Fuji (planchette writing)
Encyclopedia
Fuji is a method of "planchette
writing; spirit writing; automatic writing
" using a suspended sieve or tray to guide a stick which writes Chinese characters in sand or incense ashes.
Beginning around the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644 CE), the fuji method and written characters changed from 扶箕 "support the sieve" (spirit-writing using a suspended sieve or winnowing tray) to 扶乩 "support the planchette" (directing a stick or stylus, typically made from a willow or peach branch, and roughly resembling a dowsing
-rod, see De Groot 1910 6:1296). Sieve divination or coscinomancy
is culturally widespread, and Chao (1942:21) compares practices in ancient Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, and India.
Chinese fuji spirit-writing involves some specialized vocabulary. Luan 鸞 "a mythical phoenix-like bird" (see Jordan and Overmyer 1986:36-88; distinguish the fenghuang
"Chinese phoenix") is used in synonyms such as fuluan 扶鸞 "support the phoenix," feiluan 飛鸞 "flying phoenix," and jiangluan 降鸞 "descending phoenix". The fuji process involves specialized participants. The two people (or rarely one) who hold the sieve or stylus are called jishou 乩手 "planchette hands", only one of whom is ostensibly possessed by a shen 神 "spirit; god" or xian
仙 "immortal; transcendent". Their assistants include a pingsha 平沙 "level sand" who smoothes out the shapan 沙盤 "sand table", a dujizhe 讀乩者 "planchette reader" who interprets the characters, and a chaojizhe 抄乩者 "planchette copyist" who records them. Jiwen 乩文 "planchette writing" is a general reference to texts produced through Chinese fuji spirit-writing.
Spirit-writing has a long history in Chinese folk religion
, and is first recorded (Chao 1942:12) during the Liu Song Dynasty
(420-479 CE). Fuji planchette-writing became popular during the Song Dynasty
(960-1279), when authors like Shen Kuo
and Su Shi
associated its origins with summoning Zigu 紫姑 "Purple Maiden", the Spirit of the Latrine. Fuji divination flourished during the Ming Dynasty, and the Jiajing Emperor
(r. 1522-1566) built a special jitan 乩壇 "planchette altar" in the Forbidden City
(Despeux 2007:428). Although the practice of fuji planchette-writing was prohibited by the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1912) Legal Code
, it has continued and is currently practiced at Daoist temples in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia as well as folk shrines in China.
Fuji is particularly associated with the Quanzhen School
of Daoism. The Daozang
"Daoist Canon" contains several scriptures supposedly written through spirit-writing. Two examples are the Zitong dijun huashu 梓潼帝君化書 "Book of Transformations of the Divine Lord of Zitong" (tr. Kleeman 1994, see Huashu
) and the Taiyi jinhua zongzhi 太一金華宗旨 "Great One’s Secret of the Golden Flower" (tr. Wilhelm 1931).
Planchette
A planchette , from the French for "little plank", is a small, usually heart-shaped flat piece of wood that one moves around on a board to spell out messages or answer questions. Paranormal advocates believe that the planchette is moved by some extra-normal force. The motion is due to the...
writing; spirit writing; automatic writing
Automatic writing
Automatic writing or psychography is writing which the writer states to be produced from a subconscious and/or spiritual source without conscious awareness of the content.-History:...
" using a suspended sieve or tray to guide a stick which writes Chinese characters in sand or incense ashes.
Beginning around the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
(1368-1644 CE), the fuji method and written characters changed from 扶箕 "support the sieve" (spirit-writing using a suspended sieve or winnowing tray) to 扶乩 "support the planchette" (directing a stick or stylus, typically made from a willow or peach branch, and roughly resembling a dowsing
Dowsing
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
-rod, see De Groot 1910 6:1296). Sieve divination or coscinomancy
Coscinomancy
Coscinomancy is a form of divination utilising a sieve and shears, used in ancient Greece, medieval and early modern Europe and 17th century New England, to determine the guilty party in a criminal offense, find answers to questions, etc....
is culturally widespread, and Chao (1942:21) compares practices in ancient Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, and India.
