Other Chinese religion

This page is for a few extra chinese religions that aren't big enough for their own pages.

## Yangism

There's an ancient
philosophy called **Yangism**, which was seen as an early form of
ethical egoism. And saw goodness as basically doing things for
yourself, since it was in the nature of all beings to be self
interested and even the state was an obstacle if it tries to force
you to work for the greater good in any sense. Though not much
remains known about it that can be told. Its thought that a few
aspects of it made their way into taoism, though converted to be less
overtly selfish. The Yangist philosophers believed in the importance
of maintaining self-interest through "keeping one's nature
intact, protecting one's uniqueness, and not letting the body be tied
by other things. Note that an added chaotic aspect of this is that as
the confucians and mohists both specifically argued that "heaven"
is in a sense where morals come from, yangism rejected this and tied
its ideals to one's own inner nature.

Interestingly enough, The Confucian
philosopher Mencius from around that time depicts Yangism as the
direct opposite of Mohism. Where if mohism is the law alignment,
yangism is chaos. He criticized the Yangists as selfish, ignoring the
duty of serving the public and caring only for personal concerns.
Mencius saw Confucianism as the "Middle Way" between Mohism
and Yangism. Since while Mohism promotes the idea of universal love
and impartial caring, the Yangists acted only "for themselves,"
rejecting the altruism of Mohism. According to Mencius, “Yang’s
principle is, ‘Each for himself’ — which does not acknowledge
the claims of the sovereign. Mo’s principle is, ‘To love all
equally’ — which does not acknowledge the peculiar affection due
to a father. To acknowledge neither king nor father being both seen
as inhuman.

## Chinese Salvationist Religion

**Chinese salvationist religions** is a
term for a group of religions, many of which grew out of pure land
buddhism that saw time more like a linear path which some form of
divine salvation was going to rectify issues in. Originally the main
figure in these was **maitreya**, the future buddha (Also called
**miroku**, which is the name of the scripture Hikawa got his ideas
from), who was seen closer to the second coming of Jesus in these
sects. But later focus on him was replaced with a primordial mother
goddess.
**Xiantiandao** is the most important
of these. In it a primordial mother goddess called **Wusheng Laomu**,
(sometimes considered the same entity as **Xi wangmu**) created
spirits to live with her in heaven, but who went astray falling out
of it into what we see as the material world, and samsara.

And so
could not easily return until saved. And so enlightened beings from
the source are sent to enlighten people who then can return. (In this
sense it is close to gnosticism). The first of these being dipankara
buddha, the second being the historical buddha, and the third being
maitreya in the future who will save the remaining people left in
samsara. As the focus is on a primordial deity superior to all other
gods, Xiantiandao sects claim to represent a **Way (Dào)** that
transcends, comes before, and thus overcomes all existing religions.
Consequently, a syncretism of features is noticeable in some groups.
These sects were noted for being more egalitarian than other groups
in china at the time, saying that as all people (including the sexes)
were equally children of the great mother in heaven, that they should
be treated equally on earth as well. Although these were less popular
religions in ancient china, its possible that they saw western
religions through this lens, explaining tying law to messianism. (Not
to mention that maitreya here is simply a regular messiah.) They were
often persecuted and seen as heretical or dangerous teachings.

## Chinese folk religion

Also it should be noted that even
though confucianism, taoism, and buddhism were considered the main
religions in china, that local areas generally had their own local
chinese folk religion variant as well. Many of the elements would be
similar to those found in taoism or confucianism, (and later,
buddhism) such as use of yin and yang, such that sometimes they were
simply lumped into taoism by people trying to describe them. But this
description is not totally accurate, since taoism at the time
referred to specific teachings. Content here being vague, since it
differed by area.

One side fact to mention about them is that in many chinese or asian languages in general, the word four is pronounced similarly to the word death and so is seen as a taboo number, similar to the western ideas on 13. So the number four is often associated with death. This being a likely reason behind why there are four of the white.

**Nüwa** (女媧), also pronounced as Nügua in Middle Chinese, is a creation goddess in Chinese mythology, responsible for the creation of humanity. She is also associated with marriages. She is commonly depicted as being half serpent or dragon. Some sources identify her as a daughter of the Jade Emperor.

It is said that the humans that she created out of yellow clay became nobles, while these made from other materials: commoners. In some sources Nuwa decides to create humans out of loneliness. In Classic of Mountains and Seas, she isn't the creator of humans but simply the first human being alongside her husband and brother Fuxi (伏羲), who in some versions of the creation myth also partakes in the creation of humans. In art from the reign of the Han dynasty, they were often depicted with their tails intertwined. Beliefs related to Nuwa and Fuxi are particularly popular in southern China.

