They are the Central Ziwei Arctic Emperor, the Antarctic Changsheng Emperor, the Gouchen Shanggong Emperor, and the Houtu Emperor. The Four Emperors are the collective name of the four heavenly emperors worshiped by Taoism who are second only to the Three Qing Dynasties.
1. The Great Emperor of Zhongtian Ziwei and the North Pole
The Great Emperor Ziwei is also known as the "Great Emperor of Ziwei of the North Pole of Zhongtian". Emperor Ziwei is in Chinese folk belief. He occupies an important position and belongs to one of the Four Imperial Guards of Taoism. He is subordinate to the Jade Emperor and assists the Jade Emperor in managing the star realm. ?
Ziwei Palace is also called Ziwei Palace and Ziwei Star. It is located in the middle wall among the three walls. It is the residence of the emperor in the constellation. The name of the Forbidden City in Sui and Tang Dynasties is Ziwei City, and the name of the Forbidden City in Ming and Qing Dynasties is This is the origin of the Forbidden City.
Ziweixing is the highest star located in the middle of the sky and never moves, so it is the most noble. It is the "Lord of the Stars and the Master of All Things", so he is highly respected. Emperor Ziwei was in charge of the latitude and longitude of the sky, leading the stars in the sky, and controlling ghosts, gods and thunder.
Command the Four Saints of the North Pole and others, as well as the eleven Great Yao Star Lords of the Shangqing Dynasty (the four remaining members of the Seven Governments), Beidou Qiyuan, Zuo Fu Youbi, Santai Star Lord, Nandou Liusi, Zhong The two envoys of Dou Sanzhen and Qingyangdaluo, the natal star king of the twelve yuan chen, the Taisui star king of the sixty year old, and the twenty-eight constellations in the sky;
The thirty-six heavenly gangs in the fight, the seventy-two earth evil spirits, The gods, spirits, officials, Zhoutian Lie Yao Xingjun, Tiangang Great Sage, Kuigang Xingjun, etc., these are the stars in the sky, and the rivers and Han are true.
Emperor Ziwei has a high position and a wide range of advisers. From the examination of the fate of the universe, to the rise and fall of countries in the world, to the rise and fall of immortals in the three realms, to the misfortunes, blessings, longevity and death of all living beings. His supernatural power is boundless and he can instantly destroy the monsters and monsters in the three realms; his mighty virtue is so vast that he can control the movement of thunder.
2. The Antarctic Immortal Emperor
In Taoist classics: The Antarctic Immortal Emperor lives in the Yuqing Palace of Shenxiao, and is named the Jade Qingzhen King, and in the Jiutian Realm, he transforms into the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Thunder. Puhua Tianzun lives in Yushu Mansion and controls the Lei Department.
The full name is "Shangshang Shenxiao Yuqingzhen King Changsheng Emperor Tongtian Yuansheng Tianzun", who lives in Shenxiao Yuqing Mansion, referred to as Shenlei Jade Mansion.
The Immortal Emperor is often confused with the longevity star, the Antarctic Immortal (Canopus). The Great Emperor Ziwei of the North Pole controls all the stars, and all the stars surround him. The Antarctic Immortal Emperor is called the Jade Pure King, and all the power of the gods of the Thunder Department comes from him, and he is the source of the gods' dharma.
The Antarctic Immortal Emperor can be said to be the avatar of Yuanshi Tianzun, and is not the longevity star or Antarctic old man commonly known among the people. It is the cardinal that governs the movement of weather in the four seasons, can call for wind and rain, control thunder and lightning, ghosts and gods, and also controls the occurrence of misfortunes and blessings in all things.
The one who sits in charge of the Shenxiao Mansion is named the Jade Qingzhen King, who oversees the thirty-two heavens and eight districts, and is named the Tong Tianyuan Shengtianzun. In the catastrophe, it can save all living beings and transform all living beings. Nine Heavens responds to the universal thunder of Yuan Tianzun as his incarnation, and is the root ancestor of the Thunder God Department. At the same time, he ranks first among the Jiuchen Emperors of Shenxiao.
3. The Emperor of Heaven
The Emperor of Heaven, the full name of Emperor Gouchen Shanggong, also known as Emperor Gouchen, is the star king of the Emperor Star and the "Four Imperial Gods" of Taoism. "One of them is the eldest son of Lord Doumu Yuan and the brother of Emperor Ziwei. Assist the Jade Emperor, take charge of the three talents of heaven, earth and man, and take charge of human affairs (all military affairs and wars); and the change of political power in the world, and the selection of virtuous kings.
4. Chengtian follows the example
Houtu is the fourth heavenly emperor among the "Four Emperors" of Taoist deities. Its full name is "Chengtian follows the example of the Houtu Emperor." And dominates the heaven Matched with the Jade Emperor, she is the female god who dominates the earth's mountains and rivers.
"Houtu" is the honorific title given to the land god in ancient primitive matrilineal societies and was only worshiped by women in land worship. Later, it was deified and personified. There is no lack of records in historical records, and there is evidence from the official history. However, due to the simplicity and complexity of historical records, and the different interpretations of scholars in the past, people today have different opinions on its origins. , there are different versions.
Houtu is listed as one of the four emperors/six emperors in the Taoist mythology. In contrast to the Jade Emperor who governs the sky, she is a goddess who dominates the earth. People called her the Mother of Earth, and the Jade Emperor was called the God of Heaven. In the temple built for her, people made her a dignified woman, and the common people called her the Queen of Earth.
People. It is believed that this god is the protector of agricultural harvests, the god of fertility, and the god of the earth, because China has been a country based on agriculture since ancient times, and human beings have long suffered from the "birth of heaven, nourishment of earth". The ideological constraints formed the etiquette of worshiping heaven and earth.
Extended information
The Three Pure Ones and Four Imperials are one of the Chinese folk beliefs about their origins and the history of Taoism. It is related to the development of Taoism and the emergence and disappearance of various sects. In the early days, Taoism regarded Laozi as its leader. However, since the late Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the introduction of Buddhism into China, the invisible competition of religions stimulated and accelerated the progress and improvement of Taoism through the integration of sects and various sects. The intersection of the gods constitutes the "Three Pure Ones".
The Three Pure Ones are the three highest-ranking gods in the Taoist world. In order to conform to the classification of the Four Assistants of the Taoist Scriptures (Taiqing, Taiping, Taixuan, and Zhengyi), the "Jade Emperor" and the "Qinghua Emperor" were separately listed to become today's "Four Imperials"
< p>In order, they are: Zhongtian Ziwei Arctic Emperor, Southern Antarctic Changsheng Emperor, Gouchen Shanggong Emperor, and Houtu Emperor Dizhi (goddess).Baidu Encyclopedia-Four Emperors