Way of Former Heaven
Encyclopedia
The Way of Former Heaven (Pinyin Xiāntiān Dào, , Wade-Giles Hsien-t'ien tao) encompasses five religious groups of Chinese origin. They claim to strive for the unification of Confucianism
, Taoism
, Buddhism
and other religions. They were violently suppressed at one point in history. The sum of adherents of these groups exceeded 5 million in 1947.
(1271-1368). It is usually referred to as White Lotus
Sect (Bailian Jiao), which has a negative meaning in modern Taiwan and is associated with secret, illegal, rebellious sects.
The differentiation of the Xiantian Dao subtradition out of the general field of Chinese popular sects is commonly attributed to the so-called ninth patriarch Huang Dehui (1684-1750). Of the five sects listed below, the Yiguan Dao and the Tongshan She legitimize themselves by tracing their patriarchal lines through Huang Dehui to the mythical patriarchs of early Chinese history.
The patriarchal lines of these two sects are largely identical down to the thirteenth patriarch Yang Shouyi (1796-1828), after whom the lines split and ultimately lead to the development of the Yiuan Tao and the Tongshan She as separate sects. The other three groups do not maintain a similar model of linear patriarchal succession.
was no longer possible. For this reason, the merciful Venerable Mother sent a range of envoys to bring Her children back to Heaven. The Dipankara
Buddha
( Randeng Fo) saved 200 million suffering children as the first salvage. Gautama Buddha
afterwards saved another 200 million. The remaining 9.2 billion live beings will be saved by the Buddha of the future, Maitreya
Buddha.
The individual Xiantian Dao sects all see themselves as carrying out the Mother's intentions by converting people and guiding them on a path of cultivation and reform that will ultimately lead them back to Heaven. The cultivation urged on members is divided into "inner" and "outer" work (neigong, waigong), i.e., meditation and good deeds, so as to accumulate merits and purify the mind. As the focus is on a primordial deity superior to all other gods, Xiantian Dao sects claim to represent a Way (Tao
) that transcends and unites all other religions. Consequently, an explicit syncretism
is a noticeable feature of these groups, who claim that their teachings aim to unify the "Three Religions" (Confucianism, Taoism
, Buddhism
), the "Five Religions" (the former three plus Christianity and Islam), or even the "Ten thousand Religions". Most Xiantian Dao groups rely heavily on spirit-writing as a means of communicating with the Mother and lower-ranking deities.
and the T'ung-shan She
calling her "Venerable Mother of Limitless Heaven" (Wuji Laomu), the Tz'u-hui Tang
"Golden Mother of the Jasper Pool" (Yao-ch'ih Chin-mu), the Tien-te Sheng-chiao
"Unborn Sacred Mother" (Wusheng Shengmu). The Daoyuan
diverges from the common maternal pattern by describing the supreme deity as male, naming him "Most Sacred Venerable Patriarch of Former Heaven" (Zhisheng Xiantian Laozu). Despite these and many other differences in liturgy, organization, and doctrine, ultimately each Xiantian Dao sect represents a variation on a central theme.
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and other religions. They were violently suppressed at one point in history. The sum of adherents of these groups exceeded 5 million in 1947.
History
The sect can be traced back to the Yuan dynastyYuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
(1271-1368). It is usually referred to as White Lotus
White Lotus
White Lotus was a type of Buddhist sectarianism that appealed to many Han Chinese, who found solace in worship of the "Unborn or Eternal Venerable Mother" , who was to gather all her children at the millennium into one family....
Sect (Bailian Jiao), which has a negative meaning in modern Taiwan and is associated with secret, illegal, rebellious sects.
The differentiation of the Xiantian Dao subtradition out of the general field of Chinese popular sects is commonly attributed to the so-called ninth patriarch Huang Dehui (1684-1750). Of the five sects listed below, the Yiguan Dao and the Tongshan She legitimize themselves by tracing their patriarchal lines through Huang Dehui to the mythical patriarchs of early Chinese history.
The patriarchal lines of these two sects are largely identical down to the thirteenth patriarch Yang Shouyi (1796-1828), after whom the lines split and ultimately lead to the development of the Yiuan Tao and the Tongshan She as separate sects. The other three groups do not maintain a similar model of linear patriarchal succession.
