82-671: Xian Dong Yan ( 仙洞巖 ), literally Immortal cave , is a natural sea cave in Zhongshan District , Keelung , Taiwan. It is a designated Cultural Landscape by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage in Taiwan. The cave was a shrine and resting place for fishermen during Qing dynasty period and was converted into a Buddhist Temple during the Japanese colonial period. This article about a location in Taiwan
164-421: A bow and arrow before an assembly of feudal lords. The Chinese philosopher, Mo Tzu (470–391 BC), is quoted as having commented: If from antiquity to the present, and since the beginning of man, there are men who have seen the bodies of ghosts and spirits and heard their voices, how can we say that they do not exist? If none have heard them and none have seen them, then how can we say they do? But those who deny
246-446: A ghost marriage (also known as a Minghun or spirit marriage ) is a marriage in which one or both parties are deceased. A ghost marriage was usually set up by the family of the deceased and performed for a number of reasons, including the marriage of a couple previously engaged before one member's death, to integrate an unmarried daughter into a patrilineage, to ensure the family line is continued, or to maintain that no younger brother
328-412: A papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living. Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including
410-454: A shengren ( 聖 人 "sagely person"). The true sage is a quail at rest, a little fledgling at its meal, a bird in flight who leaves no trail behind. When the world has the Way, he joins in the chorus with all other things. When the world is without the Way, he nurses his Virtue and retires in leisure. And after a thousand years, should he weary of the world, he will leave it and [ 上 ] ascend to [ 僊 ]
492-710: A shān ( 山 "mountain") phonetic. For a character analysis, Schipper interprets "'the human being of the mountain,' or alternatively, 'human mountain'. The two explanations are appropriate to these beings: they haunt the holy mountains, while also embodying nature." The Classic of Poetry (220/3) contains the oldest occurrence of the character 僊 , reduplicated as xiānxiān ( 僊僊 "dance lightly; hop about; jump around"), and rhymed with qiān ( 遷 ). "But when they have drunk too much, Their deportment becomes light and frivolous—They leave their seats, and [ 遷 ] go elsewhere, They keep [ 僊僊 ] dancing and capering." (tr. James Legge ) Needham and Wang suggest xian
574-552: A 2008 Hollywood production starring Jessica Alba and produced by Peter Chan and Paula Wagner. The Maid is a 2005 Singaporean horror film telling of a maid recently arriving from the Philippines . She has to acclimate herself to the customs of the Chinese Ghost Month , during which she struggles with supernatural forces . The maid is employed by a Teochew opera family, a family with many secrets, who give her
656-475: A Chinese Studio ( 聊齋誌異 ) is a collection of nearly five hundred mostly supernatural tales written by Pu Songling in Classical Chinese during the early Qing dynasty . The compilation was first circulated in manuscript form before it was published posthumously. Sources differ in their account of the year of publication. One source claims the "Strange Tales" were published by Pu's grandson in 1740. However,
738-424: A Sino-Tibetan connection between xiān (Old Chinese * san or * sen ) "'An immortal' ... men and women who attain supernatural abilities; after death they become immortals and deities who can fly through the air" and Classical Tibetan gšen < g-syen "shaman, one who has supernatural abilities, incl[uding] travel through the air". The word xiān is written with three characters 僊 , 仙 , or 仚 , which combine
820-481: A connection to the heavenly realms inaccessible to mortals. This is often achieved through spiritual self-cultivation , alchemy , or worship by others. This is different from the gods in Chinese mythology and Taoism , who were inherently supernatural. Xian is also used as a descriptor to refer to often benevolent figures of great historical, spiritual and cultural significance. The Quanzhen School of Daoism had
902-493: A ghost is the spirit form of a person who has died. Ghosts are typically malevolent and will cause harm to the living if provoked. Many Chinese folk beliefs about ghosts have been adopted into the mythologies and folklore of neighboring East Asian cultures, notably Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Beliefs about ghosts are closely associated with Chinese ancestor worship, where much have been incorporated into Buddhism and in turn influenced and created uniquely Chinese Buddhist beliefs about
