Bimo Qianqiu
When the Dragon Kings are mentioned, many people think of the “Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.” Under the influence of today’s films and television, people assume that dragons all live in the water.
Today, we would like to introduce a Taoist temple that is not called a Dragon King Temple, yet has two whole floors filled with statues of Dragon Kings, each with its own expression and its own title. What is going on here?
In fact, it is on Mount Qian, the famous Taoist mountain of Liaoning, and is one of its “nine palaces, eight abbeys, and twelve thatched hermitages.” It is called the Five Dragons Palace. Why is it called the “Five Dragons Palace”? Are the deities enshrined there really the “Dragon Kings of the Four Seas”? And why “five” dragons? With these questions in mind, let us take a look at the Taoist faith in the Dragon Kings.
1. The Dragon Kings Send Rain and Dispel Disaster, Saving All Beings: Heavy Rain in Great Floods, Timely and Sweetly Moistening
The Dragon Kings are believed to govern the living creatures of the seas and to control wind and rain in the human world, and so they are often worshipped in regions prone to flood and drought. People commonly call the Dragon Kings who govern the seas of the four directions the “Dragon Kings of the Four Seas,” and those who govern the waters of the Four Great Rivers the “Dragon Kings of the Four Rivers.” Indeed, every body of water—rivers, lakes, and seas, pools, ponds, wells, and springs—has its Dragon King. There are many Taoist temples and monasteries devoted specifically to the Dragon Kings, whose images are mostly seated figures with a dragon’s head and a human body.
Taoism honors the Dragon King as the Heavenly Worthy of the Flowing Moisture of Sweet Dew, True Lord Attending the Hours, Dragon King of Ren and Gui, of Numinous Majesty of the Polar Star, Mysterious Sovereign of Heavenly Robes, who resides in the Purple Sovereign Palace of Heavenly Unity and in the Crystal Palace. In addition, the Immortal Official of the Water Palace of the Eastern Sea, King Yuansheng Guangde, resides in the Palace of Azure Florescence; the Immortal Official of the Water Palace of the Southern Sea, King Hongsheng Guangli, resides in the Palace of Cinnabar Numen; the Immortal Official of the Water Palace of the Western Sea, King Tongsheng Guangrun, resides in the Palace of White Numen; and the Immortal Official of the Water Palace of the Northern Sea, King Chongsheng Guangze, resides in the Palace of Dark Obscurity.
According to the “Dragon Kings” chapter of the Most High Scripture of Divine Incantations of the Cavern Abyss (Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing), when “the land is scorched by drought, the five grains yield no harvest, and people gather in twos and threes not knowing what to do,” “the Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun) comes to the land riding five-colored clouds, displays great supernatural power and manifests radiant light, and together with more than 7,200 dragon kings of the heavens, immortal youths, and jade maidens proclaims the true Law and saves all beings: heavy rain falls in great floods, timely and sweetly moistening.”
2. The Titles of the Dragon Kings and the Merit of Receiving, Upholding, and Reciting the Dragon King Scriptures
The Most High Dongxuan Lingbao Wondrous Scripture of the Eight Majesties for Summoning Dragons, the Great Rain Dragon King Scripture Spoken by the Most High Primordial Heavenly Worthy, the Dragon King Scripture for Requesting Rain Spoken by the Most High Cavern Abyss, the Most High Scripture of Divine Incantations of the Cavern Abyss, and others are all included in the Taoist Canon (Daozang).
The “Dragon Kings” chapter of the Most High Scripture of Divine Incantations of the Cavern Abyss records the Dragon Kings of the Five Emperors, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, and others. The Dragon Kings of the Five Emperors, named for the directions, are the Azure Dragon King of the Azure Emperor of the East, the Red Dragon King of the Red Emperor of the South, the White Dragon King of the White Emperor of the West, the Black Dragon King of the Black Emperor of the North, and the Yellow Dragon King of the Yellow Emperor of the Center. The Dragon Kings named for the seas are the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea in the east, the Dragon King of the Southern Sea in the south, the Dragon King of the Western Sea in the west, and the Dragon King of the Northern Sea in the north, also called the Guangde Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, the Guangli Dragon King of the Southern Sea, the Guangrun Dragon King of the Western Sea, and the Guangze Dragon King of the Northern Sea (Corpus of Taoist Ritual [Daofa Huiyuan], chapter 100). There are also 54 Dragon Kings and 62 Divine Dragon Kings named after things of heaven and earth.
