Chang'e flies to the moon, from Myths and Legends of China, 1922 by E. T. C. Werner
Description: Chang'e flies to the moon.
Source: Project Gutenberg eText 15250 - http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/15250
Chinese goddesses, Lunar goddesses
Deities: Chang'e (嫦娥)
Chang'e flies to the moon, from Myths and Legends of China, 1922 by E. T. C. Werner
Description: Chang'e flies to the moon.
Source: Project Gutenberg eText 15250 - http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/15250
Chinese goddesses, Lunar goddesses
Records of Three Kingdoms (三國志)
Records of Three Kingdoms (三國志)
Alternative Names (異名):
三國志, Records of Three Kingdoms
The Records of Three Kingdoms (traditional Chinese: 三國志; simplified Chinese: 三国志; pinyin: Sānguó Zhì), is the official and authoritative historical text on the period of Three Kingdoms covering from 189 to 280, that was composed by Chen Shou in the 3rd century. The work collects the smaller histories of the rival states Wei, Shu and Wu of the Three Kingdoms into a single text and provided the basis for the later more popular historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms in the 14th century.
Origin and structure
Together with the Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Han and Book of Later Han, the book is part of the early four historiographies of the Twenty-Four Histories canon. It contains 65 volumes and about 360,000 words which are broken into three books. The Book of Wei contains 30 volumes, the Book of Shu contains 15 volumes while the Book of Wu contains 20 volumes. Each volume is organised in the form of one or more biographies. The amount of space a biography takes up is dictated by the importance of the figure.
The original author was Chen Shou, who was born in present day Nanchong, Sichuan, in Kingdom of Shu. After the fall of Shu in 263, he became the Gentleman of Works, and was assigned to create a history of the Three Kingdoms. After the fall of Wu in 280, his work received the acclaim of senior minister Zhang Hua. Earlier to the period, the state of Wei and Wu both had their own histories and it was with these works as basis that he began his work. But since the state of Shu lacked a history of its own, the data was composed by him according to what he could remember. The book used the date after the fall of Han Dynasty in 220 as standard for the state of Wei. The Book of Wei referred the rulers of Wei as emperors, whilst the rulers of Shu were called as lord, and rulers of Wu only by their names or with the title 'the Wu ruler'. This is to uphold the legitimacy of the court of Jin as inheritor of the Mandate of Heaven from Wei. The use of lord for the rulers of Shu shows in part of his sympathy towards his native land.
Annotations from Pei Songzhi
In the 5th century, the work was further annotated by Pei Songzhi (裴松之), who was born in present day Yuncheng, Shanxi. After leaving his native land, he became the Gentleman of Texts under Song of Southern Dynasties, and was given the assignment of editing the book, which was completed in 429. He went about providing detailed explanations to some of the geography and other elements mentioned in the original. More importantly, he made corrections to the work, in consultation with records he collected of the period. In regard to historical events and figures, as well as Chen Shou's opinions, he added his own commentary. From his broad research, he was able to create a history which was relatively complete, without many of the loose ends of the original.
Records of Three Kingdoms as historical record
The romantic and historical traditions for the period of Three Kingdoms have been so confused in the centuries that the Records of Three Kingdoms is often regarded as an invaluable resource. Its information, although full of errors itself, is nevertheless much more accurate than the embellishments of later writers. Many of the political, economic and military figures from the period of Three Kingdoms are included in the work as well as those who contributed to the fields of culture, arts and science. In its nature the work is indeed a chronicle, much like those of early Medieval Europe. The text is bland and little more than a collection of historical facts. A typical extract:
In 219, the Former Lord became King of Hanzhong, and made Guan Yu General of the Vanguard. In the same year, Guan Yu attacked Cao Pi at Fan with his followers. Lord Cao sent Yu Jin to aid Cao Pi. In the autumn, great rains caused the Han River to flood, Yu Jin and the seven armies were lost.
From this we can establish reasonably accurately the flow of events and how history unfolded but almost nothing about society or elements of institutions or policies.
