Throughout the history of Chinese art, there have been several different Chinese deities that have floating swords. Some are the Miao Shan, the Tudi Gong, and the Han Xiang Zi.
Songzi Guanyin
Traditionally, Guanyin is portrayed as a female buddha, similar to the boddhisattva Tara. However, in contemporary Chinese folk religion, it is considered that Guanyin is the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, and she is seen as the rural goddess, the protector of the poor, and the champion of the disabled.
Guanyin is usually depicted as a young woman wearing a flowing white robe. She is accompanied by a child or two and sometimes by two warriors. She holds a jar of pure water or a willow branch. Occasionally, she is also portrayed as a peacock. She also may be surrounded by clouds or sea turtles.
Guanyin is the central character in the novel Journey to the West. She is also a character in the T.V. series The Expanse and appears in the film The Billionaire. Guanyin is often described as a “Big Buddha” because of her giant statues found in many Asian art museums around the world.
The most widely revered Buddhist deity is Guanyin. She is worshipped in many Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and East Asia. She is also referred to as the Great Compassion or the Noble Guanyin. Despite her feminine qualities, she is part of a family of buddhas known as the Padma Akula. She is called the Ancient Buddha of Holy Religion in the Zaili teaching. She is also known as the Child-Sending Guanyin.
Guanyin is also one of the principal deities worshipped in the Zaili teaching, which is a middle path between Zen and Pure Land Buddhism. She is also mentioned in the Lotus Sutra. The chapter “Universal Gateway” describes her as a “perceiver of the world’s sounds.”
Guanyin is also one of the three saints of the West (the other two being Buddha Amitabha and Buddha Vairocana). She is also mentioned in the Karandavyuha Sutra, the chapter “Saver of Beings.” She is also mentioned in the Puma chapter of the Lotus Sutra. In the Zaili teaching, Guanyin is seen as the main deity. It is believed that the adherents of Buddhism who die in this world are sent to Sukhavati, the pure western land.
Han Xiang Zi
Among the Eight Immortals of Daoism, Han Xiang Zi is known as a philosopher. He is also regarded as a patron deity for musicians. His flute is said to be able to give life. He is also the patron saint of flutists. His flute is played for Six Healing Sounds.
Han Xiang is known for his extraordinary skill in Taoist practice. His talent is said to have led to his rebirth as immortal. He is also the only celestial in the Eight Immortals who are female. Xian-gu was born in the 7th century and lived in Lingling, Hunan. She was extremely bright. She started running as if she was flying when she was fifteen. Her emblem is a lotus. She also has a link with the trigram Kun of the Bagua.
When Han Xiang was young, his mother died, and his uncle Han Hui became a famous statesman. Han Hui had a great love for his nephew Xiangzi. He had high expectations for his nephew. Han Xiangzi never impregnated his wife, Lin Buying. However, he failed to convert her to the Taoist faith.
Later, when he was 64, Han Zhong Li became his teacher. He taught Lu Yan the art of magic. Lu Yan had been rejected twice by the imperial examination. Lu Yan later received a magic sword as a reward for overcoming ten temptations. He also drinks copious amounts of wine.
After a long training, Cao was accepted into Ba Xian. He was rewarded with a magic sword for overcoming evils in the world. Cao then became the patron saint of actors and theater. He also became a local Earth god. He is a symbol of purity and long life. He also lives in Mount Zhong Lan to cultivate Daoism. He is also known as Elder Zhang Guo.
As a Taoist, Han Xiang was a philosopher who mastered the Five Elements of Energy. He was also a member of the Zhou Dynasty. He also got the secrets of the elixir of life. During his training, he learned the power of the Tao. He demonstrated this ability by pouring wine from a gourd. Lu Dongbin also trained him. Eventually, he became one of the Eight Immortals of Daoism.
Tudi Gong
During the Golden Age, there was a Chinese deity with floating swords. It was called Tudi Gong. He was also known as the Earth Lord. He was the god of villages, towns, and households. He had access to higher gods.
This god is usually portrayed as a middle-aged man with a white beard and a black or gold hat. He is often seen as a Grandfather. He is said to have the power to grant wishes according to the worshippers’ deeds. It is also believed that he bestows blessings when people die.
The Chinese deity with floating swords is one of many with the same name. Another one is called the Landlord God. He is not to be confused with the Dragon God of the Five Directions. Similarly, there is the Dragon King, the ruler of the weather. Regardless, they both have powers similar to those of Tudi Gong.
There is also a goddess called the Goddess of Childbirth. This is one of the few accounts of goddesses in late imperial China. She dramatizes the contradictory nature of Chinese divinities. She also emphasizes the physical aspects of womanhood.
Some gods are not to be confused with Tudi Gong. For instance, there is the Dragon King, the ruler of the weather. He resembles Tudi Gong in powers and functions. But he is not as ubiquitous in Taiwan as Tudi Gong is.
Among the most popular gods in Taiwan, Tudi Gong is the most common one. In addition to being the god of households and cities, he is also the god of famine. His superiors include the Jade Emperor and City God. He is believed to be helpful after death and assists communities.
In addition to Tudi Gong, other gods are popular in Taiwan. The Dragon King, the ruler of weather, resembles Tudi Gong in powers. The Earth God was also famous in the early Han Dynasty. He was worshipped in Earth God Temples, which were located throughout villages. These were believed to be a reflection of Earth God’s humble status.
Miao Shan
Even though most Chinese deities are male, some still believe in the female god with floating swords, Miao Shan. This is because she is supposed to have the same functions as Tara, the beautiful female divinity.
The Miaoshan legend is about a Chinese princess who lived in the year 700 B.C. during the chaotic Five Dynasties period. She was the youngest of three daughters, and her father wanted her to marry someone of power and wealth. Miao Shan refused, and her father arranged for her to work in a temple. Her father reduced the food that she ate and forced her to work for long hours. The monks also forced her to work in the temple. Her father tried to burn the temple down when she finished her work. He was unsuccessful.
After her father attempted to kill Miao Shan, she was transported to a realm where she saw suffering and heard the world’s cries below. She then turned this place into a paradise. The monks were so impressed that they forced her to work all day and night.
She later went to Fragrant Mountain, where she became a nun and began to help others. She also learned to heal others. She also began to play music in the realm. She was eventually able to help her father become cured of his illness.
In Chinese mythology, female divinities have always been part of the folk belief, but they were not as important. When Buddhism came to China, female divinity gained importance and gave rise to a cult. Guanyin is also often depicted with a peacock. The peacock has hundreds of eyes on its tail feathers and symbolizes Kuan Yim’s thousand eyes.
The story of Miaoshan also provides a role model for women in Chinese society. She is portrayed as a woman willing to suffer and work hard in her legend. Her father wanted her to marry someone of wealth, but she refused. She became a nun and transformed the realm of hell into a paradise. She could help others and free the souls of those who had suffered in the world below. She also released good karma from many lifetimes.