The Scripture of the Peacock Wisdom King Spoken by the Most High Primordial Heavenly Worthy, the Heavenly Worthy Holy Mother Empress Precious Moonlight alone records as many as 158 Dragon King titles, such as the Dragon King of the Precious Mountain of the Jade Capital, the Dragon King of the Blessed Land of Penglai, the Dragon King Gazing East to Fusang, the Dragon King of the Forest of Horns and All Vehicles, the Dragon King of the Azure Emperor of the East, the Dragon King of the Jia-Yi Zhen Palace, the Dragon King of the Yin-Mao Wood Palace, the Dragon King Sea Emperor of the South, the Dragon King Upholder of the Realm of the West, the Dragon King of the Dui Palace of the Western Sea, the Dragon King of Wuling in the North, the Dragon King Who Transforms the Sea and Breaks Kingdoms, the Dragon King Water Emperor of the Wu River, the Dragon King Lord of the Waters of the Yellow River, the Dragon King of the Water Palace of the Rivers and Streams, the Water Dragon King of the Wudang Mountains, the Dragon King Ruler of the Kingdom of Pure Joy, the Dragon King Ruler of the Kingdom of Xina, the Rain-Bringing Dragon King of This Region, the Dragon King of the Water Kingdoms of the Five Peaks and Four Rivers, and the Dragon King Attaining the Tao at the River Mouths Along the Coast.
According to the Great Rain Dragon King Scripture Spoken by the Most High Primordial Heavenly Worthy, receiving, upholding, and reciting this scripture is praised by all the great assembly. If there is a land praying for rain, on the six fast days its people should solemnly purify and sweep, burn incense and make offerings, bow in worship, praise the good, and make their request; the Heavenly Worthy will respond and at once summon the Dragon Kings to send rain and dispel disaster, so that all receive sweet moisture. … When the Dragon Kings hear this praise, they at once respond, raise clouds and rain and sprinkle them over the whole human world, saving what is parched and withered so that all may sprout and grow, sparing them the calamity of the season, harming no seedlings, letting the rivers flow freely and the sources of the rivers pour forth their moisture. … If there are good men and good women who, on behalf of the realm, its districts and towns, when the land within its bounds suffers drought, when the seasonal rains are late and yin and yang are out of balance and the people are alarmed, write out this scripture, solemnly purify themselves and uphold it, invite a Taoist master of high virtue to set up a ritual altar, make offerings of banners and flowers, and recite this scripture in turn, their prayer will reach on high: heaven will send down sweet rain, the earth will pour forth numinous springs, grass and trees will flourish, the fields will yield abundant harvests, the people will be free of sorrow, the year will be secure and peaceful, disasters and pestilence will be banished forever, the land will be ever auspicious, households will rejoice, blessings will be without end, the myriad goods will be adorned, and the hundred deities will revere and protect. Once the rain is sufficient, they should give rise to a devout heart, give thanks to the numinous powers above, and recite the scripture constantly.
3. The Perfected Dragon Lord Receives the Tao of the Most High Great Emperor and Expounds the Matters of Cultivating the Tao
According to the Most High Dongxuan Lingbao Wondrous Scripture of the Eight Majesties for Summoning Dragons, the Dragon Lord, Elder of the Dragon Abyss, dwells in honor above the unsurpassed heights of emptiness and nothingness; through the limitless transformations of the great vehicle across one hundred and six cosmic cycles, he urges beings to goodness and broadly saves them in life and death, diligent in transforming and guiding them. He deeply understands the nine thousand six hundred billion ways of the true and upright Tao, has accumulated merit and virtue beyond counting, and teaches the dharma of life through the transformations of the Tao, wielding authority with skillful means to deliver all beings universally from every root of evil and death. In the limitless Yu Abyss within the earth, tens of millions of dragons bear water and ride the clouds, spreading over all under heaven, so that all receive a great outpouring of moisture. The spirits of the Five Peaks and Four Rivers all raise nets of cloud that shade the sky and cover the earth, relieving the drought of all under heaven. Within a few days, land and water are everywhere moistened, the rivers and valleys are full to the brim, vast and surging.
In the Most High Dongxuan Lingbao Wondrous Scripture of the Eight Majesties for Summoning Dragons, the Perfected Dragon Lord exhorts people to cultivate the Tao, saying: I reverently received the Tao of the Most High Great Emperor and personally took on the unsurpassed true and upright Law, diligently keeping the fasts with integrity and giving alms at my own expense. If you wish to deliver yourself, you must first deliver others. If you wish to perfect yourself, you must first perfect others. If you wish to be honored, you must first honor others. If you wish to be respected, you must first respect others. If you wish to establish yourself, you must first establish others. If you wish to be served, you must first serve others. If you wish to be a teacher, you must first teach others. If you wish to provide for yourself, you must first provide for others. If you wish to be helped, you must first help others. If you wish to succeed, you must first help others succeed. If you wish to get through, you must first help others get through. If you wish to be happy, you must first make others happy. If you wish to be full, you must first fill others. If you wish to have plenty, you must first give plenty to others. If you wish to be first, you must put others first. If you wish to be governed rightly, you must first govern others rightly. If you wish to be settled, you must first settle others. If you wish to be kind, you must first be kind to others. If you wish to be filial, you must first be filial to others.