The amount of creative imagination used in ancient Chinese historical narratives - of 'fictionalising', is impossible to estimate precisely; but it is obviously considerable. The great historian Sima Qian employed this device greatly and it can be assumed that Chen Shou also did this in his text. It is highly unlikely that various remarks which leaders or soldiers are supposed to have made in the heat of battle could have been taken down stenographically and thus many of them may be false.
A criticism against the book was that Chen Shou, as a former subject of Shu, had a bias for his own state in the work, and while he was forced by political practicalities (after all, Jin Dynasty, under which he served, was a successor state to Wei) into acknowledging authorities of the state of Wei in his history, he appeared to have a contemptuous view for the state of Wu. For example, he referred to the Shu emperors as lords, while referred to the Wu emperors by name or 'rulers', and never referred to their wives as empresses, instead referring to them as ladies.
The book is also important to the research of Japan's history, for its volume on the Wa people is the first historical document to make explicit mention of Japan. It describes the ancient country of Yamataikoku and its queen, Himiko.
In Popular Culture
Ikkitousen (일기당천, 一騎當千) Japanese Manga/Animation
Koihime Musou (恋姫†無双) Japanese Manga/Animation
See also
Twenty-Four Histories
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Personages of the Three Kingdoms
Timeline of the Three Kingdoms period
Military history of the Three Kingdoms
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Three_Kingdoms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Chinese history texts | Three Kingdoms
Alternative Names (異名):
三國志, Records of Three Kingdoms
The Records of Three Kingdoms (traditional Chinese: 三國志; simplified Chinese: 三国志; pinyin: Sānguó Zhì), is the official and authoritative historical text on the period of Three Kingdoms covering from 189 to 280, that was composed by Chen Shou in the 3rd century. The work collects the smaller histories of the rival states Wei, Shu and Wu of the Three Kingdoms into a single text and provided the basis for the later more popular historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms in the 14th century.
Origin and structure
Together with the Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Han and Book of Later Han, the book is part of the early four historiographies of the Twenty-Four Histories canon. It contains 65 volumes and about 360,000 words which are broken into three books. The Book of Wei contains 30 volumes, the Book of Shu contains 15 volumes while the Book of Wu contains 20 volumes. Each volume is organised in the form of one or more biographies. The amount of space a biography takes up is dictated by the importance of the figure.
The original author was Chen Shou, who was born in present day Nanchong, Sichuan, in Kingdom of Shu. After the fall of Shu in 263, he became the Gentleman of Works, and was assigned to create a history of the Three Kingdoms. After the fall of Wu in 280, his work received the acclaim of senior minister Zhang Hua. Earlier to the period, the state of Wei and Wu both had their own histories and it was with these works as basis that he began his work. But since the state of Shu lacked a history of its own, the data was composed by him according to what he could remember. The book used the date after the fall of Han Dynasty in 220 as standard for the state of Wei. The Book of Wei referred the rulers of Wei as emperors, whilst the rulers of Shu were called as lord, and rulers of Wu only by their names or with the title 'the Wu ruler'. This is to uphold the legitimacy of the court of Jin as inheritor of the Mandate of Heaven from Wei. The use of lord for the rulers of Shu shows in part of his sympathy towards his native land.
Annotations from Pei Songzhi
In the 5th century, the work was further annotated by Pei Songzhi (裴松之), who was born in present day Yuncheng, Shanxi. After leaving his native land, he became the Gentleman of Texts under Song of Southern Dynasties, and was given the assignment of editing the book, which was completed in 429. He went about providing detailed explanations to some of the geography and other elements mentioned in the original. More importantly, he made corrections to the work, in consultation with records he collected of the period. In regard to historical events and figures, as well as Chen Shou's opinions, he added his own commentary. From his broad research, he was able to create a history which was relatively complete, without many of the loose ends of the original.