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#1732863291363984-493: A ghost who had died through drowning and wants to return to life. The Ghost Festival shares some similarities with the predominantly Mexican observance of El Día de los Muertos . Due to theme of ghosts and spirits, the festival is sometimes also known as the "Chinese Halloween". Hungry ghosts is a Chinese concept that differs from other ghosts in Chinese tradition. Traditional belief is that people become ghosts when they die. It
1066-537: A person on a mountaintop". How Chinese texts describe xian "immortals; transcendents" can vary following the historical changes in how Daoists viewed immortality. Early text such as Zhuangzi , Chuci , and Liezi texts allegorically used xian immortals and magic islands to describe spiritual immortality, sometimes using the word yuren 羽人 or "feathered person" (later another word for "Daoist" ), and were described with motifs of feathers and flying, such as yǔhuà (羽化, with "feather; wing"). Later texts like
1148-613: A place to stay in their dilapidated shophouse . The film broke the box office record in Singapore for the horror genre, won the European Fantastic Film Festival Federation Asian Film Award at the 10th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan). Marry my Dead Body was a 2022 Taiwanese LGBTQ+ action comedy that centered around a ghost marriage. In the television series The X-Files , 1996, Season 3, Episode 19 entitled Hell Money
1230-565: A refined and perhaps immortal body, able to fly like a bird beyond the trammels of the base material world into the realms of aether, and nourish himself on air and dew.)" Schafer noted xian was cognate to xian 䙴 "soar up", qian 遷 "remove", and xianxian 僊僊 "a flapping dance movement"; and compared Chinese yuren 羽人 "feathered man; xian " with English peri "a fairy or supernatural being in Persian mythology " ( Persian pari from par "feather; wing"). Two linguistic hypotheses for
1312-512: A shadow." Two circa 3rd century BCE "Outer Chapters" of the Zhuangzi ("[Book of] Master Zhuang") use the archaic character xian ( 僊 ). Chapter 11 has a parable about "Cloud Chief" ( Chinese : 雲將 ; pinyin : Yún jiāng ) and "Big Concealment" ( Chinese : 鴻濛 ; pinyin : Hóngméng ) that uses the Shijing compound xianxian ("dance; jump"): Big Concealment said, "If you confuse
1394-502: A soul to be born into a realm as a denizen of hell, the lower degree of that would cause a soul to be born as an animal, and the lowest degree would cause a soul to be born as a hungry ghost. Evil deeds that lead to becoming a hungry ghost would be killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Desire, greed, anger, and ignorance are all factors in causing a soul to be reborn as a hungry ghost because they are motives for people to perform evil deeds. The least serious of these will cause one to have
1476-450: A spiritual paradise became incorporated into mythology, as the place where immortals and deities dwell. The state of ancestor veneration in modern-day China is reported to be declining in urban areas; however, in rural areas of China, as well as Taiwan, ancestor worship and its practices can still be commonly found. Andrew Kipnis finds that, because of the rapid urbanization of China, urban dwellers are more afraid of ghosts than people in
1558-799: A thing among other things, and you may join in great unity with the deep and boundless. Undo the mind, slough off spirit, be blank and soulless, and the ten thousand things one by one will return to the root—return to the root and not know why. Dark and undifferentiated chaos—to the end of life none will depart from it. But if you try to know it, you have already departed from it. Do not ask what its name is, do not try to observe its form. Things will live naturally end of themselves." Cloud Chief said, "The Heavenly Master has favored me with this Virtue, instructed me in this Silence. All my life I have been looking for it, and now at last I have it!" He bowed his head twice, stood up, took his leave, and went away. (11) Chapter 12 uses xian when mythical Emperor Yao describes
1640-469: A trend of folklore ghost films in the HK film industry . The movie won many awards. Ten years later, A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation was based on the same story. The first Chinese animated feature film from Hong Kong , it was produced by Tsui Hark and his production company, Film Workshop . Chinese ghost movies may have more modern themes. The Ghost Inside ( 疑神疑鬼 ; Yi shen yi gui )
1722-495: A variety of definitions about what xian means during its history, including a metaphorical meaning where the term simply means a good, principled person. Xian have been venerated from ancient times to the modern day in a variety of ways across different cultures and religious sects in China. Akira Akahori, the author of Drug Taking and Immortality, gives this description: Legends of so-called immortals were widely accepted by
