A RECORD OF ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVENAs gathered from the oldest accounts that remain
PROLOGUE — CHAPTER SIXOn the Matter of the Jade Emperor — 玉皇大帝 — Yu Huang Dadi — and the Ordering of Heaven
Heaven is written as Tian — 天.
The character shows a person — 大 — da — standing with arms extended, with a horizontal stroke above the head indicating what is above all persons. What is above all persons is Heaven.
Heaven is also called Tiangong — 天宮 — the Heavenly Palace. It is also called the Purple Forbidden City — 紫禁城 — Zijin Cheng — after the color that surrounds the north celestial pole. It is also called the Great Luo Heaven — 大羅天 — Da Luo Tian — the highest and most infinite of all heavens.
It is ruled by the Jade Emperor.
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On the names of the Jade Emperor.
He is called Yu Huang Dadi — 玉皇大帝 — the Great Emperor of Jade.
He is called Yu Huang Shangdi — 玉皇上帝 — the Pure August Emperor on High.
He is called Yu Di — 玉帝 — the Jade Deity.
He is called Tian Gong — 天公 — the Heavenly Grandfather. This is the name commoners use. This is the name said in households and at roadside shrines by those who do not know his formal title or do not consider it their place to use it.
He is called Haotian Shangdi — 昊天上帝 — the High Ancestor of Bright Heaven. This title was given to him during the reign of Emperor Huizong — 宋徽宗 — Song Huizong — of the Song dynasty — 宋朝 — Song Chao — in the early twelfth century.
He has other titles. They are recorded in the temples. This record uses Yu Huang Dadi — 玉皇大帝.
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On the two origin accounts.
The records do not agree on where the Jade Emperor came from.
There are two accounts. They contradict each other. Both are recorded.
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The first account. The Taoist origin.
In the beginning of time, the earth was a difficult place to live.
Humanity had many monsters to contend with. Many powerful demons defied the immortals of heaven. The gods who existed were not numerous enough and not strong enough to protect those who needed protection.
At this time, there was an ordinary immortal.
He was born the crown prince of the Kingdom of Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights and Ornaments — 清靜自然覺王如來 — Qingjing Ziran Jue Wang Rulai. At the moment of his birth, a wondrous light — 瑞光 — ruiguang — filled the entire kingdom.
When he was young he was kind. He was intelligent. He was wise. He devoted his childhood to helping the needy — the poor and suffering, the deserted and single, the hungry and disabled. He showed respect and benevolence to both humans and creatures.
When his father died, he ascended the throne.
He made sure all his subjects found peace and contentment. He accomplished this in a few short years.
Then he abdicated.
He left the kingdom to a relative. He saw no use in holding so much power. He went to the Bright and Fragrant Cliff — 普明香岩山 — Puming Xiangyan Shan — and cultivated the Tao.
He passed 3,200 trials — 三千二百劫 — san qian er bai jie. Each trial lasted approximately 3 million years.
While he was in meditation, a powerful evil entity — 魔王 — mo wang — the Demon King — also went into retreat to expand its power. It passed 3,000 trials. Each trial also lasted approximately 3 million years. When it emerged, it believed it was unstoppable. It raised an army of monsters. It attacked heaven. The immortals could not resist it.
Then the Jade Emperor emerged from his isolation.
He saw what was happening.
He stepped forward.
He fought the Demon King alone.
He defeated it.
He imprisoned it.
The immortals recognized him as the supreme ruler of all three realms. Heaven, earth, and the underworld submitted to his authority.
He took the throne of heaven.
This account is the Taoist account.
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The second account. The folk account.
In this account, the Jade Emperor was formerly the assistant — 助手 — zhushou — of Yuanshi Tianzun — 元始天尊 — the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning. Yuanshi Tianzun is the first of the Three Pure Ones — 三清 — Sanqing.
Yuanshi Tianzun recognized his assistant's wisdom and kindness. He gave up his position. He selected the Jade Emperor as his successor.
The position was not earned in battle. It was earned through service.
This account holds additionally that the Jade Emperor will someday do the same. He will give his throne to a new emperor. Some believe that Guan Yu — 關羽 — will take his place. Some say this transfer occurred in the nineteenth century. Others say it has not yet occurred.
The records disagree. Both the transfer and the non-transfer are noted.
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On his appearance.
He is depicted as a middle-aged man.
He has a long beard — 長鬚 — chang xu. He has a thin mustache — 細髭 — xi zi.
