Fu Lu
Fu Lu ( Chinese 符 籙 , Pinyin fúlù - "Talismans and registers, methods and registers") denotes talismans and registers in Daoism .
Fu talismans are laid out as diagrams that represent a form of heavenly or unearthly writing. Fu are considered powerful because they have an equivalent to a deity who gives power to the Fu.
Lu registers contain names of deities, spirits, and demons. Fu-Lu belong to the Daoist rituals .
Fu talismans
The main Taoist origins of the Fu can be found in the Zhengao . Here Fu are understood as the primal form of writing that is traced back to the origin of the cosmos, which began with the differentiation of the Dao . According to this text, this primeval writing is used by the highest gods and is also bestowed on people through correct transmission. Fu can only be read by gods, although there are some symbols and words that can be identified. They are written in ink on different materials: bamboo, wood, silk, paper. They confer power over legions of gods, the external gods, as well as the body deities. During Daoist rituals, fu are also drawn in the air with a sword, staff or thunderbolt. Then they are enlivened by breathing rituals.
Fu are used in various forms during rituals. The early sky masters wrote petitions, burned Fu and dissolved them in water, which was then drunk, or the talisman was consumed whole with honey. This was for healing purposes. Fu are worn as amulets , even during rituals, and serve as passports to free the dead from their earth prisons.
Symbolically, Fu refer to the representation of sacred spaces and sacred times. They reveal the true form of a deity. During Taoist meditation , Fu serve to recognize the inner function of the cosmos and to connect with a deity.
There are many Taoist scriptures that focus on Fu. So z. B. in the Lingbao the Lingbao wufu xu , Wupian zhenwen , Wucheng Fu and the Lingbao Suling wenfu of Du Guangting . In addition, all Daoist ritual compendia contain instructions on how to create and use Fu and Fu images.
Lu register
Lu denotes registers, lists of deities and supernatural figures that are given to an adept of Daoism so that he can dispose of the gods. Lu also denotes an identification of a person in this or a supernatural world. The earliest lists come from a grave dating back to 217 BC. And contain demon names. Lists of life and death are known from Han graves. Lu come from the belief that demons and spirits can be ruled by having their names.
The first scriptures of the Sky Masters were from Lu. Maintaining these lists was considered important to the religious and social needs of this school. The sky masters led u. a. Register of living and deceased persons and weddings. These were z. B. used for tax collection. It was assumed that these registers also existed in otherworldly worlds, and that errors in the keeping of the registers meant that the gods could not help effectively in the healing rites.
In the later Shangqing School , deification depended on the adept being entered on the heavenly registers, and the Lingbao School timed rituals on their registers.
In Taipingjing resulting from the Han period comes, there were registers of misdeeds, which determined the lifetime.
In the ordinations and investiture rites of the Daoshi it then became a custom to hand over this register of protective deities. When the Daoshi gained a higher degree, he received further lists. These protective deities were visualized and invoked in spells, petitions, and for healing purposes.
literature
- Fabrizio Pregadio (Ed.): The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism. 2 volumes. Rutledge, London 2008.
Individual evidence
- ^ Fabrizio Pregadio (ed.): The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism. Volume I. London 2008. p. 35
- ^ Fabrizio Pregadio (ed.): The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism. Volume I. London 2008. p. 39
- ^ Fabrizio Pregadio (ed.): The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism. Volume I. London 2008. pp. 35ff.
- ^ Fabrizio Pregadio (ed.): The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism. Volume I. London 2008. pp. 39ff.