Tiandi teachings: Difference between revisions

Tiandiism
Heavenly Deity religions
天帝教 *Tiāndìjiào*
Tiandiism; Heavenly Deity religions; 天帝教 Tiāndìjiào
	Both churches use, as their symbol, variations of the ancient Tian 天 character to resemble a human figure and a flame.
Type	Chinese salvationist religion
Distinct fellowships	① Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue (天德聖教); ② Lord of Universe Church (天帝教)
Founder	Xiao Changming (1900s); Li Yujie (1978)
Origin	20th century ; Anhui, Taiwan
Members	2005, combined membership in Taiwan: 500.000 (2.2%)

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Tiandiism^[a] is a group of Chinese salvationist sects, namely the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue^[b] and the Lord of Universe Church,^[c] which emerged respectively from the teachings of Xiao Changming and Li Yujie, disseminated in the early 20th century.^[1] The Lord of Universe Church is actually a later development of the former, established in the 1980s.^[1]

These religions focus on the worship of the "Heavenly Deity" or "Heavenly Emperor" (Tiāndì 天帝),^[1] on health through the proper cultivation of qi,^[1] and teach a style of qigong named Tianren qigong.^[2] According to scholars, the doctrines of Li Yujie are traceable to the Taoist tradition of Huashan,^[3] where he studied for eight years.^[4] The Lord of Universe Church is active both in Taiwan and mainland China, where it has high-level links.^[1]

Tiandiist bodies

Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue

The origins of the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue (天德聖教 Tiāndé shèngjiào) go back to Sichuan in 1899, with the alleged resurrection of a young boy named Xiao Changming (蕭昌明, 1896-1943) who had apparently died three days earlier. After his revival, he declared that he had received Heaven's mandate (tianming) to save humanity from suffering. He embarked on a successful religious career and attracted a large following.

In 1937 he established his headquarters on Mount Huang in southern Anhui province where he died in 1943. Like other sects, Xiao Changming's movement was suppressed in China after 1949, but survives in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In Taiwan, one of Xiao's disciples, Li Yujie, eventually decided to walk his own path and founded a new group called the Lord of Universe Church in 1978, which diverges doctrinally in several aspects from the mother group, yet also sees itself in the tradition of Xiao Changming's teachings.

Currently, there exist two regional organizations for this religion. Its Hong Kong headquarters is located at Castle Peak in the New Territories. In Taiwan the religion's situation is characterized by disunity, with several separate organizations claiming to continue original Xiao's teachings.

Lord of Universe Church

The Lord of Universe Church (天帝教 Tiāndì jiāo) is based in Taiwan and is devoted to the Tiandiist beliefs as proclaimed by Li Yujie. It is an offshoot of the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue and it emphasizes chanting, traditional medicine, and a form of meditation which it calls "quiet sitting" in English.

Li Yujie (1901–1994) was born in Suzhou. He worked in the Kuomintang but left in 1958 to ensure political independence for his fledgling newspaper. In 1980 he claimed he was given permission by God to retransmit the message of the Heavenly Deity, which emphasize nuclear disarmament and Chinese unification. His book, The Ultimate Realm, was translated into Japanese and English under his guidance.^[5]

Bibliography

"An introduction to the Lord of Universe Church". eRenlai. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
Palmer, D. A. (2011). "Chinese Redemptive Societies and Salvationist Religion: Historical Phenomenon or Sociological Category?" (PDF). Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore. 172: 21–72. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
Vermander, Benoit (1999). "Christianity and the Taiwanese Religious Landscape" (PDF). The Way. 39. London Society of Jesus: 129–139. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
Micollier, Evelyne (1998). "Realignments in Religion and Health Practices: An Approach to the "New Religions" in Taiwanese Society". China Perspectives. 16: 34–40.
Ju, Keyi; Lu, Xianlong (2014). "Tiandi jiao: The Daoist Connection". Journal of Daoist Studies. 7.
Ownby, David (2020). "Text and Context: A Tale of Two Masters". In Clart, Philip; Ownby, David; Wang, Chien-chuan (eds.). Text and Context in the Modern History of Chinese Religions: Redemptive Societies and Their Sacred Texts. Leiden: Brill. pp. 173–216.