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#17328632913631804-461: Is a 2005 Chinese horror film directed by Herman Yau , and starring Mainland actors , Liu Ye and Gong Beibi and Taiwanese actress Barbie Shu . The film was produced by the China Film Group and at the time of its filming was the most expensive horror film ever made in mainland China. It tells the story of a young mother fleeing an abusive husband who moves into an apartment haunted by
1886-687: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Xian (Taoism) Model humanity: Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions: Salvation churches and sects : Confucian churches and sects: A xian ( Chinese : 仙/僊 ; pinyin : xiān ; Wade–Giles : hsien ) is any manner of immortal, mythical being within the Taoist pantheon or Chinese folklore. Xian has often been translated into English as "immortal". Traditionally, xian refers to entities who have attained immortality and supernatural or magical abilities later in life, with
1968-468: Is a story that the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang once dreamed that a small ghost stole the purse of the imperial consort. A larger ghost – Zhong Kui – captured the smaller one and returned the purse. There has been extensive interaction between traditional Chinese beliefs and the more recent Confucianism , Taoism , and Buddhism . Ancestor worship is the original basic Chinese religion. The core belief
2050-447: Is an important practice in traditional Chinese culture, and is closely linked to ancestor worship . The medium (mun mai poh, 問米 ; 問覡 ) or "ask rice woman" helps to ask the ancestor what they require on the other side, and these needs can be provided through the burning of paper effigies. In return, the spirit can be of great help in matters such as winning the lottery or being admitted to low-cost government housing. The person visiting
2132-530: Is apparent, [but] the sloughing off of the body's mortality remains to be done." There are three levels of Shījiě immortals: Dìxià zhǔ ( Chinese : 地下主 ; pinyin : Dìxià zhǔ ) - "Agents Beneath the Earth" – Are in charge of keeping the peace within the Chinese underworld . They are eligible for promotion to earthbound immortality after 280 years of faithful service. Dìshàng zhǔzhě ( Chinese : 地上主者 ; pinyin : Dìshàng zhǔ zhě ) - "Agents Above
2214-540: Is married before an elder brother. Fengshen Bang ( 封神榜 , The Investiture of the Gods ) is one of the major vernacular Chinese epic fantasy novels written in the Ming dynasty . The story is set in the era of the declining Shang dynasty and rise of the Zhou dynasty . It intertwines numerous elements of Chinese mythology , including gods and goddesses, immortals and spirits. The novel
2296-443: Is mentioned in A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms ( 翻譯名義集 ; Fānyì Míngyì Jí ). There are nine types of hungry ghosts, all divided into three main classes: The literary term Hero among ghosts ( 鬼雄 ; guǐxióng ) refers to a person who has died a heroic death. One particular type of ghost, the chang ( 伥 ; 倀 ; chāng ), is referenced in the four-character classical idiom wèihǔzuòchāng ( 为虎作伥 ; 爲虎作倀 ). In folklore,
2378-502: Is not a true form of immortality. For each misdeed a person commits, the Director of allotted life spans subtracts days and sometimes years from their allotted life span. This method allows a person to live out the entirety of their allotted lifespan and avoid the agents of death. But the body still has to be transformed into an immortal one, hence the phrase Xiānsǐ hòutuō ( Chinese : 先死後脱 ; pinyin : Xiān sǐhòu tuō ) - "The 'death'
2460-560: Is popular in Chinese cinema, including films made in Hong Kong, Singapore and the mainland. A Chinese Ghost Story ( 倩女幽魂 ) is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy-horror film starring Leslie Cheung , Joey Wong , and Wu Ma , directed by Ching Siu-tung , and produced by Tsui Hark . The story is loosely based on a short story in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio . It was a huge success in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan and sparked
2542-533: Is prominent in modern Chinese culture and has been adapted into numerous television series and video games, even in Japanese popular culture . Journey to the West ( 西遊記 ) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature . Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming dynasty , its authorship has been ascribed to the scholar Wu Cheng'en since the 20th century. It tells