He wears long flowing robes — 龍袍 — longpao — dragon robes — embroidered with dragons and clouds. He wears thirteen pearl tassels — 十三旒 — shisan liu — hanging from his flat ceremonial cap — 冕旒 — mianliu.
He holds a ceremonial jade tablet — 玉笏 — yu hu — on which his decrees are written.
He sits on a large royal throne — 龍椅 — longyi — the dragon throne.
In some depictions he wears battle armor — 鎧甲 — kaijia — and carries a long sword — 長劍 — changjian. These depictions refer to his victory over the Demon King.
His body was said to have transformed into pure jade — 純玉 — chun yu — through his cultivation. Jade in Chinese understanding is not merely a stone. It represents purity — 純潔 — chunjie. Nobility — 高貴 — gaogui. Immortality — 不朽 — buxiu. The emperor's body is the stone that embodies all three.
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On his position in the hierarchy.
The texts do not all agree on his position relative to other supreme beings.
In Taoism — 道教 — Daojiao — the Jade Emperor governs all of the mortals' realm and below. But he ranks below the Three Pure Ones — 三清 — Sanqing. The Three Pure Ones are the highest divine authority in the Taoist system.
In Chinese folk religion — 民間信仰 — minjian xinyang — he is the supreme deity. He is the heavenly equivalent of the earthly emperor. He is the highest authority. The Three Pure Ones are acknowledged but not positioned above him in practice.
In the novel Journey to the West — 西遊記 — Xiyou Ji — written by Wu Cheng'en — 吳承恩 — in the sixteenth century — the Tathagata Buddha — 如來佛祖 — Rulai Fozhu — is positioned above the Jade Emperor. When the Monkey King disrupts heaven and the Jade Emperor cannot contain him, he sends for the Buddha.
Both positions are recorded here. The hierarchy depends on which tradition is consulted.
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On the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
The Jade Emperor holds court in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall — 凌霄寶殿 — Lingxiao Baodian.
This hall is located in the Miro Palace — 彌羅宮 — Miluo Gong — at the center of heaven. It is surrounded by thirty-three heavenly palaces — 三十三天宮 — san shi san tian gong — and seventy-two precious halls — 七十二寶殿 — qishi'er baodian.
The hall is where the Jade Emperor holds court with his ministers throughout the four seasons. It is where decrees are issued. It is where gods receive their assignments, their promotions, their demotions.
Behind the Lingxiao Hall lies the Inner Palace — 內宮 — nei gong. It is guarded on both sides by mythical birds and beasts. Golden dragons — 金龍 — jin long. Colorful phoenixes — 彩鳳 — cai feng. The surroundings are maintained with exotic flowers and rare plants.
The four great heavenly gates — 四天門 — si tian men — guard the approaches. East, West, North, South. Each gate is guarded by celestial generals. The Four Heavenly Kings — 四大天王 — Si Da Tianwang — guard them in rotation.
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On the structure of heaven.
There is disagreement about the number of heavens.
The most commonly cited number in Chinese folk tradition is thirty-three — 三十三重天 — san shi san chong tian. This is the number referenced in Journey to the West. This is the number most widely known.
The Taoist canon — 道藏 — Daozang — gives a different number. It records thirty-six heavens — 三十六天 — san shi liu tian.
Of the thirty-six: thirty-two arise from the original matrix — 元綱 — Yuangang — in four groups of eight, corresponding to the four cardinal directions. These thirty-two are subject to catastrophes and universal cycles — 劫 — jie — kalpas. They are born and they die.
Four additional heavens are not subject to the kalpas. These are the three heavens of the Three Pure Ones — the Jade Purity Heaven — 玉清天 — Yuqing Tian, the Upper Purity Heaven — 上清天 — Shangqing Tian, the Grand Purity Heaven — 太清天 — Taiqing Tian — and the Great Overarching Heaven — 大羅天 — Da Luo Tian — which is infinite while all other heavens are finite.
Those who cultivate the Tao and escape the three worlds can reach the four heavens beyond kalpas. There they escape reincarnation. They escape karma. They escape the cycle.
The thirty-two lower heavens are divided into three worlds — 三界 — sanjie. The world of desire — 欲界 — yujie. The world of form — 色界 — sejie. The world of formlessness — 無色界 — wusejie. Beings in these heavens are still subject to reincarnation.
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On the celestial bureaucracy.
The Jade Emperor administers all three realms through a celestial bureaucracy — 天廷 — Tian Ting — the Heavenly Court.
