Page 123 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

OV E RVIEW

I4e

A related but by no means identical system is reflected in the *Laozi zhongjing
(Central Scripture of Laozi), where the scope of the pantheon is much wider
and the nomenclature of the inner gods is, with few exceptions, different.
Leaving aside a host of minor spirits mentioned throughout the text, the major
gods are those described in the first twelve sections. They are represented as
transformations of a single sovereign deity, the Supreme Great One (Shang-
shang Taiyi J: J:"* - ), who is the Original Pneuma (*yuanqi) spontaneously
issued from the Dao and appears under varying names and forms, including the
Lord of the Dao (Daojun J!t£) and *Laojun. In several of these appearances,
the Great One has as his spouse the Jade Woman of Mysterious Radiance of
GreatYin (Taiyinxuanguangyunii "* ~K*35. ::9J. All these gods are said to
reside both in the heavens and in the human being (and sometimes on earth
as well); the usual formula that connects these different planes to each other
is "human beings also have it" (ren yi you zhi A1FfiZ), to introduce their
placement within the body. The Dao itself resides in the human being as the
Supreme Lord of the Central Ultimate (Shangshang zhongji jun J: J: '=P ~1
It; sec. 39); it is the individual "self" (wu -B-), also called Zidan fft (Child-
Cinnabar) or Red Infant (chizi tff.:r; sec. I2 and passim).

The One as an inner god. In the *Baopu zi, one of the two types of meditation
defined as Guarding the One (*shouyi) is also based on visualizing the One as
a god residing within the human being (the other type consists in multiply-
ing one's "form," xing %, or in hiding it to escape harm caused by demons).