Page 262 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

BEID! 223

uncertain; in particular, he does not seem to be directly related to Xuanwu ir
it (Dark Warrior), nor to his successor, Xuantian shangdi ir "fi: J: * (Highest
Emperor of the Dark Heaven), who became popular during the Tang period
and was venerated as the patron saint of the ruling houses of the Song and
Ming dynasties (see under *Zhenwu).
A long liturgical and exorcistic tradition developed around the myth of
Beidi during the Six Dynasties, in the wake of Taoist apocalyptic eschatology.
the "Northern Emperor's Method of Killing Demons" (Beidi shagui zhifa ~t *
Adepts- especially those associated with the *Shangqing school-practiced
i%[%Z 1t), a meditation technique accompanied by recitations of the names
of the Six Palaces of Fengdu (see *santian and liutian) and the Tianpeng spell
(*Tianpeng zhou). Communal exorcistic rituals addressed to Beidi were also
performed at that time. Later, under the Tang and the Five Dynasties, exor-
cists adhering to Beidi's cult entered the official ranks of the Taoist clerical
system with the title of Taoists of the Northern Emperor's Great Mystery
(Beidi taixuan daoshi ~t * Jc ir:i!! ±). It is probably at this time that the great
summa of Beidi's tradition was composed. This text, entitled Taishang Yuan-
shi tianzun shuo Beidifomo shenzhou miaojing JcJ:j[;~~*~~~Ut*{jCJJIH$
%:iP) ~ (Wondrous Scripture of Divine Spells of the Northern Emperor for
Suppressing Demons, Spoken by the Highest Celestial Worthy of Original
Commencement; CT 1412), is a large collection of apotropaic recipes and
exorcistic rites.
The major exorcistic schools of the Song period, such as the *Tianxin
zhengfa, renewed Beidi's tradition. The voluminous fourteenth-century *Daofa
huiyuan (Corpus of Taoist Ritual) includes no less than thirteen chapters
(j. 156-68) related to the practices of this tradition, gathered under the title
Shangqing Tianpengfomo dafa J:1~*jI{jCJl*1t (Great Rites of Tianpeng
for Suppressing Demons According to the Highest Clarity Tradition). The
tradition was continued, at least through the Ming dynasty, by the Celestial
Masters of Mount Longhu (*Longhu shan, Jiangxi), who were well known
for their exorcistic skills.

Christine MOLLIER

m Mollier 1997
* beidou; Fengdu; D EITIES: THE PANTH EON