This bureaucracy mirrors the imperial court of earth. This is not a coincidence. It is a design principle. Heaven was organized to reflect the most advanced organizational structure the humans below had developed. As above, so below. As below, so above.
At the apex: the Jade Emperor.
Below him: the various ministries — 部 — bu — and departments — 司 — si.
The Ministry of Thunder — 雷部 — Lei Bu — governs thunder, lightning, wind, and rain.
The Ministry of Fire — 火部 — Huo Bu — governs fire.
The Ministry of Plague — 瘟部 — Wen Bu — governs disease and its removal.
The Ministry of Wealth — 財部 — Cai Bu — governs the distribution of fortune.
The Department of Exorcism — 驅邪司 — Quxie Si — governs the removal of malevolent spirits.
The Star Officials — 星官 — Xingguan — govern the twenty-eight lunar mansions — 二十八宿 — Ershiba Xiu — and the movements of all celestial bodies.
The Dragon Kings — 龍王 — Long Wang — govern the four seas and all water within the three realms.
The City Gods — 城隍 — Chenghuang — govern individual cities and localities on earth. They report upward.
The Kitchen Gods — 灶君 — Zaojun — govern individual households. They report to the City Gods.
The chain of reporting flows from the kitchen to the city to the province to the heavenly court.
Every family is monitored. Every city is governed. Every province is administered. Every report flows upward to the Lingxiao Hall.
The Jade Emperor receives all reports. He issues all decrees. Nothing in the three realms falls outside his administration.
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On how gods are appointed.
Gods are not all born gods.
Humans who lead exemplary lives may, after judgment in the underworld, be released from the cycle of reincarnation and cross the Silver Bridge — 銀橋 — yin qiao — into heaven. There they may be reborn as gods.
This is considered very rare. Very few souls qualify.
Mortals who perform extraordinary deeds may be recognized by the celestial court and appointed to divine positions while still alive or immediately after death.
Officials who serve the earthly government with great virtue and die in service may be appointed as City Gods — 城隍 — Chenghuang — for the territory they governed.
Generals who die with great loyalty may be appointed as divine generals in the celestial army.
The Jade Emperor makes these appointments. The celestial bureaucracy processes the paperwork.
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On the Jade Emperor's birthday.
His birthday is observed on the ninth day of the first lunar month — 正月初九 — zheng yue chu jiu.
This day is called Tian Gong Dan — 天公誕 — the Birthday of the Heavenly Grandfather.
On this night, Hokkien — 福建 — Fujian — tradition holds that sugarcane stalks are offered to the Jade Emperor. The reason: during a conflict long ago, the Hokkien people hid in sugarcane fields and were protected. The sugarcane sheltered them. They survived. Each year they return the shelter with the offering.
Offerings of incense — 香 — xiang — paper — 紙 — zhi — and food are made. The family kneels. Prayers are spoken. The birthday of the ruler of heaven is observed in every household that remembers it.
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On the mandate of heaven.
The Jade Emperor does not rule arbitrarily.
The Mandate of Heaven — 天命 — Tianming — is the principle by which authority is granted. A ruler who governs with virtue holds the mandate. A ruler who loses virtue loses the mandate.
This principle applies to earthly rulers. It also applies to heaven itself. The celestial bureaucracy is expected to govern justly. Gods who fail in their duties are demoted. Gods who succeed are promoted.
The Jade Emperor demoted Yanluo Wang — 閻羅王 — from the First Court of Hell to the Fifth Court of Hell for being too lenient with the dead. The mandate requires not just rule but correct rule.
This is the structure. This is how it operates.
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On the silence that came.
For uncounted years the celestial bureaucracy functioned.
Reports flowed upward. Decrees flowed downward. The Kitchen Gods reported. The City Gods administered. The Dragon Kings managed the waters. The Star Officials moved the heavens.
Then the reports stopped being answered.
The decrees stopped coming.
The Lingxiao Hall went quiet.
The gods in the higher ministries fell silent first. Then the silence spread downward. The Dragon Kings noticed. The generals noticed. The Star Officials noticed.
By the time the silence reached the lowest levels — the City Gods, the Kitchen Gods, the Earth Gods — it had been going on for a long time.
These lowest gods noticed because they stood closest to humans. They could feel the absence.
They did not know the cause.
They filed their reports anyway.
No answers came.
This is where the next record begins.
END OF CHAPTER SIX