Footnotes

^ Religion of the "Heavenly Deity" or "Universal Lord" (Tiāndì 天帝)
^ 天德聖教 Tiāndé shèngjiào
^ 天帝教 Tiāndì jiāo

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Vermander, 1999.
^ Micollier, 1998.
^ Ju Keyi, Lu Xianlong. 2014. p. 195
^ Palmer, 2011. p. 27
^ Ownby, 2020.

External links

Tiande Church

Tiandi Church

[1] Religion of the "Heavenly Deity" or "Universal Lord" (Tiāndì 天帝)

[2] 天德聖教 Tiāndé shèngjiào

[3] 天帝教 Tiāndì jiāo

[Vermander-4] Vermander, 1999.

[5] Micollier, 1998.

[6] Ju Keyi, Lu Xianlong. 2014. p. 195

[7] Palmer, 2011. p. 27

[8] Ownby, 2020.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Group of Chinese salvationist sects}}
 {{Infobox religion
-| name                = Tientism<br><small>The Lord of Universe Church</small><br>天帝教 ''Tienti Teachings''
+| name                = Tiandiism<br><small>Heavenly Deity religions</small><br>天帝教 ''Tiāndìjiào''
-| image               = File:Tienism.svg
+| image               = File:Tiandiism.svg
 | imagewidth          = 100px
 | caption             = <small>Both churches use, as their symbol, variations of the ancient [[Tian]] 天 [[Chinese characters|character]] to resemble a human figure and a flame.</small>
 | type                = [[Chinese salvationist religion]]
-| fellowships         = <small>① Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue (天德圣教)<br>② The Lord of Universe Church (天帝教)</small>
+| fellowships         = <small>① Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue (天德聖教)<br>② Lord of Universe Church (天帝教)</small>
 | founder             = Xiao Changming (1900s)<br>Li Yujie (1978)
 | founded_date        = 20th century
@@ Line 12: / Line 13: @@
 }}
 {{Chinese folk religion}}
-'''Tientism'''{{efn|Religion of the "Heavenly Deity" or "Universal Lord" (''Tientì'' {{lang|zh|天帝}})}} is a group of [[Chinese folk religious sects]], namely the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue{{efn|天德圣教 ''Tiāndé shèngjiào''}} and the Church of the Heavenly Deity,{{efn|天帝教 ''Tientì jiāo''}} which emerged respectively from the teachings of Xiao Changming and Li Yujie, disseminated in the early 20th century.<ref name="Vermander">Vermander, 1999.</ref> The Church of the Heavenly Deity is actually a later development of the former, established in the 1980s.<ref name="Vermander"/>
+'''Tiandiism'''{{efn|Religion of the "Heavenly Deity" or "Universal Lord" (''Tiāndì'' {{lang|zh|天帝}})}} is a group of [[Chinese salvationist religions|Chinese salvationist sects]], namely the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue{{efn|天德聖教 ''Tiāndé shèngjiào''}} and the Lord of Universe Church,{{efn|天帝教 ''Tiāndì jiāo''}} which emerged respectively from the teachings of Xiao Changming and Li Yujie, disseminated in the early 20th century.<ref name="Vermander">Vermander, 1999.</ref> The Lord of Universe Church is actually a later development of the former, established in the 1980s.<ref name="Vermander"/>
-These religions focus on the worship of the "Heavely Deity" or "Heavenly Emperor" (''Tientì'' 天帝),<ref name="Vermander"/> on health through the proper cultivation of [[qi]],<ref name="Vermander"/> and teach a style of [[qigong]] named ''Tianren qigong''.<ref>Micollier, 1998.</ref> According to scholars, the doctrines of Li Yujie are traceable to the [[Taoism|Taoist]] tradition of [[Mount Hua|Huashan]],<ref>Ju Keyi, Lu Xianlong. 2014. p. 195</ref> where he studied for eight years.<ref>Palmer, 2011. p. 27</ref> The Lord of Universe Church is active both in Taiwan and mainland China, where it has high-level links.<ref name="Vermander"/>
+These religions focus on the worship of the "Heavenly Deity" or "Heavenly Emperor" (''Tiāndì'' 天帝),<ref name="Vermander"/> on health through the proper cultivation of [[qi]],<ref name="Vermander"/> and teach a style of [[qigong]] named ''Tianren qigong''.<ref>Micollier, 1998.</ref> According to scholars, the doctrines of Li Yujie are traceable to the [[Taoism|Taoist]] tradition of [[Mount Hua|Huashan]],<ref>Ju Keyi, Lu Xianlong. 2014. p. 195</ref> where he studied for eight years.<ref>Palmer, 2011. p. 27</ref> The Lord of Universe Church is active both in Taiwan and mainland China, where it has high-level links.<ref name="Vermander"/>