Records of Three Kingdoms as historical record
The romantic and historical traditions for the period of Three Kingdoms have been so confused in the centuries that the Records of Three Kingdoms is often regarded as an invaluable resource. Its information, although full of errors itself, is nevertheless much more accurate than the embellishments of later writers. Many of the political, economic and military figures from the period of Three Kingdoms are included in the work as well as those who contributed to the fields of culture, arts and science. In its nature the work is indeed a chronicle, much like those of early Medieval Europe. The text is bland and little more than a collection of historical facts. A typical extract:
In 219, the Former Lord became King of Hanzhong, and made Guan Yu General of the Vanguard. In the same year, Guan Yu attacked Cao Pi at Fan with his followers. Lord Cao sent Yu Jin to aid Cao Pi. In the autumn, great rains caused the Han River to flood, Yu Jin and the seven armies were lost.
From this we can establish reasonably accurately the flow of events and how history unfolded but almost nothing about society or elements of institutions or policies.
The amount of creative imagination used in ancient Chinese historical narratives - of 'fictionalising', is impossible to estimate precisely; but it is obviously considerable. The great historian Sima Qian employed this device greatly and it can be assumed that Chen Shou also did this in his text. It is highly unlikely that various remarks which leaders or soldiers are supposed to have made in the heat of battle could have been taken down stenographically and thus many of them may be false.
A criticism against the book was that Chen Shou, as a former subject of Shu, had a bias for his own state in the work, and while he was forced by political practicalities (after all, Jin Dynasty, under which he served, was a successor state to Wei) into acknowledging authorities of the state of Wei in his history, he appeared to have a contemptuous view for the state of Wu. For example, he referred to the Shu emperors as lords, while referred to the Wu emperors by name or 'rulers', and never referred to their wives as empresses, instead referring to them as ladies.
The book is also important to the research of Japan's history, for its volume on the Wa people is the first historical document to make explicit mention of Japan. It describes the ancient country of Yamataikoku and its queen, Himiko.
In Popular Culture
Ikkitousen (일기당천, 一騎當千) Japanese Manga/Animation
Koihime Musou (恋姫†無双) Japanese Manga/Animation
See also
Twenty-Four Histories
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Personages of the Three Kingdoms
Timeline of the Three Kingdoms period
Military history of the Three Kingdoms
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Three_Kingdoms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Chinese history texts | Three Kingdoms
Ranka (爛柯)
Ranka (爛柯)
Alternative Names (異名):
爛柯, Ranka
Ranka or Lankeshan ji, or Rotten Battle Axe in English, is a Chinese legend similar to that of Rip Van Winkle. Ranka predates that by at least a 1000 years. The exact date of origin of the legend is unknown.
The Legend
The legend features a woodcutter, Wang Chih, and his encounter with the two immortals in the mountains.
Wang Chih was a hardy young fellow who used to venture deep into the mountains to find suitable wood for his axe. One day he went farther than usual and became lost. He wandered about for a while and eventually came upon two strange old men who were playing Go, their board resting on a rock between them. Wang Chih was fascinated. He put down his axe and began to watch. One of the players gave him something like a date to chew on, so that he felt neither hunger nor thirst. As he continued to watch he fell into a trance for what seemed like an hour or two. When he awoke, however, the two old men were no longer there. He found that his axe handle had rotted to dust and he had grown a long beard. When he returned to his native village he discovered that his family had disappeared and that no one even remembered his name.
See also
Go
History of Go
Chinese mythology
Links
Kiseido Publishing Company (Japan), The Immortals, http://www.kiseido.com/printss/immort.html
China stubs | Chinese history stubs | History of China | Chinese mythology
Alternative Names (異名):
爛柯, Ranka
Ranka or Lankeshan ji, or Rotten Battle Axe in English, is a Chinese legend similar to that of Rip Van Winkle. Ranka predates that by at least a 1000 years. The exact date of origin of the legend is unknown.
The Legend
The legend features a woodcutter, Wang Chih, and his encounter with the two immortals in the mountains.
