The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2749 page)

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

see
JISH
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Chin., ‘Jade Emperor’). Deity of wide importance in Chinese folk religion and religious
Taoism
(
tao-chiao
). He is one of the three Pure Ones (
san-ch’ing
), who determines all that happens in heaven and on earth. His earthly deputies are T’ai-yüeh ta-ti (mountain deity who rules the earth and all people, deciding the moments of birth and death), Cheng-huang (guardians of cities who guide the souls of the dead), Tsao-chün (the lord of the hearth, who observes all that happens in the home), and T’u-ti (guardians of particular parts of cities or towns). He is portrayed usually on a throne in a robe decorated with
dragons
, holding a string of thirteen pearls and a ceremonial plaque. His feast day is the ninth day of the first lunar month.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Jap., ‘poem left behind’). A verse left by a Zen teacher for his pupils, when he knows that death is near. In it, he expresses his quintessential understanding of Zen, gathered in a lifetime. For examples, see
YÜAN-WU K’O-CH’IN
;
WU-MEN HUI-K’AI
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

see
HONJI SUIJAKU
;
YOSHIDA SHINT
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search