

Location Jiangxi, China