Monday 7 January 2008

Introduction of Xiao Zi Gong aka Zhi Sheng Ying Lie Sheng Hou (孝子公英烈聖侯簡介)

Xiao Zi Gong (孝子公), known as the Duke of Filial Piety, was one of the few Chinese Deities that being bestowed with the title of Xiao Zi (孝子 translated as Son in Mourning).

 

Due to the title Xiao Zi, a lot of folks tend to regards him as a Nether World Deity (誤認為冥府陰神), which is absolute wrong or so-called ignorant.

 

In our Chinese Deity System, there is a total of Only 3 Xiao Zi Gong, all the 3 of them are Heavenly bestowed Deities which do not have any association with the Nether World.

 

One of them is the most famous & popular Hokkien Deity (福建神明), Guang Ze Zun Wang Guo Zhong Fu (廣澤尊王郭忠福), another is known as Yuan Ru Gong (遠如孝子公), real name known as Lin Xue Ming (林學明), born in Qing Dynasty (CE1673 生于清朝年間).

 

The one that I’m doing intro here is known as Chen Song (陳聳) aka Chen Jie (陳傑).

 

According to records, Chen Song shall be born in Late Song Dynasty (生于宋朝末年), at a young age, Chen Song's father passed-away, leaving him and his mother, Old Madam Chen.

 

After growing-up, Chen Song got a post in the Magistrate Officer as a Secretary aka Advisor (師爺).

 

One year, while the Magistrate Officer was handling a murderer case, a Richman was being caught and jailed. But due to this Richman was so rich, he used money to bribe the Magistrate Officer. In order to set the Richman free, the Magistrate Officer had to find a replacement.

 

After consideration, the Richman pointed out to the Magistrate Officer that, he could use Chen Song as the replacement. The Magistrate Officer was shocked from the suggestion.

 

Soon the Richman explained to the Magistrate Officer why. Cos Chen Song was an Upright person, if Chen Song found out that the Magistrate Officer got the bribe money and set the Richman free, Chen Song might resigned from his post and no guarantee that Chen Song would not spread the rumours out.

 

Upon listening to the Richman's suggestion, the Magistrate Officer got the hint and so, after setting off the Richman, the Magistrate Officer pushed all the blames to Chen Song and within a short period, Chen Song was being executed.

 

After Chen Song got executed, the body was left in the execution venue. No one was dared to go near to collect the body cos the Magistrate Officer had made order to all the villagers not to touch the body.

 

On the night of the execution, Chen Song came back home to look for his Mother. Due to Chen Song was a well-known Person of Filial Piety, the soul of his was not willing to go for reporting to the Nether World (冥府), so his soul stayed in the home in-order to look after his Mother.

 

As days went by, the body of Chen Song started to decompose. The smell of the decomposition filled the air and the whole City was covered with the rotten smell.

 

Knowing that the smell was from the body of Chen Song, the Magistrate Officer was shocked and the Richman made his advised again of burning-off the body.

 

Without any further consideration, the Officer sent someone to burn off the body. On the moment of the subordinate light the body with fire, the body of Chen Song disappeared, the subordinate was shocked and ran back to the Officer to report the incident to the Officer.

 

At the same time, Chen Song's soul was started to vanish. By this time, Chen Song had to tell the truth to his Mother that actually he had passed-away. Old Madam Chen was shocked and sad to know that. Just before the soul vanished, a Deity came into the house of Chen Song.

 

The Deity read out an Order from Heaven that, Chen Song was being bestowed with the title of Deity of Filial Piety (孝道之神明). He was able to stay in the Mortal World to spread the teaching & culture of Filial Piety.

 

Soon after Chen Song got his Official Deity, the Magistrate Officer was in shock and after a few days, the Officer passed away with no illnesses or diseases. Maybe this is the retribution of causing the death of an innocent filial person.

 

After the story of Chen Song being spread out to the folks, the folks made contribution to dedicate an Altar to him. Soon the Altar was set up for Chen Song. From then, offerings and respects that the folks made to Chen Song never stopped.

 

Till today, the Altar that dedicated to Chen Song is still being kept in good condition.

The location of the Temple with the Altar is in Hokkien Province, Zhang Zhou City, Chang Tai Area (福建省漳州市長泰縣). The is known as Huang Long Gong (皇龍宮).

 

22 comments:

  1. Today only i know the true story of Xiao Zi Gong. Thank you very much .
    Nowaday, there are so many people address Him as 三阿伯and put His statue with Tua Di Ah Pek together.

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  2. San Ya Pek is a very new Nether World Spirit that the folks insist to have in-order to make the Nether World Spirit sides more colorful.