Wang Chih was a hardy young fellow who used to venture deep into the mountains to find suitable wood for his axe. One day he went farther than usual and became lost. He wandered about for a while and eventually came upon two strange old men who were playing Go, their board resting on a rock between them. Wang Chih was fascinated. He put down his axe and began to watch. One of the players gave him something like a date to chew on, so that he felt neither hunger nor thirst. As he continued to watch he fell into a trance for what seemed like an hour or two. When he awoke, however, the two old men were no longer there. He found that his axe handle had rotted to dust and he had grown a long beard. When he returned to his native village he discovered that his family had disappeared and that no one even remembered his name.
See also
Go
History of Go
Chinese mythology
Links
Kiseido Publishing Company (Japan), The Immortals, http://www.kiseido.com/printss/immort.html
China stubs | Chinese history stubs | History of China | Chinese mythology
Randeng Daoren (燃灯道人)
Randeng Daoren (燃灯道人)
Alternative Names (異名):
燃灯道人, Randeng Daoren
Randeng Daoren (Chinese: 燃灯道人; Pinyin: Rándēng Dàorén; literally meaning Burning Lamp Taoist) is a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi. He would be renowned as the Superiorman of Mount Condor, Intuition Cave. His role originated from Dipankara, a Buddha in Buddhism.
Following the incident with Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Taiyi Zhenren, Nezha would once again see an opportunity to strike down his father, Li Jing and end his great hatred. Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would see Li Jing and immediately tell him to hide behind him less he be killed. Once Nezha appeared directly before Randeng Daoren, Randeng Daoren would say the words, "I thought this problem had been resolved in the Cloud Top Cave. It is not good for you to rekindle your revenge again."
Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would thrust Li Jing forward to fight. Due to the fact that Randeng Daoren had already spat on Li Jing's back - which gave him magical powers - Li Jing was a match for Nezha at last. Nezha, who easily saw the trickery, stabbed his spear at Randeng Daoren; Randeng Daoren easily negated his spear by forming a large white lotus from his own mouth. Once Nezha attempted to attack Randeng Daoren once again, Randeng Daoren had no choice but to unleash a purple cloud from his sleeve -- a purple cloud that would trap Nezha within a large burning golden tower. Following this, Randeng Daoren could effectively control Nezha. However, he decided it best to give the teach the technique to Li Jing less Nezha rebels again. Thus, Randeng Daoren takes his leave after ensuring the Zhou Dynasty into the trust of Li Jing, who is now Li, the Pagoda Bearer.
Superiormen of Fengshen Yanyi | Fengshen Yanyi characters | Taoism | Chinese gods | Chinese mythology
Alternative Names (異名):
燃灯道人, Randeng Daoren
Randeng Daoren (Chinese: 燃灯道人; Pinyin: Rándēng Dàorén; literally meaning Burning Lamp Taoist) is a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi. He would be renowned as the Superiorman of Mount Condor, Intuition Cave. His role originated from Dipankara, a Buddha in Buddhism.
Following the incident with Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Taiyi Zhenren, Nezha would once again see an opportunity to strike down his father, Li Jing and end his great hatred. Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would see Li Jing and immediately tell him to hide behind him less he be killed. Once Nezha appeared directly before Randeng Daoren, Randeng Daoren would say the words, "I thought this problem had been resolved in the Cloud Top Cave. It is not good for you to rekindle your revenge again."
Soon enough, Randeng Daoren would thrust Li Jing forward to fight. Due to the fact that Randeng Daoren had already spat on Li Jing's back - which gave him magical powers - Li Jing was a match for Nezha at last. Nezha, who easily saw the trickery, stabbed his spear at Randeng Daoren; Randeng Daoren easily negated his spear by forming a large white lotus from his own mouth. Once Nezha attempted to attack Randeng Daoren once again, Randeng Daoren had no choice but to unleash a purple cloud from his sleeve -- a purple cloud that would trap Nezha within a large burning golden tower. Following this, Randeng Daoren could effectively control Nezha. However, he decided it best to give the teach the technique to Li Jing less Nezha rebels again. Thus, Randeng Daoren takes his leave after ensuring the Zhou Dynasty into the trust of Li Jing, who is now Li, the Pagoda Bearer.
