Xuan Tian Shang Di (玄天上帝) is one of the most popular Chinese God, being honoured and worshipped worldwide from Northern to Southern China, Taiwan, and Chinese Communities in South East Asia - Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. In South East Asia, he is revered as Shang Di Gong (上帝公). He ranks among the highest Gods, next to Yu Huang Da Di （玉皇大帝）, The Yellow Jade Emperor (Ruler of All Heavens).
The antonym of Xuan Tian Shang Di(玄天上帝) is Zhen Wu Da Di (真武大帝) - The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor. He is also called Xuan Wu Shen (玄武神) - The Mysterious Warrior God.
According to the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Sublime Book of Divine Incantations Telling the Story of the Great Sage and Perfect Warrior of the Mysterious Northern Heaven ( 《太上說玄天大聖真武本傳神咒妙經》 Taishang Shuo Xuantian Dasheng Zhenwu Benzhuan Shenzhou Miaojing ), he was the 82nd avatar of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign ( 太上老君 Tai Shang Lao Jun ).
As a son of the King of Pure Bliss ( 淨樂國王 Jing Le Guo Wang ) and of the Queen of Virtuous Victory ( 善勝皇后 Shan Sheng Huang Hou ), he was born in the Heavenly Palace of Non-Desire in the All-Embracing Realm. The queen dreamed that she had swallowed the sun, and was found pregnant after awaking. She gave birth to a baby after 14 months pregnancy.
Grown up, the prince left his home and his parents to cultivate Dao on Mt Wudang, and attained immortality after 42 years. He ascended to Heaven in full daylight. He was given the title 'Supreme Mystery" and ordered to guard the north by the Jade Emperor ( 玉帝 Yudi ). The Mysterious Warrior" was originally the collective name of the northern seven of the 28 constellations.
In the section 'Distant Excursion" of the Elogies of the Chu ( 楚辭 Chuci ), Qu Yuan sings "to invoke the Mysterious Warrior and fly towards it". The Mysterious Warrior constellation is shaped like a tortoise and a snake, so the commentary says: "The Mysterious Warrior is the tortoise-and-snake. It is called mysterious (dark) because its position is to the north; it is called warrior because it has scales and an armament on its body."
In the Kai-Bao Era (开宝) (968–976) of the Northern Song dynasty, the Mysterious Warrior Spirit descended on Zhongnan Mountain. In the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu Era of Emperor Zhen (AD 1014), he was given the title 'Perfect Sovereign Who Aids the Sagely and Protects the Virtuous" ( 翊聖保德真君 Yisheng Baode Zhenjun ). Afterwards, the name 'Mysterious Warrior' was changed to 'Perfect Warrior' ( 真武 Zhenwu ), to avoid using the the character 'Xuan' (mysterious, dark) which appeared in the name of the royal ancestor, Zhao Xuanlang. Emperors Zhen, Hui and Qin of Song dynasties all honoured him with titles.
In the seventh year of the Da-De (大德) 1297–1307 of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1303), he was honoured as 'Original, Holy, Kind and August Holy Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven" ( 元聖仁威玄天上帝 Yuansheng Renwei Xuantian Shangdi ). Emperor Cheng of the Ming dynasty worshiped the Perfect Warrior, and so Perfect Warrior Temples were built in the imperial offices at all levels such as agencies, bureaus, ministries, and the treasury. In the tenth year of the Yongle Era, Marquis Zhangxin was ordered to build a complex of temples on Mt. Wudang with 200,000 soldiers, and promoted the worship of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor to the highest peak.
The Big Dipper Who Decrees Death (北斗注死)
'Mysterious Warrior" is the general name of the seven northern constellations, among which is the Dipper constellation. Daoism, saying that "the Southern Dipper decrees life and the Northern decrees death", attaches much importance to the worship of the Dipper stars. From entering the womb, a man's destiny is transferred from the Southern Dipper to the Northern Dipper. Therefore, he who prays for longevity must worship the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor.
Essence of Water
The Sage Protecting Mantra 《佑聖咒》 - You Sheng Zhou, calls the Perfect Warrior the "essence of water who is the transformation of Supreme Yin. It corresponds to the Xuwei Constellation and is shaped like a combination of a tortoise and a snake. Omnipresent in all directions, its power frightens all the spirits." Belonging to water, the Perfect Warrior can administer the rivers and fire, and thus eliminate relevant disasters. This is the reason why many Perfect Warrior Temples were built in the palaces of the Ming Dynasty.
Worship in Temples
The 3rd day of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar is the divine birthday of the Perfect warrior. On that day, birthday celebration ritual offerings are held in all places, among which the worship on Mt Wudang is the most flourishing.
Taoist Exorcism By Xuan Tian Shang Di (玄天上帝)
Legend as a repented butcher
Upon the fall of Zheng Cheng Gong’s regime, the Qing Dynasty from Manchu came into power, discrediting Shang Di Gong (上帝公) by claiming that He was actually a repented butcher. The political aim was to morally wipe out the remaining followers of the Ming Dynasty by exploiting tales from the Buddha’s teaching about a repented butcher who cut opened his stomach, removed its content, and then became the Buddha’s follower..
Here goes the story:
Xuan Wu was originally a butcher who had killed many animals. As days passed, he felt remorse for his sins and repented immediately by giving up butchery and retired to a remote mountain for cultivation of the Tao.
“放下屠刀，立地成佛” - A killer becomes a Buddha at the moment he drops the kinfe.
One day, while he was assisting a woman in labor, while cleaning the woman’s blood stained clothes along a river, the words "Xuan Tian Shang Di" appeared before him. The woman in labor turned out to be a manifestation of the Goddess Guan Yin. To redeem his sins, he dug out his own stomach and intestines and washed it in the river. The river turned into a dark, murky water. After a while, it turned into pure water.
Unfortunately, Xuan Wu did indeed lose his own stomach and intestines while he washing them in the river. The Jade Emperor was moved by his sincerity and determination to clear his sins; hence he became an Immortal known with the title of Xuan Tian Shang Ti.
After he became an immortal, his stomach and intestines after absorbing the essences of the earth, it was transformed into a demonic turtle and snake which harmed people and no one could subdue them. Eventually Xuan Wu returned to earth to subdue them and later uses them as his means for transportation.
Due to this story, Xuan Tian Shang Di (玄天上帝) became the patron saint of butchery.
Chinese Video Of Xuan Tian Shang Di (玄天上帝)