Understanding the "Di Jun(帝君), Dao Jun (道君), Zhen Jun (真君), Xing Jun (星君), Yuan Jun(元君)" in
Taoist Mythology
Xing Jun (星君) - The "Star Lord", honorific title given to the stars in the sky. In the eyes of ancient people, the stars in the sky represent everyone, and the movement of stars actually influence human beings. So this also evolved a Taoist technique of Star Gazing. According to Taoism, the more famous stars in the sky represent different gods.
Dao Jun (道君) - Dao Jun is a general term for all high-level immortals. He is not a certain type of immortal, but refers to all immortals in high-level positions. In the period of Song Huizong (宋徽宗), he himself believed in Taoism and proclaimed himself Emperor Daojun （道君皇帝).
There are many "Lords" (Jun - 君) in Taoism, and they are divided into different identities, representing different positions, or in charge of different affairs. What is the difference between them?
Yuan Jun (元君) - In Taoism, there are not only male gods, but also many female goddesses, and this "Yuan Jun" refers to the female goddesses with relatively high status in Taoism. For example, the Queen Mother of the West, she is called Jin Mu Yuan Jun (金母元君). Another example, the goddess of Mount Tai, childbirth and destiny in Chinese traditional religion, known as Bi Xia Yuan Jun (碧霞元君).
Take note: Not all female goddesses in Taoism are given the title as Yuan Jun (元君), which often requires very high status before they can be named this title.
Of course, Xingjun is only the title of the middle-level constellation gods, and some gods manage a galaxy, such as the manager of the Taiji Dao galaxy, the Zhongtian Ziwei North Pole Taihuang Emperor(中天紫微北极太皇大帝). Calling him Xing Jun (星君) is an insult to him, because Emperor Zi Wei (紫微大帝) assisted the Jade Emperor in controlling the latitude, the sun, the moon, the stars, the stars, the four seasons, the weather, the wind and the rain, the use of ghosts and spirits, and the master of all phenomena. , Master of the Stars.
Zhen Jun
(真君) - The "True Monarch / Lord". - Zhen Jun (真君) is actually a title for those middle-level gods in the sky. The status is neither too high nor too low, because immortals who are too low have no titles. They either serve as pawns to others as soldiers of the heavens, or they have little status as servants to the gods.
For example, Er-Lang Shen (二郎神) is revered by Taoism as Qing Yuan Miao Dao Zhen Jun (清源妙道真君) , Er Lang Xian Sheng Zhen Jun (二郎显圣真君). He is a god related to water conservancy, farming, prevention of floods, and even the god of water.
Another example： The three patriarchs Mao Ying （茅盈), Mao Gu (茅固) and Mao Zhong (茅衷) were revered as the Three Mao Zhen Jun (三茅真君), and they were regarded as the patriarchs of the Maoshan School of Taoism.
Sa Shoujian (萨守坚) of the Four Heavenly Masters is also known as Sa Zhen Ren (萨真人), Chon Gen Zhen Jun (崇恩真君), Taoism respects him as the One Yuan Supreme Saweng Zhenjun (一元无上萨翁真君), Xuanfeng Yongzhen Tianzun (玄风永振天尊) and so on. It can be seen from the above-mentioned immortals that they are also honored as true monarchs by mortals who have acquired the Tao.
In many cases, Daojun refers to Song Huizong.
Volume 662 of "Taiping Yulan"《太平御览》 quoted in Tao Hongjing's "Dengzhen Hidden Secret" （南朝梁陶弘景《登真隐诀》） of the Southern Dynasty: "The Three Qing Dynasty and the Nine Palaces also have subordinates, the left is better than the right, and its high general is called Dao Jun (道君), then followed by Zhen Reng (真人), Zhen Gong (真公), and Zhen Jun (真君)." （“三清九宫并有僚属，例左胜於右，其高总称曰道君，次真人真公、真君。”）
Di Jun (帝君) - "Di Jun" is an honorary title and a symbol of power and status in ancient times. The "Di Jun" was under the Jade Emperor. There were many “Di Jun" in ancient times, and different "Di Jun" were in charge of different functions.
The most famous ones are: Wen Chang Di Jun (文昌帝君), Dong Hua (东华帝君), Guan Sheng (关圣帝君) - Saintly Emperor Guan, etc. As the leader of all immortals, the Jade Emperor is in charge of the three realms, and can also be called an "Di Jun", but this emperor is special. The Emperor Ziwei (紫薇大帝)is also one of the "Di Jun".