Cihang Zhenren

Cihang Zhenren (Chinese: 慈航真人; pinyin: Cíháng Zhēnrén; Wade–Giles: Tz'u-hang Chen-jen; lit. 'Compassion Travel/Navigate True-Person/Perfected-Person') is a Daoist deity and character in the classic Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (more commonly known as Fengshen Yanyi). He is a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun and one of the Three Great Immortals, holding the ninth position among the Twelve Golden Immortals.^[1]

Relief of Cihang Zhenren

The character is believed to be derived from the Buddhist bodhisattva Guanyin.^[2][3] Chinese scholars generally believe that Cihang Zhenren is the origin of Guanyin's male form and that the transition of Guanyin from male to female occurred during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.^[4] The figure appears in works such as the Lingbao Sutra, the Romance of the Immortals of the Past Dynasties [zh] and Fengshen Yanyi. Scholars after the Tang dynasty advocated for the concept of 'Three Religions in One [zh]', which led to the gradual merging of the Taoist deity Cihang Zhenren with Guanyin Bodhisattva. Folk depictions often portray this god riding a dragon, tortoise, serpent, giant turtle, or even a single log canoe due to the term 'Cihang'.^[5]

In literature

Cihang Zhenren first appeared in the early Daoist scripture known as the Lingbao Sutra, which is believed to have been composed around the years 397-402 AD.^[4] However, due to the loss of the original scripture, the existing Daoist collections of the Lingbao Sutra no longer contain the original text regarding Cihang Zhenren.^[6]

In the Romance of the Immortals of the Past Dynasties, it is recorded that "In the Chaoyin Cave of Mount Putuo, there is a Daoist. It is said that during the time of the Shang dynasty, he cultivated Dao here and attained supernatural abilities. He vowed to universally save both men and women. He has used elixirs and sweet dew to benefit people, and people in the South China Sea call him the Great Compassionate Master, Cihang Dashi."^[5]

In the most widely circulated folk version, there is a legend of Princess Miaoshan cultivating on Mount Xiang in parallel with a Taoist scripture, the "Yuanshi Tianzun Speaks the Inspired Guanyin Sutra" (元始天尊说灵感观音妙经). This scripture succinctly narrates the deeds of Princess Miaoshan's cultivation on Mount Xiang, similar to the popular folk legend. In this classic text, she is referred to as the 'Heavenly Lord of Biluodong' (碧落洞天帝主) and the 'Heavenly Lord of Universal Liberation and Freedom' (圆通自在天尊).^[7][8]

The battle between the Three Great Immortals and Jinling Shengmu

In Fengshen Yanyi, Cihang Zhenren is the superiorman over Luojia Cave in Mount Putuo and ninth of the twelve disciples of Yuanshi Tianzun. The goddess Nuwa taught him the art of Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes and guided him to become a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. Yuanshi Tianzun taught Cihang the celestial book Daode Heart Sutra of Daode Tianzun and asked him to practice Taoism on Mount Putuo to become an immortal, known as the 'Thousand-Handed Divine Immortal'. To spread Taoism widely, he traveled to the West and later returned to assist King Wu in his campaign against King Zhou. During the Battle of the Ten Thousand Immortals, alongside Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Puxian Zhenren, he faced off against the formidable disciple of the Jie Sect, Jinling Shengmu. He achieved significant feats, including breaking the Wind Roaring Formation and defeating Dong Tianjun, battling Han Zhixian and shattering the Wind Bag Formation, and breaking the Four Symbols Formation to capture Jin Guangxian.^[9] In the end, among the disciples of the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, those with the highest level of Dao cultivation ascended to become deities upon entering the Register of Deities, while those with lesser cultivation entered as divine beings or immortals, and those with lower levels of cultivation were reborn in the cycle of reincarnation. Some disciples also joined Western Buddhism, including the Chan Sect's Cihang Zhenren (later known as Guanyin), Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun (later known as Manjushri), and Puxian Zhenren (later known as Samantabhadra).^[10]

Temple

Located in the southwestern suburb of Chengdu, Sanqing Hall within Qingyang Palace is a temple dedicated to the supreme Taoist god Sanqing. In the center of the hall sits a statue of Sanqing, and on both sides of the hall are the disciples of Sanqing, including the Twelve Golden Immortals, including Cihang Zhenren. This historical temple traces its origins back to the Tang dynasty and underwent significant reconstruction during the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty. The foundation of Sanqing Hall takes the form of a square, covering a total area of 1,600 square meters.^[11]

In some Daoist temples, under the statute of Cihang Zhenren, there is usually a golden lion with eight additional smaller heads, which is known as the Nine-Headed Golden Lion. It is said that the Immortal Cihang Zhenren can appear in the human realm in 32 different human forms (三十二应), some of which are male and others female.^[12]

There are three anniversaries of Cihang Zhenren that have been celebrated. The first is on the nineteenth day of the Flower Moon (Lunar Second Month). This was the day Cihang Zhenren prayed for the dead to be liberated from hell and blessings for the living (other legends say it was his birthday). The second is on the nineteenth day of the Lychee Moon (Lunar Sixth Month). This was the day he subjugated Ningbo Xianzi (a sea spirit that caused maritime disasters) and successfully gained enlightenment. The third is on the nineteenth day of the Chrysanthemum Moon (Lunar Ninth Month). This was the day Cihang Zhenren achieved immortality.