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2624-413: Is starving in the underworld. He travels there, overcoming many difficulties, and offers her food. However, the food bursts into flames before she can eat. In despair, he asks Sakyamuni for advice. The Buddha tells him to find ten monks who will fast and pray together with him on the 15th day of the seventh moon. Moginlin follows this advice and finally manages to release his mother from her torments. On
2706-425: Is that there is a continued existence after death. It is thought that the soul of a deceased person is made up of yin and yang components called hun and po ( 魂 and 魄 ). The yin component, po, is associated with the grave, and the yang component, hun, is associated with ancestral tablets. At death the components split into three different souls; the po stays with the body to the grave, another goes to judgment, and
2788-639: Is the sovereign of the underworld . He is also the judge of the underworld, and decides whether the dead will have good or miserable future lives. Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas , the Buddhist Yan Wang has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity. Yan Wang is normally depicted wearing a Chinese judge's cap in Chinese and Japanese art. He sometimes appears on Chinese hell bank notes . Zhong Kui ( 鍾馗 )
2870-418: Is the vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings. Portraits of him were hung in Chinese houses at the end of the Chinese lunar year to scare away evil spirits and demons. He is depicted as fierce man with a black face and a comic beard brandishing a magic sword. Zhong Kui is said to be himself the ghost of a man who failed to pass the civil service examinations and committed suicide. He then became a ghost hunter. There
2952-660: The Shenxian zhuan and Baopuzi took immortality literally and described esoteric Chinese alchemical techniques for physical longevity, with techniques such as neidan ("internal alchemy") and waidan ("external alchemy"). Neidan techniques included taixi ("embryonic respiration") breath control, meditation , visualization , sexual training, and daoyin exercises (which later evolved into qigong and tai chi ), while waidan techniques for immortality included alchemical recipes, magic plants, rare minerals, herbal medicines, drugs, and dietetic techniques like inedia . Besides
3034-422: The chang ghost is said to be the ghost of a person who died of a tiger bite who then assists the tiger by luring to it further victims. This idiom then translates literally to "serving as a chang for the tiger", or more loosely as "serving as the tiger's accomplice". Used metaphorically, it refers to a person helping a villain commit evil, with the implication that the person was initially a disinterested party or
3116-578: The fox gods or "huxian" common in the region. The Three Sovereigns had similarities to xian because of some of their supernatural abilities and could have been considered such. Upon his death, the Yellow Emperor was "said to have become" a xian . During the Six Dynasties , xian were a common subject of zhiguai stories. They often had "magical" Tao powers including the abilities to "walk...through walls or stand...in light without casting
3198-478: The yin received from the dead. Many kinds of ghosts have been introduced throughout Chinese folklore and philosophy. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra , ghosts are depicted as the souls of wicked humans who, after undergoing punishment for their offenses in the afterlife, are eventually reborn as demons. Like the immortal xian , the text describes ten types of ghosts, characterizing each type with their principal offense and their unique ability: Another classification
3280-413: The Chinese diaspora, is dedicated to performing rituals to honor and remember the spirits of the dead. On this day ghosts and other supernatural creatures come out from the underworld and move among the living. Families prepare food and other offerings and place them on a shrine dedicated to deceased relatives. Incense and paper money are burned and other rituals are performed in hopes that the spirits of
3362-522: The Earth" - Are given magic talismans which prolong their lives (but not indefinitely) and allow them to heal the sick and exorcize demons and evil spirits from the earth. This level was not eligible for promotion to earthbound immortality. Zhìdì jūn ( Chinese : 制地君 ; pinyin : Zhì de jūn )- "Lords Who Control the Earth" - A heavenly decree ordered them to "disperse all subordinate junior demons, whether high or low [in rank], that have cause afflictions and injury owing to blows or offenses against