Humble yourself, work diligently, and keep a gentle countenance; morning and evening pay respects and wait upon your elders. When you see the elders of others, revere them as your own. Keep the Tao in your heart and on your lips, and ever wish to serve with diligence. Change the flavors so they eat with relish, and do not leave them morning or night. In freezing cold, do not clothe yourself first—first clothe the old. Practice these eighteen goods, and they will reach up to heaven. If you have wealth, do not hoard it; open your granaries to benefit the poor. Each year give out several thousand hu of grain, all to relieve the needy and poor. When the Dragon Lord was young he practiced this, and it moved and awakened heaven above. Heaven above requires loyalty and filial piety: when his life was ending it was extended, extended tenfold in its reckoning, and when his life passed, dragons came to welcome him. This was brought about by accumulated goodness and filial piety, a compassionate heart and many kindnesses to the poor. Proud dragons are truly hard to lead, yet he was appointed Dragon Lord. He rises and descends wholly as he wills, roaming and chanting wherever he pleases. He also transforms and appears in other forms, and there is no change of shape he cannot master. He too expounds the Law for the multitude, admonishing and awakening young students who come after, acting with much compassion. He shows respect to every worthy he meets. The high sages appointed him a Perfected, and only then did he begin to transform the world. His work complete, he roams the four seas and travels round all the Five Peaks. He attained the Way of the immortals and left behind a name; his deeds accumulate for later generations and awaken later worthies. At the end of the age there are many disasters; diligently keep the fasts to deliver yourself. If you can nourish the three lives, refine the Tao in the Three Primes. Sit upright and contemplate my Tao, and feast and roam on Mount Kunlun. If you cannot yet ascend to the mysterious void, then enjoy roaming as an earthly immortal. Envy not the pleasures of the human world; roam freely on the summits of the Five Peaks. Then refine the golden liquor and fly up to the sovereign heaven. Why not diligently keep the fasts, instead of sinking into the worldly realm? There you will be attacked by a hundred ghosts, and may lose the years of your heaven-given life. Let good thoughts follow one upon another; give alms and save the poor. The Way of Heaven does not give empty warnings; I urge you to form good karmic bonds. In doing good, fear only that it may not last; accumulate virtue, and blessings and life will be prolonged.
4. Belief in the Dragon Kings and Their Enfeoffment Through the Dynasties
Under Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang, an edict ordered sacrifices at the Dragon Pool, with an altar set up and officials sent to offer sacrifices, worshipping the Dragon Kings with the rites used for the Master of Rain. Emperor Taizu of the Song continued the Tang system of sacrifices to the Five Dragons. In the second year of the Daguan era (1108), Emperor Huizong of the Song decreed that the Five Dragons throughout the realm all be enfeoffed as kings: the Azure Dragon Spirit as King Guangren (Broad Benevolence), the Red Dragon Spirit as King Jiaze (Excellent Beneficence), the Yellow Dragon Spirit as King Fuying (Trustworthy Response), the White Dragon Spirit as King Yiji (Righteous Relief), and the Black Dragon Spirit as King Lingze (Numinous Beneficence). In the second year of the Tongzhi era (1863) of the Qing, the Dragon Spirit of the Grand Canal was enfeoffed as “the Spirit of the Water-Dividing Dragon King Who Extends Blessings and Manifestly Responds,” and the Director-General of the Grand Canal was ordered to offer sacrifices to it at the proper seasons.
The date of the Dragon King’s birthday differs among the various documentary records and local folk traditions. In former times, temples devoted specifically to the Dragon King were almost as common as those of the City God and the Earth God. Whenever wind and rain were out of balance—a long drought without rain, or rain that went on and on—people would go to the Dragon King Temple to burn incense and pray, asking the Dragon King to send down water so that the wind and rain would come in due season.
From this we can see that there are many dragon deities in Taoist belief, and the “Dragon Kings of the Four Seas” and the “Dragon Kings of the Five Emperors” are only a part of them. Common beliefs such as the nine sons of the dragon, the Dragon Mother, and the Dragon Maiden have had an even more far-reaching influence.
5. The Sacred Proclamation of the Dragon King
With utmost sincerity I take refuge and pay homage: the seas pour in to form your palace, the jasper isles bring you blessings. Scion of the heavenly river, sovereign lord of the vast expanse, your office is held under the Three Heavens, and by imperial decree you command the hundred spirits; your heart is one with the Heavenly Mother, and your kindness and benevolence embrace the myriad kinds. You keep the waves calm and still, not letting them overflow the rivers; you keep the scaled and shelled creatures sunk in the depths, not permitting them to surge up and wreak havoc. Vast and boundless, you receive the chariot that points south; deep and profound, you pour forth the beneficence of righteousness and peace. Your divine work reaches everywhere; your great virtue spreads far and wide. Of great compassion and great vows, great sage of great mercy. Heroic spirits of all the nine seas, noble divine kings, Heavenly Worthy of Unobstructed Penetration.
To invoke with utmost sincerity the Heavenly Worthy of Unobstructed Penetration brings inconceivable merit.