Tenets
Xiantian Tao doctrine holds that the creator of the universe was Wusheng Laomu, “The Unborn or Eternal Venerable Mother” , who created all living beings, 9.6 billion in total. These children went astray and ended up in the earthly world where they forgot their divine origin. The wheel of reincarnation started and the return to HeavenTian
Tian is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the cosmos and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang Dynasty the Chinese called god Shangdi or Di , and during the Zhou Dynasty Tian "heaven; god" became synonymous with Shangdi...
was no longer possible. For this reason, the merciful Venerable Mother sent a range of envoys to bring Her children back to Heaven. The Dipankara
Dipankara
Dīpankara one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years.Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are...
Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
( Randeng Fo) saved 200 million suffering children as the first salvage. Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
afterwards saved another 200 million. The remaining 9.2 billion live beings will be saved by the Buddha of the future, Maitreya
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
Buddha.
The individual Xiantian Dao sects all see themselves as carrying out the Mother's intentions by converting people and guiding them on a path of cultivation and reform that will ultimately lead them back to Heaven. The cultivation urged on members is divided into "inner" and "outer" work (neigong, waigong), i.e., meditation and good deeds, so as to accumulate merits and purify the mind. As the focus is on a primordial deity superior to all other gods, Xiantian Dao sects claim to represent a Way (Tao
Tao
Dao or Tao is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
) that transcends and unites all other religions. Consequently, an explicit syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
is a noticeable feature of these groups, who claim that their teachings aim to unify the "Three Religions" (Confucianism, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
), the "Five Religions" (the former three plus Christianity and Islam), or even the "Ten thousand Religions". Most Xiantian Dao groups rely heavily on spirit-writing as a means of communicating with the Mother and lower-ranking deities.
Practices
Along with the written works of the founding patriarchs, spirit-writing provides a distinct corpus of scriptures for each individual sect, that develops the shared themes in different directions and serves to differentiate the individual group from related sects. The variations on the central theme are many: for example, different sects use different names for the supreme deity, the I-Kuan TaoI-Kuan Tao
I-Kuan Tao, also Yīguàn Dào, or usually initialized as IKT is a new religious movement that originated in twentieth-century China. It incorporates elements from Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism, and recognizes the validity of non-Chinese religious traditions such as Christianity and...
and the T'ung-shan She
T'ung-shan She
T'ung-shan She is a religious group that is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects...
calling her "Venerable Mother of Limitless Heaven" (Wuji Laomu), the Tz'u-hui Tang
Tz'u-hui Tang
Tz'u-hui Tang is a religious group that is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects...
"Golden Mother of the Jasper Pool" (Yao-ch'ih Chin-mu), the Tien-te Sheng-chiao
Tien-te Sheng-chiao
Tien-te Sheng-chiao is a religious group that is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects. The Way of Former Heaven sects are syncretic religious groups that aspire to unify Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and other religions....
"Unborn Sacred Mother" (Wusheng Shengmu). The Daoyuan
Daoyuan
Daoyuan is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects. The Way of Former Heaven sects are syncretic religious groups that aspire to unify Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and other religions.-History:...
diverges from the common maternal pattern by describing the supreme deity as male, naming him "Most Sacred Venerable Patriarch of Former Heaven" (Zhisheng Xiantian Laozu). Despite these and many other differences in liturgy, organization, and doctrine, ultimately each Xiantian Dao sect represents a variation on a central theme.
Sects
- I-Kuan TaoI-Kuan TaoI-Kuan Tao, also Yīguàn Dào, or usually initialized as IKT is a new religious movement that originated in twentieth-century China. It incorporates elements from Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism, and recognizes the validity of non-Chinese religious traditions such as Christianity and...
(一貫道 "Way of Unity") - T'ung-shan SheT'ung-shan SheT'ung-shan She is a religious group that is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects...
(同善社 "Society of Goodness") - Tien-te Sheng-chiaoTien-te Sheng-chiaoTien-te Sheng-chiao is a religious group that is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects. The Way of Former Heaven sects are syncretic religious groups that aspire to unify Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and other religions....
(天德聖教 "Sacred Religion of Celestial Virtue") - DaoyuanDaoyuanDaoyuan is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects. The Way of Former Heaven sects are syncretic religious groups that aspire to unify Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and other religions.-History:...
(道院 "Sanctuary of the Tao") - Tz'u-hui TangTz'u-hui TangTz'u-hui Tang is a religious group that is one of the Way of Former Heaven sects...
(慈惠堂 "Compassion Society")