Superiormen of Fengshen Yanyi | Fengshen Yanyi characters | Taoism | Chinese gods | Chinese mythology
Rainbow body (虹光身, 光蘊身)
Rainbow body (虹光身, 光蘊身)
Alternative Names (異名):
虹光身, Hong Gworng Sun, 光蘊身, Gworng Whun Sun, Rainbow body
A rainbow body (Chinese: 虹光身 / 光蘊身; Cantonese: Hong Gworng Sun / Gworng Whun Sun; Tibetan language: Jalü or Jalus (Wylie 'ja' lus ) is a body not made of flesh, but consists of pure light.
Besides secret and unrevealed scriptures, the rainbow body is also mentioned in some Mahayana Sutras, for example, Mahayana Secret Sublime Sutra (大乘密嚴經, Taisho Tripitaka 0681, 0682) says:
They had therefore achieved the Wisdom Concentration, and acquired Mind-Created Bodies, which are adorned with mighty supernatural powers. Such bodies are free of any interspaces, bones, or substances, they are like the sun and the moon, like rainbows, electricity, finest gold, luminous pearls, Sphatikas, Pravadas, Hridaras, Campakas, Pavonine Flowers and Moons, and the images from mirrors.
In Dzogchen
The rainbow body is the physical mastery state of Dzogchen of the Nyingmapa Mantrayana and the Bönpo where the trikaya is in accord and the nirmanakaya is congruent with bodymind and the integrity of the mindstream (the heartmind) is realised as Dharmakaya. The corporeal body of the realised Dzogchenpa which is now hallowed, returns to the pure primordial energetic essence-quality of the Five Pure Lights of the five elemental processes of which it is constituted through phowa and the Bardo of Mahasamadhi or Parinirvana. This is then projected as the mindstream through the process of phowa. The realiser of Jalus resides in the 'once upon a time' time out of time, timeless eternal state that is considered a mystery.
According to Dzogchen lore, the attainment of the Rainbow Body is the sign of complete realisation of the Dzogchen view. As Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002: p.141) states: “The realised Dzogchen practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death”.
More specifically, the rainbow body is constituted by the Five Pure Lights. When the view of Dzogchen and the integrity of the mindstream which links the Trikaya is realised prior to the death-Bardo (Skt. antarabhava), the bodymind of the Nirmanakaya (Tib. sprul sku) Dzogchenpa enters samadhi (Tib. ting nge ‘dzin) and commences Phowa or the ‘transferral of consciousness’ into the constituent Five Pure Lights of the Sambhogakaya (Tib. longs sku) to the Dharmakaya, sometimes leaving the non-living faecal elements of the bodymind such as hair and nails.
There have been a number of documented sightings of the Jalus process through the Bardo of death which may take a number of days to complete. The bodymind of the Nirmanakaya in samadhi, all the time decreasing its dimentionality as the constituent Five Pure Lights of the mindstream are transmuted into the 'glorious body' of Sambhogakaya.
From the case studies of those who have realised the rainbow body the practices of tregchöd and thödgal are key.
Those who have realised the rainbow body according to tradition
Togden Ugyen Tendzin
Khenpo A-chos
In 1953 Ayu Khandro realised the rainbow body.
Cross-cultural correlates
Though the Jalus is particular to Dzogchen, there are interesting cross-cultural correlates:
In the Judeo-Christian tradition refer "resurrection body" and "glorified body".
In Taoism, a high level Xian (仙) can transmute his flesh body into light (photons), can transform himself to anything, and can have many dividing bodies, so that he can appear as various forms synchronously at many places, or be invisible to human eyes. When his body disperses, he is the diffuse uncreated(pre-cosmic) energy; when the energy converge, he can appear as a living being. Such an Immortal is also called Real Person (真人) by Taoist Scriptures.