 ==Tiandiist bodies==
 ===Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue===
-The origins of the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue (天德圣教 ''Tiāndé shèngjiào'') go back to [[Sichuan]] in 1899, with the alleged resurrection of a young boy named Xiao Changming (蕭昌明, 1896-1943) who had apparently died three days earlier. After his revival, he declared that he had received Heaven's mandate (''tianming'') to save humanity from suffering. He embarked on a successful religious career and attracted a large following.
+The origins of the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue (天德聖教 ''Tiāndé shèngjiào'') go back to [[Sichuan]] in 1899, with the alleged resurrection of a young boy named Xiao Changming (蕭昌明, 1896-1943) who had apparently died three days earlier. After his revival, he declared that he had received Heaven's mandate (''tianming'') to save humanity from suffering. He embarked on a successful religious career and attracted a large following.
-In 1937 he established his headquarters on Mount Huang in southern [[Anhui]] province where he died in 1943. Like other sects, Xiao Changming's movement was suppressed in [[China]] after 1949, but survives in [[Taiwan]] and [[Hong Kong]]. In Taiwan, one of Xiao's disciples, Li Yujie, eventually decided to walk his own path and founded a new group called the Church of the Heavenly Deity in 1978, which diverges doctrinally in several aspects from the mother group, yet also sees itself in the tradition of Xiao Changming's teachings.
+In 1937 he established his headquarters on Mount Huang in southern [[Anhui]] province where he died in 1943. Like other sects, Xiao Changming's movement was suppressed in [[China]] after 1949, but survives in [[Taiwan]] and [[Hong Kong]]. In Taiwan, one of Xiao's disciples, Li Yujie, eventually decided to walk his own path and founded a new group called the Lord of Universe Church in 1978, which diverges doctrinally in several aspects from the mother group, yet also sees itself in the tradition of Xiao Changming's teachings.
 Currently, there exist two regional organizations for this religion. Its [[Hong Kong]] headquarters is located at Castle Peak in the New Territories. In [[Taiwan]] the religion's situation is characterized by disunity, with several separate organizations claiming to continue original Xiao's teachings.
-===Church of the Heavenly Deity===
+===Lord of Universe Church===
-[[File:Tian'an Taihe Temple, Lord of Universe Church-2.JPG|thumb|150px|Tiandi Church temple under construction in [[Miaoli County]], [[Taiwan]].]]
+[[File:Tian'an Taihe Temple, Lord of Universe Church-2.JPG|thumb|150px|Tiandi church under construction in [[Miaoli County]], [[Taiwan]].]]
-The Church of the Heavenly Deity, also translated as the Lord of Universe Church (天帝教 ''Tiāndì jiāo'') is based in [[Taiwan]] and is devoted to the Tiandist beliefs as proclaimed by Li Yujie. It is an offshoot of the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue and it emphasizes chanting, traditional medicine, and a form of meditation which it calls "quiet sitting" in English.
+The Lord of Universe Church (天帝教 ''Tiāndì jiāo'') is based in [[Taiwan]] and is devoted to the Tiandiist beliefs as proclaimed by Li Yujie. It is an offshoot of the Holy Church of the Heavenly Virtue and it emphasizes chanting, traditional medicine, and a form of meditation which it calls "quiet sitting" in English.