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3444-667: The Motion of the Year, the Original Destiny, Great Year, the Kings of the Soil or the establishing or breaking influences of the chronograms of the tome. Annihilate them all." This level was also not eligible for promotion to immortality. These titles were usually given to humans who had either not proven themselves worthy of or were not fated to become immortals. One such famous agent was Fei Changfang , who
3526-585: The Perfect Man has no self; the Holy Man has no merit; the Sage has no fame. (1) Ghosts in Chinese culture Model humanity: Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions: Salvation churches and sects : Confucian churches and sects: Chinese folklore features a rich variety of ghosts , monsters , and other supernatural creatures. According to traditional beliefs
3608-474: The Taoist Chinese Ghost Festival, both of which honor the spirits of the departed, and which have now been combined. Historically, families offer sacrifices of the newly harvested grain to departed ancestors on this day. In some parts of China, believers make small roadside fires where they burn paper money and other offerings to appease the restless spirits that have temporarily been released from
3690-522: The Taoist tradition it is believed hungry ghosts can arise from people whose deaths have been violent or unhappy. Both Buddhism and Taoism share the idea that hungry ghosts can emerge from neglect or desertion of ancestors. According to the Hua-yen Sutra evil deeds will cause a soul to be born in different realms. There are six possible realms of existence for souls. The highest degree of evil deed will cause
3772-461: The Taoist vocabulary. Elements of pre- Han dynasty mythologies such as those in Shan Hai Jing were adapted into these belief systems as they developed (in the case of Taoism), or were assimilated into Chinese culture (in the case of Buddhism). On the other hand, elements from the teachings and beliefs of these systems became incorporated into Chinese mythology. For example, the Taoist belief of
3854-565: The Transmission of the Dao from Zhong[li Quan] to Lü [Dongbin]" ) is a Song dynasty Taoist compendium, following the "Zhong-Lü" ( Chinese : 鍾呂 ; pinyin : Zhōng lǚ ) textual tradition of internal alchemy ( neidan ), which lists five classes of immortals: The 4th century CE Baopuzi ( 抱朴子 "[Book of] Master Embracing Simplicity"), written by Ge Hong , gives some highly detailed descriptions of xian , listing three classes: However, this
3936-466: The ancient Chinese. Although the concept of immortals was not exactly the same through the ages, some general images persisted. Immortals usually live in clean and pure places such as high mountains; they do not eat cereals; they appear only to people who perform the proper religious practices or have the right kind of destiny. Some immortals also live in grottoes underneath the sacred mountains. They can freely change their appearance: sometimes they appear in
4018-826: The constant strands of Heaven and violate the true form of things, then Dark Heaven will reach no fulfillment. Instead, the beasts will scatter from their herds, the birds will cry all night, disaster will come to the grass and trees, misfortune will reach even to the insects. Ah, this is the fault of men who 'govern'!" "Then what should I do?" said Cloud Chief. "Ah," said Big Concealment, "you are too far gone! [( Chinese : 僊僊 ; pinyin : Xiān xiān )] Up, up, stir yourself and be off!" Cloud Chief said, "Heavenly Master, it has been hard indeed for me to meet with you—I beg one word of instruction!" "Well, then—mind‑nourishment!" said Big Concealment. "You have only to rest in inaction and things will transform themselves. Smash your form and body, spit out hearing and eyesight, forget you are
4100-533: The countryside. City people are more detached from death and from the people they interact with and, hence, view the death of their neighbors as a potential source of ghosts. Rural dwellers see the people around them as relatives to some degree so, when they die, they can become ancestors rather than ghosts after the proper ceremonies. Urban cemeteries and funeral businesses are inauspicious and depreciate surrounding real estate. Apartments where unusual deaths happened can be listed in online lists of haunted places lowering
4182-580: The dead will protect and bring good luck to the family. Ghosts are described in classical Chinese texts and continue to be depicted in modern literature and movies. ' 鬼 ' (Mandarin pinyin : guǐ ) is the general Chinese term for ghost, used in combination with other symbols to give related meanings such as guilao ( 鬼佬 ), literally "ghost man", a Cantonese pejorative term for foreigners, and mogwai ( 魔鬼 ) meaning "devil". Characters such as 魇 ; yǎn ; 'nightmare' also carry related meanings. Yan Wang ( 閻王 ), also called Yanluowang ( 閻羅王 )