    To be honest with you, till today, the Actual Taoism or the Official Taoists do not accept that, cos, we know that the actual one is the one being intro here - a Heavenly Deity.

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  3. Not only Sar Ya Peh is introduced. Kim Ji Dua Yah Peh, Bao Bei Yah and such are introduced too.
    Nether World sides have became more popular in the past few years.

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  4. Yup, all the Characters you mentioned are not Taoist Deities neither Taoist Spirits, they are just human souls and being "pull" into the Belief by some sintuas.

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  5. can u introduce more on yim gods .

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  6. Hahaha, not that I dont intro on Yim Sin, its that, in Taoism, there arent much Yim Sin to intro. The most is the 24 Department Officers, the Military & Scholarly Recording Officers.

    The rest are only souls or assistants that got not much info or background to do introduction.

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  7. So am i right to say that in these days, local temples or sintua who had 孝子爷 kimsin in the Yin section is totally unrelated to the Nether World. it was just brought in or so call we pray 孝子爷 as a Nether World god....

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  8. The one that is being placed there dont even got the apportunity to have the title Xiao Zi Ye or Xiao Zi Gong. Cos this title can only be bestowed by Heaven or the Emperors in the Ancient Era.

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  9. ok, i understand what you meant. as we know, now adays or even in recent years there are so many gods especially yim gods... are so called created in the Nerther World, Yim section. but in real Taoism, i was wondering does all this 'yim sins' really there or was just being 'Hong' or being created by humans.

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  10. Hahahahaha.. to be more accurate, they are just spirits or souls which being summoned by the folks to create new Deities.

    Anyway, soon they will be gone, cos certain Spiritual Actions had been made and these Spirits or Souls will be disperse soon.

    If you will to pay attention to certain Temples or Sintuas, they have started to remove such statues, cos they knew that, the longer they placed the statues, the more troubles they are getting.

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  11. or i can say that the Hao Zhi Ye you meantioned is only being pray or placed in the yim section by some ignorant humans in yim gods. what you said is true in your last message. recently, there are too much yim gods created or prayed as yim gods. they're just souls or spirits who humans created and being pray. some ignorant folks are just bluntly believed that they're really exist.

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  12. No. The Hao Zi Kong we see here is not even Chen Song. Cos Chen Song has yet being invited to come into Singapore neither any part in South East Asia.

    He's still in his hometown in China and Taiwan.

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  13. yup, i have typed wrongly. what i meant is the Hao Zhi Ya in local is not the 1 you intro in here.

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  14. Hahahahaha.. to be more accurate, they are just spirits or souls which being summoned by the folks to create new Deities.

    Anyway, soon they will be gone, cos certain Spiritual Actions had been made and these Spirits or Souls will be disperse after Lunar New Year.

    If you will to pay attention to certain Temples or Sintuas, they have started to remove such statues, cos they knew that, the longer they placed the statues, the more troubles they are getting.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Definitely, like what I posted here, in the whole Chinese Deity System, there are 3 of them. The rest are all newly added by the folks.

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  16. Base on what you said, certain Spiritual Actions had been made and these Spirits or Souls will be disperse after Lunar New Year....

    it sounds serious. after which, too many Spirits or Souls are created and it really lead to too many folks who are bluntly believed in.

    Jave, Thanks for your precious info.

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  17. Yup, due to the chaotic Religions that this World has, certain Spiritual Actions had been made to eliminate certain un-necessary Spirits, especially those with the Element of Yin or Non-Positive Entities.

    Once the Actions taken place, all such Spirits or Souls will be sent back to the source which forever, a no return back to this Mortal World, unless someone deliberately "unlock" - which usually will be the un-orthodox sects will do it.

    For those who support the Negative Element now will also be affected.

    From what the Spiritual World is doing now, the basic or newly created Spirits or Souls will be executed first.. and so, for those who know about such actions taking place, they have started to make the necessary changes, for those who are still "living" in the dark, can only let them be, till the day when they meet with the mis-fortune then they will make their own self-realizing, No one can assist them if they dont make a return.

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  18. Im so pleased to finally learn this history. But about the rich man/murderer. It seems he got away "with murder". For the benefit of of those reading and learning from these kind of stories that those who commit evil will eventually receive their punishments. In actuality the corrupt magistrate was not the main evil here.

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  19. Dear Bro, true true. The actual one shall be the Rich-man. But as usual, the rich people will always have the "ability" to change peoples' life, unlike the poor will have to accept the arrangments.

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  20. erm , is there any songs for the yim and tian gods?

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