In Huainanzi she is aided in the creation of humans by Huang Di, who forms their organs. Another mythical emperor, Yu the Great, was associated with her in the area near Mount Zhonghuang.

In another myth, Nuwa repairs the heaven after it had been damaged, in some sources during a battle between Zhuanxu (a mythical emperor regarded as the grandson of Huang Di) and Gonggong (a monstrous dragon). It's believed that she used five-colored stones representing the five elements from traditional Chinese beliefs as materials. She also cut off the legs of a giant turtle to make pillars meant to hold heaven in place, and devised a number of ways to save humans from natural disasters which plagued them while the heavens were broken. The "Nuwa forges stones and mends the heavens" motif (女媧煉石補天) derived from this myth is common in Chinese art, and many famous statues of Nuwa depict her during this act.

According to Records of the Grand Historian Nuwa was one of the Three Sovereigns, mythical figures credited with introducing civilization to mankind before the reign of the Five Emperors. However, the list of these figures varies between various classical sources and she isn't always included. One of Nuwa's inventions is said to be a type of Chinese wind organs.

Nuwa is also a character in the Ming dynasty novel Investitute of the Gods (封神演義), in which she sends her servants Daji, Jiutou Zhiji Jing and Pipa Jing to punish king Zhou of Shang, who left lustful messages in her temple.

In smtv she works with shohei yakumo to try to remove demons from earth.

**Huang Di**, the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary ruler and the ancestor of Han people in China. According to legend, he fought against Chi You,
 the God of War, at the battle of Zhoulu and won securing the Central
Plains of China of his people. He also fought against the giant Xing
Tian. Legend has it that he also encountered a Bai Ze,
 who described to him all the 11,520 types of monsters, shapeshifters,
demons, and spirits in the world, which was later recorded in the book
"Bai Ze Tu" (a sort of Demonic Compendium if you will).

**The Wǔfāng Shàngdì** ("Five Forms of the Highest Deity"), or simply **Wǔdì** ( "Five Deities") or **Wǔshén** (五神 "Five Gods") are, in Chinese canonical texts and chinese folk religion, the five main deities proceeding from the universal God. They have cosmological significance as they describe space as a *tán* 壇, "altar". According with the Three Powers they have a celestial, a terrestrial and a chthonic form. The Han Chinese identify themselves as the descendants of the Red and Yellow Deities. While most of them do not show up themselves, their mounts do.

**Kohryu**, also known as Huang long means Yellow Dragon (黃龍). It reigns over the ***Si Xiang*** - celestial creatures in Chinese constellation - namely, **Baihu, Xuanwu, Qinglong** and **Zhuque** (seen below)- and is located in the center of the four beasts. Huanglong is sometimes regarded the same as Qilin from the *Si Ling*. It is the embodiment of the element of Earth in Chinese five elements (Wu Xing).

In raidou 2, As a part of the Ritual of Unsealing, a Great Kohryu must be fought as well as most Ssu-Ling and Shouten. Later on, after the defeat of Amatsu Mikaboshi at the Confinement Chambers, the Great Kohryu gives Raidou
 the Thunder Taiko, which allows him to summon Great Kohryu on the map.
He carries Raidou wherever he wishes to go in the capital through the
air, in a similar way to the Large Tarrasque in both Raidou games.

**The Four Symbols** or **four holy creatures** are four beings who represent four virtues. The Four Symbols were given human names after Daoism became popular. These mythological creatures have also been synthesized into the five principles system. The azure dragon of the East represents Wood, the Vermilion Bird of the south represents Fire, the White Tiger of the West represents Metal, and the Black Turtle (or Dark Warrior) of the North represents Water. In this system, the fifth principle Earth is represented by the yellow dragon of the center.

**Qing long**. The Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols (四象) of Chinese constellations along with Vermillion Bird, White Tiger and Xuanwu.
 It represents the East, spring, the color azure (green/blue) and the
Wood Element. In Japan, it is one of the four guardian spirits of cities
 and protects Kyoto. He is considered one of the mounts of the forms of the highest god in chinese folk religion.

In some official English versions this demon is incorrectly translated as **Long** due to confusion between Four Symbols (*Si Xiang*) and four benevolent animals (*Si Ling* or *Ssu-Ling*)
 of China. In the original Japanese version, Seiryu or Qing Long
represents one of the Four Symbols and Ryu or Long belongs to four
benevolent animals which are fundamentally different.