In Tantrism and some schools of yoga, a comparable state is called "vajra body," or the "adamantine body".
In Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, refer the "radiant body."
Buddhist terms | Chinese mythology | Dzogchen | Taoism
Alternative Names (異名):
虹光身, Hong Gworng Sun, 光蘊身, Gworng Whun Sun, Rainbow body
A rainbow body (Chinese: 虹光身 / 光蘊身; Cantonese: Hong Gworng Sun / Gworng Whun Sun; Tibetan language: Jalü or Jalus (Wylie 'ja' lus ) is a body not made of flesh, but consists of pure light.
Besides secret and unrevealed scriptures, the rainbow body is also mentioned in some Mahayana Sutras, for example, Mahayana Secret Sublime Sutra (大乘密嚴經, Taisho Tripitaka 0681, 0682) says:
They had therefore achieved the Wisdom Concentration, and acquired Mind-Created Bodies, which are adorned with mighty supernatural powers. Such bodies are free of any interspaces, bones, or substances, they are like the sun and the moon, like rainbows, electricity, finest gold, luminous pearls, Sphatikas, Pravadas, Hridaras, Campakas, Pavonine Flowers and Moons, and the images from mirrors.
In Dzogchen
The rainbow body is the physical mastery state of Dzogchen of the Nyingmapa Mantrayana and the Bönpo where the trikaya is in accord and the nirmanakaya is congruent with bodymind and the integrity of the mindstream (the heartmind) is realised as Dharmakaya. The corporeal body of the realised Dzogchenpa which is now hallowed, returns to the pure primordial energetic essence-quality of the Five Pure Lights of the five elemental processes of which it is constituted through phowa and the Bardo of Mahasamadhi or Parinirvana. This is then projected as the mindstream through the process of phowa. The realiser of Jalus resides in the 'once upon a time' time out of time, timeless eternal state that is considered a mystery.
According to Dzogchen lore, the attainment of the Rainbow Body is the sign of complete realisation of the Dzogchen view. As Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002: p.141) states: “The realised Dzogchen practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death”.
More specifically, the rainbow body is constituted by the Five Pure Lights. When the view of Dzogchen and the integrity of the mindstream which links the Trikaya is realised prior to the death-Bardo (Skt. antarabhava), the bodymind of the Nirmanakaya (Tib. sprul sku) Dzogchenpa enters samadhi (Tib. ting nge ‘dzin) and commences Phowa or the ‘transferral of consciousness’ into the constituent Five Pure Lights of the Sambhogakaya (Tib. longs sku) to the Dharmakaya, sometimes leaving the non-living faecal elements of the bodymind such as hair and nails.
There have been a number of documented sightings of the Jalus process through the Bardo of death which may take a number of days to complete. The bodymind of the Nirmanakaya in samadhi, all the time decreasing its dimentionality as the constituent Five Pure Lights of the mindstream are transmuted into the 'glorious body' of Sambhogakaya.
From the case studies of those who have realised the rainbow body the practices of tregchöd and thödgal are key.
Those who have realised the rainbow body according to tradition
Togden Ugyen Tendzin
Khenpo A-chos
In 1953 Ayu Khandro realised the rainbow body.
Cross-cultural correlates
Though the Jalus is particular to Dzogchen, there are interesting cross-cultural correlates:
In the Judeo-Christian tradition refer "resurrection body" and "glorified body".
In Taoism, a high level Xian (仙) can transmute his flesh body into light (photons), can transform himself to anything, and can have many dividing bodies, so that he can appear as various forms synchronously at many places, or be invisible to human eyes. When his body disperses, he is the diffuse uncreated(pre-cosmic) energy; when the energy converge, he can appear as a living being. Such an Immortal is also called Real Person (真人) by Taoist Scriptures.
In Tantrism and some schools of yoga, a comparable state is called "vajra body," or the "adamantine body".
In Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, refer the "radiant body."
Buddhist terms | Chinese mythology | Dzogchen | Taoism
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