References

1. 预见学习，遇见成长：学校开展项目学习的实践与探索 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Beijing Book Co. Inc. 1 April 2020. ISBN 978-7-5068-7821-0.
2. 中国考古集成 (in Chinese). 北京出版社.
3. Kang, Xiaofei; Sutton, Donald S. (12 September 2016). Contesting the Yellow Dragon: Ethnicity, Religion, and the State in the Sino-Tibetan Borderland. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-31923-3.
4. 全像观音 [Hologram of Guanyin] (in Chinese). 江西美术出版社. 2006. ISBN 978-7-80690-810-5. 学术界一般认为观音由男女是在南北朝时期,道教吸收观音的故事既见于《灵宝经》,则慈航道人的出现也应当在唐朝以前。但上述资料比较简单,也没有直接提及观音并将其与慈航道人联系起来。其二,据明代徐道明编集的《历代神仙通鉴》... [translation:Scholars generally believe that the transition of Guanyin from male to female occurred during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. The story of Taoism incorporating Guanyin can be found in the "Lingbao Jing," suggesting that Cihang Zhenren's presence predates the Tang Dynasty. However, the provided information is relatively brief and does not directly mention Guanyin or establish a connection between Guanyin and Cihang Zhenren. Secondly, according to the "Tongjian of the Immortals of the Past Dynasties" compiled by Xu Daoming in the Ming Dynasty...
5. 中國考古集成: Liang Jin zhi Song (in Chinese). 中州古籍出版社. 2003.
6. 敦煌古靈寶經與晉唐道敎 [Dunhuang Ancient Lingbao Sutra and Taoist Teachings of Jin and Tang Dynasties] (in Chinese). 中華書局. 2002. ISBN 978-7-101-03618-3.
7. 说不尽的观世音: 引经, 据典, 图说 [The Inexhaustible Guanyin: Quotations, Sources, and Pictorial Representation]s (in Chinese). 上海辞书出版社. 2002. ISBN 978-7-5326-0922-2. 所说的观音化身妙善公主的诞生、出家、成道日期相同。据此推论,道教吸收观音为慈航道人约发端于唐代以前,形成于宋末元初。佛、道两教都吸收了关于妙善公主是观音化身的民间传说,从而使观音或慈航道人的形象更为丰满,满足了民间观音信仰的 ... [translation:The birth, ordination, and enlightenment dates of the Guanyin incarnation Miaoshan Princess are the same. Based on this, it is inferred that Taoism's incorporation of Guanyin as Cihang Zhenren likely began before the Tang Dynasty and solidified during the late Song and early Yuan periods. Both Buddhism and Taoism absorbed the folk legend that Miaoshan Princess is an incarnation of Guanyin, enriching the images of Guanyin or Cihang Zhenren and fulfilling the popular Guanyin belief...]
8. 道敎風俗談 [Discussion on Taoist Customs and Traditions] (in Chinese). 上海辞书出版社. 2003. ISBN 978-7-5326-1331-1. ... 慈航道人(又称慈航大士、观音大士)。《元始天尊说灵感观音妙经》称她是"碧落洞天帝主"、"圆通自在天尊"。其法力是"求福得福,求寿保寿,求嗣得男...... "。关于慈航道人的来源,据现有的资料,有两种说法:一是唐李善注引《灵宝经》记载:禅黎世界坠王有女
9. 足本全圖封神演義 (in Chinese). 廣益書局. 1922.
10. 中国神仙年画经典 (in Chinese). Beijing Book Co. Inc. 1 September 2015. ISBN 978-7-5507-1452-6. ...阐教门人因三尸未除,犯下杀戒而入世受劫难。阐教、截教中众门人道行最高的成仙,道行次高的入封神榜成神,道行较低的入轮回成人。还有部分门人入西方教,如阐教中慈航道人(后为观世音菩萨)、文殊广法天尊(后为文殊菩萨)、普贤 ...
11. 老成都记忆 (in Chinese). Beijing Book Co. Inc. 1 March 2017. ISBN 978-7-5090-1171-3.
12. 福州市志 [Fuzhou City Chronicle] (in Chinese). 方志出版社. 1998. ISBN 978-7-80122-605-1.

External links

• (in Chinese) 慈航真人, Chinese Taoist Association