Chinese fuji spirit-writing involves some specialized vocabulary. Luan 鸞 "a mythical phoenix-like bird" (see Jordan and Overmyer 1986:36-88; distinguish the fenghuang
Fenghuang
Fenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females Huang. In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be...
"Chinese phoenix") is used in synonyms such as fuluan 扶鸞 "support the phoenix," feiluan 飛鸞 "flying phoenix," and jiangluan 降鸞 "descending phoenix". The fuji process involves specialized participants. The two people (or rarely one) who hold the sieve or stylus are called jishou 乩手 "planchette hands", only one of whom is ostensibly possessed by a shen 神 "spirit; god" or xian
Xian (Taoism)
Xian is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:*"spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being"...
仙 "immortal; transcendent". Their assistants include a pingsha 平沙 "level sand" who smoothes out the shapan 沙盤 "sand table", a dujizhe 讀乩者 "planchette reader" who interprets the characters, and a chaojizhe 抄乩者 "planchette copyist" who records them. Jiwen 乩文 "planchette writing" is a general reference to texts produced through Chinese fuji spirit-writing.
Spirit-writing has a long history in Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion or Shenism , which is a term of considerable debate, are labels used to describe the collection of ethnic religious traditions which have been a main belief system in China and among Han Chinese ethnic groups for most of the civilization's history until today...
, and is first recorded (Chao 1942:12) during the Liu Song Dynasty
Liu Song Dynasty
The Liu Song Dynasty , also known as Song Dynasty , Former Song , or Southern Song , was first of the four Southern Dynasties in China, succeeding the Eastern Jin Dynasty and followed by the Southern Qi Dynasty....
(420-479 CE). Fuji planchette-writing became popular during the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960-1279), when authors like Shen Kuo
Shen Kuo
Shen Kuo or Shen Gua , style name Cunzhong and pseudonym Mengqi Weng , was a polymathic Chinese scientist and statesman of the Song Dynasty...
and Su Shi
Su Shi
Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
associated its origins with summoning Zigu 紫姑 "Purple Maiden", the Spirit of the Latrine. Fuji divination flourished during the Ming Dynasty, and the Jiajing Emperor
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor was the 11th Ming Dynasty Emperor of China who ruled from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin...
(r. 1522-1566) built a special jitan 乩壇 "planchette altar" in the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
(Despeux 2007:428). Although the practice of fuji planchette-writing was prohibited by the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(1644-1912) Legal Code
Great Qing Legal Code
The Great Qing Legal Code or Qing Code was the legal code of Qing dynasty . The code was based on the Ming legal system, which was kept largely intact...
, it has continued and is currently practiced at Daoist temples in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia as well as folk shrines in China.
Fuji is particularly associated with the Quanzhen School
Quanzhen School
The Quanzhen School of Taoism originated in Northern China. It was founded by the Taoist Wang Chongyang in the 12th century, during the rise of the Jin Dynasty...
of Daoism. The Daozang
Daozang
Daozang , meaning "Treasury of Dao" or "Daoist Canon", consists of around 1400 texts that were collected circa C.E. 400...
"Daoist Canon" contains several scriptures supposedly written through spirit-writing. Two examples are the Zitong dijun huashu 梓潼帝君化書 "Book of Transformations of the Divine Lord of Zitong" (tr. Kleeman 1994, see Huashu
Huashu
The Huashu , or The Book of Transformations, is a 930 CE Daoist classic about neidan "internal alchemy", psychological subjectivity, and spiritual transformation...
) and the Taiyi jinhua zongzhi 太一金華宗旨 "Great One’s Secret of the Golden Flower" (tr. Wilhelm 1931).
External links
- Planchette writing (Fuji), Taoist Culture & Information Centre
- Spirit-writing and Hakka Migration in Taiwan – A Case Study of the Canzan Tang 參贊堂 in Puli 埔里, Nantou 南投 County, Paul R. Katz
- Ancient Ouija Boards: Fact or Fiction?, Museum of Talking Boards 宗旨, Fuji Altar at Kam Lan Koon 金蘭觀, Hong Kong 紫瑞乩文, Fuji Altar at Che Sui Khor, Malaysia 道慈研究, Fuji at 世界紅卍字會臺灣總主會, Taiwan