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#17328632913634264-423: The destiny of becoming a hungry ghost. When someone dies, it is important to perform the correct rites to ensure that the departed ancestor does not become a wandering ghost. Since the corpse, or at least the bones, continues to have powers that could affect the fate of living relatives, an expert in feng-shui is needed to determine an auspicious time, place, and orientation of the burial. In Chinese tradition,
4346-601: The earliest existing print version today dates to 1766. Pu is believed to have completed the majority of the tales sometime in 1679, though he could have added entries as late as 1707. Other notable collections of supernatural tales that were published later in the Qing dynasty include What the Master Would Not Discuss by Yuan Mei and Notes of the Thatched Abode of Close Observations by Ji Yun . The theme of ghosts
4428-616: The etymology of xian involve Arabic and Sino-Tibetan languages . Wu and Davis suggested the source was jinn , or jinni "genie" (from Arabic جني jinnī ). "The marvelous powers of the Hsien are so like those of the jinni of the Arabian Nights that one wonders whether the Arabic word, jinn , may not be derived from the Chinese Hsien ." Axel Schuessler's etymological dictionary suggests
4510-454: The everyday world looking like ordinary men, to test young immortal aspirants. They move very swiftly and fly though the air, sometimes using wings. (1989:73-98) Victor H. Mair describes the xian archetype as: They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have
4592-466: The existence of the spirits say: "Many in the world have heard and seen something of ghosts and spirits. Since they vary in testimony, who are to be accepted as really having heard and seen them?" Mo Tzu said: As we are to rely on what many have jointly seen and what many have jointly heard, the case of Tu Po is to be accepted. Religious Taoism finally came together during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 AD) around
4674-510: The fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and Chinese would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship , where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense , and burning joss paper ,
4756-611: The following major Chinese texts, many others use both graphic variants of xian . Xian ( 仙 ) occurs in the Chunqiu Fanlu , Fengsu Tongyi , Qian fu lun , Fayan , and Shenjian ; xian occurs in the Caizhong langji , Fengsu Tongyi , Guanzi , and Shenjian . They are usually found in Taoist texts, although some Buddhist sources mention them. Chinese folk religion and writings on it also use them, such as in Northeast China with
4838-571: The hun resides in an ancestral tablet. The po and hun are not immortal and need to be nourished by offerings made by descendants. Eventually both the po and hun go to the underworld, although the hun goes to heaven first. Unlike in western usages of the term, underworld has no negative connotation. King Xuan of Zhou (827–783 BC) according to Chinese legend executed his minister, Tu Po, on false charges even after being warned that Tu Po's ghost would seek revenge. Three years later, according to historical chronicles, Tu Po's ghost shot and killed Xuan with
4920-408: The immortals, riding on those white clouds all the way up to the village of God. (12) Without using the word xian , several Zhuangzi passages employ xian imagery to describe individuals with superhuman powers, such as flying in the clouds. For example, Chapter 1, within the circa 3rd century BCE "Inner Chapters", has two portrayals. First is this description of Liezi (below). Lieh Tzu could ride
5002-678: The lifespan of humans depending on the human's level of their discretion. Xian were also thought by some Taoists to be synonymous with the gods inside the body, and as beings that would sometimes cause mortals problems but could be fought with martial virtue and martial arts. Xian could be good or evil. Not all Xian are Taoist, but they are usually associated with Taoist adepts who have ascended to immortality and godhood through spiritual practice and mastery. Besides enlightened humans and fairy-like humanoid beings, xiān can also refer to supernatural animals, including foxes, fox spirits , and Chinese dragons . Xian dragons were thought to be