-Li Yujie was born in [[China]]. He worked in the [[Guomindang]] but left in 1958 to ensure political independence for his fledgling newspaper. In 1980 he claimed he was given permission by God to retransmit the message of the Heavenly Deity, which emphasize [[nuclear disarmament]] and [[Chinese unification]]. His book, ''The Ultimate Realm'', was translated into Japanese and English under his guidance.
+Li Yujie (1901–1994) was born in [[Suzhou]]. He worked in the [[Kuomintang]] but left in 1958 to ensure political independence for his fledgling newspaper. In 1980 he claimed he was given permission by God to retransmit the message of the Heavenly Deity, which emphasize [[nuclear disarmament]] and [[Chinese unification]]. His book, ''The Ultimate Realm'', was translated into Japanese and English under his guidance.<ref>Ownby, 2020.</ref>
 ==See also==
@@ Line 39: / Line 40: @@
 ==Bibliography==
 * {{cite web | title = An introduction to the Lord of Universe Church | publisher = [[eRenlai]] | url = http://www.erenlai.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3975%3Atiantijiao-introduction&catid=688%3Aoctober-2010&Itemid=331&lang=en | accessdate= 2010-10-06}}
-* D. A. Palmer. ''[http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/139685/1/Content.pdf?accept=1 Chinese Redemptive Societies and Salvationist Religion: Historical Phenomenon or Sociological Category?]''. On: ''Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore'', V. 172, 2011, p.&nbsp;21-72
+* {{cite journal |last1=Palmer |first1=D. A. |title=Chinese Redemptive Societies and Salvationist Religion: Historical Phenomenon or Sociological Category? |journal=Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore |date=2011 |volume=172 |pages=21–72 |url=http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/139685/1/Content.pdf?accept=1 |access-date= 24 November 2014 }}
-* Benoit Vermander. ''[http://www.theway.org.uk/Back/39Vermander.pdf Christianity and the Taiwanese Religious Landscape]''. On: ''The Way'', 39, 1999. London Society of Jesus. pp. 129-139
+* {{cite journal |last1=Vermander |first1=Benoit |title=Christianity and the Taiwanese Religious Landscape |journal=The Way |date=1999 |volume=39 |pages=129–139 |url=http://www.theway.org.uk/Back/39Vermander.pdf |access-date= 24 November 2014  |publisher=London Society of Jesus}}
-* Evelyne Micollier. ''Realignments in Religion and Health Practices: An Approach to the "New Religions" in Taiwanese Society''. On: ''China Perspectives'', 16, 1998. pp. 34-40
+* {{cite journal |last1=Micollier |first1=Evelyne |title=Realignments in Religion and Health Practices: An Approach to the "New Religions" in Taiwanese Society |journal=China Perspectives |date=1998 |volume=16 |pages=34–40 |access-date=}}
-* Ju Keyi, Lu Xianlong. ''Tiandi jiao: The Daoist Connection''. On: ''Journal of Daoist Studies''. Vol. 7, 2014.
+* {{cite journal |last1=Ju |first1=Keyi |last2=Lu |first2=Xianlong |title=Tiandi jiao: The Daoist Connection |journal=Journal of Daoist Studies |volume=7 |date=2014 |access-date=}}
+* {{cite book |last1=Ownby |first1=David |editor1-last=Clart |editor1-first=Philip |editor2-last=Ownby |editor2-first=David |editor3-last=Wang |editor3-first=Chien-chuan |title=Text and Context in the Modern History of Chinese Religions: Redemptive Societies and Their Sacred Texts |date=2020 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |pages=173–216 |access-date= |chapter=Text and Context: A Tale of Two Masters}}
 ==Footnotes==
@@ Line 57: / Line 59: @@
 ;Tiandi Church
 * [http://www.tienti.org/ Li Yujie's Heavenly Deity teachings]
-* [http://tienti.info/ Church of the Heavenly Deity]
+* [http://tienti.info/ Lord of Universe Church]
-* [http://www.tienti.tw Taiwan's Church of the Heavenly Deity]
+* [http://www.tienti.tw Taiwan's Lord of Universe Church]
-* [http://tenteikyo.com/ "Tenteikyo" - Japan's Church of the Heavenly Deity]
+* [http://tenteikyo.com/ "Tenteikyo" - Japan's Lord of Universe Church]
-[[Category:Chinese folk religion]]
+[[Category:Chinese salvationist religions]]
-[[Category:Religion in China]]
 [[Category:Religion in Taiwan]]