Known as **Long**, he is an optional boss in the Challenge Quest, *Slaying the Dragon of the Lake*. Found at Lake Mikado near Mikado Castle, he asks if Flynn
 has come to slay him. Answering yes has him attack and call him a fool
for thinking he can slay him. After defeating it, the dragon admits to
underestimating him and is surprised by his great power. He asks Flynn
if he believes dragons to be "Enemies to be slain"
or as gods of the land. Telling Long that dragons are just beasts to be
slain shifts Flynn towards Law, while believing that dragons are holy
spirits shifts him towards Chaos. He decides to leave the Lake after the
 battle.

**Byakko**. The White Tiger is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese Constellation (*Si Xiang*) along with Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise. (in game as **seiryu**, **genbu**, and **Suzaku**)
 It represents the West, the autumn season and the element of Metal
(Wind in the Japanese system). During the Han Dynasty, people believed
the tiger to be the king of all beasts. Legend had it that when a tiger
reached 500 years old, its tail would turn white. In this way, the white
 tiger became a mythological creature. It was said that the white tiger
would only appear when the emperor ruled with absolute virtue or if
there was peace throughout the world. Because the color white of the
Chinese five elements also represents the west, the white tiger thus
became a mythological guardian of the west. It shows up as the main demon of the protagonist in the desu 2 anime. It is generally light neutral.

**Suzaku**. The Zhu Que Vermilion Bird is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations (*Si Xiang*) along with White Tiger, Xuanwu and Azure Dragon. According to Wu Xing,
 the Taoist five-elemental system, it represents the fire element, the
direction south and the season summer correspondingly. Thus, it is
sometimes called the Vermilion Bird of the South and it is also known as
 Suzaku in Japan and Jujak in Korea. Occasionally confused with Feng Huang, although this confusion does make some sense when one is aware that non-Han variations of the Four Symbols consider the Feng Huang
 and the Suzaku as the same creature. Suzaku is an elegant and noble
bird in both appearance and behavior, it is very selective in what it
eats and where it perches, with its feathers in many different hues of
Vermilion.

**Genbu**. The Black Tortoise or Black Warrior is one of the four symbols of the Chinese constellation (*Si Xiang*) along with Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird and White Tiger.
 It represents the north, the color black, winter and the water element.
 It is usually depicted as both a tortoise and a snake, specifically
with the snake coiling around the tortoise.

Gui Xian in some of the official English versions is a misnomer because "Gui" belongs to a different concept of the Chinese four benevolent animals (*Si Ling* or *Ssu-Ling*).

**The four fiends** represent the four vices to contrast the four virtues. Note how the concept of the four fiends shows up in final fantasy also.

**The Taotie**, also known by its Japanese name Toutetsu, is said to be a
Chinese monster of unknown origin. It is said that it is a greedy
monster with an insatiable appetite, and as punishment, only its head
remains. Fear of the monster led its image to be cast on Chinese bronzes
 and ritual vessels. Along with Taown, Hun Dun and Qiong Qi, it is one of the Four Fiends, prominent Chinese demons representing evil virtues. Tao Tie represents gluttony. He is vile race.

**Konton**. In Chinese mythology, the Konton or Hundun (混沌) was an entity of chaos
that predated the world. It is sometimes described as a divine dog.
Konton is known as one of the Si-xiong (4 Calamities) in ancient Chinese
 lore along with Tao Tie, Taown and Qiong Qi,
 said to be a large beast with six legs and four wings, with no organs
to perceive the five senses, yet has innate and a large knowledge of
dance and music. Likewise, it represents Chaos, attacking those who are
good of heart and serve those of evil, having no sense of wrong or
right.

**Taown**. According to the book "*The Monster That is History*," by David
Der-wei Wang, the Taowu is a monster of ancient China that, while
skillful in divination and able to see the past and the future, is
fierce and violent. The Taowu is said to appear with "a human face, a
tiger's feet, a pig's feet and a tail 18 feet long." It is said to be so
 thoroughly stubborn that it would refuse to back down from a fight.
Known as one of the Si-xiong (4 Calamities) in ancient Chinese lore
along with Tao Tie, Hun Dun and Qiong Qi;
 it represents ignorance, misguiding man through its divination,
throwing him off course of enlightenment while appeasing materialistic,
unvirtuous and shallow desires.

**Kyuuki**. In Chinese lore, the Qiongqi is a winged cross between a tiger and an
ox. They are ferocious monsters. Known as a member of the Si-xiong (4
Calamities) in ancient Chinese lore along with Tao Tie, Hun Dun and Taown,
 they are representative of Depravity, born to give man no peace while
attacking and assaulting those of honest and noble heart, while
rewarding those of opposing and debased value.