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#17328632913635084-567: The living. The festival has a long history. A Japanese pilgrim gave a detailed account of the Ghost festival in the Tang capital of Chang'an in the year 840. In those day the festival was usually called by its Buddhist name of yu lan p'en . The Buddhists associate the Chung Yuan festival with the legend of Moginlin (Mulian) saving his mother from the underworld. In this story, the hero learns that his mother
5166-448: The logographic " radical " rén ( 人 or 亻 "person; human") with two "phonetic" elements (see Chinese character classification ). The oldest recorded xiān character 僊 has a xiān ("rise up; ascend") phonetic supposedly because immortals could "ascend into the heavens". (Compare qiān 遷 "move; transfer; change" combining this phonetic and the motion radical.) The usual modern xiān character 仙 , and its rare variant 仚 , have
5248-588: The lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the 'Ghost Month' ( 鬼月 ), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm . Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in Spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in Autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit
5330-407: The medium will take a cup of rice from their kitchen to identify the family. Through these communications the dead help the living while the living help the dead. The name involves a pun, since with a change in intonation "ask rice" becomes "spirit medium". The Ghost Festival ( 盂蘭節 ) is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated by Chinese in many countries. The fifteenth day of the seventh month in
5412-1032: The mountains." Its writing is a combination of 人 ( pinyin : rén ; lit. 'human') and 山 ( pinyin : shān ; lit. 'mountain'). Its historical form is 僊 : a combination of 人 ( pinyin : rén ; lit. 'human') and 遷/䙴 ( pinyin : qiān ; lit. 'moving into'). Xian is often used as Chinese compound , such as the Bāxiān ( 八仙 "the Eight Immortals "). Other common words include xiānrén ( 仙人 , sennin in Japanese, "immortal person; transcendent", see Xianren Cave ), xiānrénzhăng ( 仙人掌 "immortal's palm; cactus "), xiānnǚ ( 仙女 "immortal woman; female celestial; angel"), and shénxiān ( 神仙 "gods and immortals; divine immortal"). Edward H. Schafer defined xian as "transcendent, sylph (a being who, through alchemical, gymnastic and other disciplines, has achieved
5494-565: The mounts of gods and goddesses or manifestations of the spirit of Taoists such as Laozi that existed in a mental realm sometimes called "the Heavens ". The mythological húlijīng ( Chinese : 狐狸精 ; pinyin : Húlíjīng ) (lit. "fox spirit") "fox fairy; vixen; witch; enchantress" has an alternate name of húxiān ( Chinese : 狐仙 ; pinyin : Hú xiān ) (lit. "fox immortal"). The Zhong Lü Chuan Dao Ji ( Chinese : 鐘呂傳道集 ; pinyin : Zhōng lǚ chuándào jí ), "Anthology of
5576-675: The previous occupants, a mother who had thrown her daughter out of the window before jumping to her death herself. The Eye ( 見鬼 ; 见鬼 ; Jiàn Guǐ }) is a 2002 Hong Kong- Singaporean - Thai horror film directed by the Pang brothers . The film spawned two sequels by the Pang brothers, The Eye 2 and The Eye 10 . The film is based on the story of a young woman who receives an eye transplant, which gives her supernatural powers. There are two remakes of this film, Naina , made in 2005 in India and The Eye ,
5658-441: The rent price. Authorities try to remove the deceased and the associated facilities from view. Announcing a death in the apartment block is distasteful and setting up an altar for a deceased relative can be illegal in the bigger cities. Scattering the ashes of a cremated person in a park is not allowed as it would make park visitors afraid of ghosts. Funeral parlors may set up small fires so that visitors can jump over them to counter
5740-428: The role of xian also as folk heroes who can offer assistance to "worthy human followers" and whose existence fosters the relationship between the living and the dead. Sometimes, they and other xian were viewed as similar in nature to ghosts , rather than deities. The Eight Immortals and other xian were thought to have powers linked to their tools that were ultimately of a single nature that can add to or subtract
5822-560: The same and younger generations, while the former includes only older generations. Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities. The modern festival of Chung Yuan Putu or "Mid-origin Passage to Universal Salvation" owes its origins to both the Buddhist Ullambana (Deliverance) Festival and
5904-516: The smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as Rishi who possessed similar traits. Xian were thought of as "personal gods" who were formerly humans, a human who ascended through ascetics, scholarly pursuits and the warrior art's". Taoists would venerate them, and emulate their example in everyday life. The Eight Immortals are an example of xian , and
