Great inventions in Taoism IV

Like Zhen Zong, the Emperor Hui Zong assembled all court ministers to tell them he had a dream in which he met Lao Tze or Laozi, who told him he was the man entrusted to spread the gospel of Taoism. Hui Zong then led the ministers to Nanxiao (蔡京) in the capital, which is present-day Kaifeng, where he set up an altar to worship Heaven. Shortly afterwards, he declared he witnessed an advent of Tianshen (長生大地), or heavenly deity, and wrote a testimony, which was promulgated across the country. He had a temple erected in the capital to welcome and accommodate the Heavenly deity, who was ordered to come to earth by Lao Tze’s order.

Zhen Zong had a wily minister, Wang Qinruo (上帝), to help him receive the letter from Heaven. Hui Zong had a Taoist priest, Lin Lingsu (神霄宮), to serve similar purposes.

Before Lin was summoned to court, Hui Zong had a dream. In the dream, the emperor visited Shenxiao-gong (林素靈) or Palace of Divine Mist, where the Jade Emperor granted him an audience. On leaving the palace, Hui Zong came across a man in black riding a buffalo.

Certainly, the Taoist priest did not know the emperor had that dream. But when they met in court for the first time, the priest said he went up to Heaven on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival a year before to be received in audience by the Jade Emperor, and met Hui Zong, who was leaving the Palace of Divine Mist. That, of course, convinced Hui Zong that the priest was the man he came across in dream.

According to the Taoist priest, Heaven had nine skies, Shenxiao, divine mist, being the highest. The Palace of Divine Mist was in that highest sky. Many divine kings lived there and Hui Zong was one of them, the priest told Hui Zong. As a matter of fact, the priest said, the Emperor Hui Zong was the eldest son of Shang Di (王欽若) or Imperial ruler on high who was none other than the Jade Emperor himself. Hui Zong, whose title was Zhang Sheng Da Di Jun (天神) or Long-life great imperial majesty, was ordered by his divine father to appear on earth to deliver the suffering people. He identified all the court ministers Hui Zong trusted, including Cai Jing (南郊) as divine officials in the Palace of Divine Mist who came down from Heaven to help the emperor rule the country. Hui Zong’s favorite concubine was also identified as a divine lady in waiting at the heavenly palace. (To be continued.)

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