5986-520: The story of the monk Xuánzàng and his quest to bring back Buddhist scriptures from Vulture Peak in India. Although some of the obstacles Xuánzàng encounters are political and involve ordinary human beings, they more frequently consist of run-ins with various goblins and ogres, many of whom turn out to be the earthly manifestations of heavenly beings (whose sins will be negated by eating the flesh of Xuánzàng) or animal-spirits with enough Taoist spiritual merit to assume semi-human forms. Strange Stories from
6068-428: The supernatural. Traditionally, the Chinese believed that it was possible to contact the spirits of deceased relatives and ancestors through a medium. It was believed that the spirits of the deceased can help them if they were properly respected and rewarded. The annual Hungry Ghost Festival , celebrated in China (including Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions), Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and elsewhere in
6150-484: The time Buddhism was introduced to China, and it rose to predominance during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), which initially tolerated its coexistence. Reverence for nature and ancestor spirits is common in popular Taoism. Banned during the Cultural Revolution (along with all other religions), religious Taoism is undergoing a major revival today, and it is the spirituality followed by about 30% (400 million) of
6232-444: The total Chinese population Buddhism was introduced into China in the 1st century CE, and rapidly became popular with its belief in a continuous cycle of rebirth and more complex ghost beliefs, although the older beliefs lingered. The entry of Buddhism into China was marked by interaction and syncretism with Taoism in particular. Originally seen as a kind of "foreign Taoism", Buddhism's scriptures were translated into Chinese using
6314-404: The underworld. During the ghost festival, people try to avoid outdoor activities, getting married, or moving to a new house—especially at night. It is thought that if a ghost finds someone in the street and follows them home, they and their family will have bad luck for the next year. People should also avoid bodies of water on Ghost day, since they may be caught and drowned by a Shuǐ Guǐ ( 水鬼 ),
6396-461: The wind and go soaring around with cool and breezy skill, but after fifteen days he came back to earth. As far as the search for good fortune went, he didn't fret and worry. He escaped the trouble of walking, but he still had to depend on something to get around. If he had only mounted on the truth of Heaven and Earth, ridden the changes of the six breaths, and thus wandered through the boundless, then what would he have had to depend on? Therefore, I say,
6478-528: Was cognate with wu 巫 "shamanic" dancing. Paper writes, "the function of the term xian in a line describing dancing may be to denote the height of the leaps. Since, "to live for a long time" has no etymological relation to xian , it may be a later accretion." The 121 CE Shuowen Jiezi , the first important dictionary of Chinese characters, does not enter 仙 except in the definition for 偓佺 ( Wòquán "name of an ancient immortal"). It defines 僊 as "live long and move away" and 仚 as "appearance of
6560-663: Was even previously a victim of the villain. Spirits and ghosts exist in Tibetan culture . "A class of malign spirits" called bewitchers ( 'gong-po ) "are thought to frequent the atmosphere and the earth". Many were "bound under an oath of allegiance to Buddhism" by the Buddhist master Padmasambhava during the 8th century . They have the "power to generate life-threatening obstacles" to attack people who recently lost friends or family, but their danger can be "averted by counteracting rituals ." The use of mediums to communicate with spirits
6642-483: Was eventually murdered by evil spirits because he lost his book of magic talismans. However, some immortals are written to have used this method in order to escape execution. The Chinese word xian is translatable into English as: The etymology of xiān remains uncertain. The circa 200 CE Shiming , a Chinese dictionary that provided word-pun "etymologies", defines xiān ( 仙 ) as "to get old and not die," and explains it as someone who qiān ( 遷 "moves into")
6724-458: Was originally thought that ghosts did not have eternal life, but would slowly weaken and eventually die a second time. Hungry ghosts in traditional thought would only be an issue in exceptional cases such a whole family was killed or when a family no longer appreciated their ancestors. With the rise of popularity in Buddhism the idea that souls would live in space until reincarnation became popular. In
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