Shenxiao Jiuchen, also known as “High Ascended Shenxiao Jiuchen God” or “Shenxiao Jiuchen”, are the nine supreme deities revered by the Shenxiao Taoist sect. They reside in the highest “Shenxiao Heaven” and are the ultimate masters of cosmic thunder, vitality, creation, and calamity. They hold an extremely lofty position and are the core objects of worship in the Shenxiao sect’s practice of thunder techniques and sacrificial ceremonies. In simple terms, you can understand them as the nine vice-presidents of the highest committee of the universe recognized by the Shenxiao sect, with the Longsheng Great Emperor being the chief among them.
Composition and Core of Jiuchen
These nine deities are not equal but are centered around the Southern Pole Longsheng Great Emperor (also known as the High Ascended Shenxiao Yuching Zhenwang Longsheng Great Emperor), with the other eight deities as their assistants, jointly governing the nine heavens. Their common composition is as follows:
1. High Ascended Shenxiao Yuching Zhenwang Longsheng Great Emperor (the core deity)
2. Dongji Qinghua Great Emperor (i.e., Taiyi Jieshu Tianzun)
3. Jiuyi Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun (Leisheng)
4. Jiuyi Leishengzhu Great Emperor (or said to be another supreme deity of the Thunder Department)
5. Shangqing Ziwudi Biyu Gongtai Taiyi Dachuang Emperor
6. Liangti Dongyuan Great Emperor
7. Liangbo Tianzhuo Emperor
8. Ke Han Shizhuan Zhenjun (or “Ke Han Zhuannv Zhenjun”)
9. Jiuyi Jinsheng Shengzun Zhenjun (or “Jinsheng Shengzun Zhenjun”)
Gods’ Attributes and Functions: Thunder, Vitality, and Salvation
As a whole, the Jiuchen deities hold the most fundamental powers of the universe:
1. Overall control of thunder, nurturing all things: They are the source of all thunder. Wind, rain, lightning, and the changing of seasons, as well as the growth of all things, are all under their control. Thunder is not only a force of punishment but also a source of life. The Shenxiao sect believes that the universe was formed by the differentiation of the primordial thunder, so the Jiuchen are the origin of creation and destruction forces.
2. Dominance over calamity, universal salvation: They are in charge of the major cycles of the universe’s operation (calamity). Whenever the old and new calamities alternate, the Jiuchen God initiates the calamity and saves people, teaching Taoist techniques and guiding all beings. They are the setters and guides of the cosmic civilization cycle.
3. Supreme salvation, relieving the spirits of the dead: Among the Jiuchen, the Dongji Qinghua Great Emperor (Taiyi Jieshu Tianzun) is the dedicated deity for salvation, making this supreme group possess the supreme compassionate salvation function. They can save all suffering in the three realms and guide the souls to the afterlife.
4. Supervising all heavens, inspecting good and evil: The Jiuyi Jinsheng Shengzun Zhenjun’s duty is to patrol the three realms, monitor the virtues and faults of deities and humans, report to the Jiuchen, and is the cosmic-level “discipline inspector”.
In the position within the Shenxiao sect and Taoism
The highest deity of the Shenxiao sect: The Shenxiao sect is renowned for practicing “Thunder Technique”, and the ultimate power source and worship object of this technique is these Jiuchen deities. Practicing Thunder Technique essentially means through internal cultivation and rituals, communicating with the Jiuchen (especially Leisheng, Longsheng Great Emperor) to obtain the power to control thunder and mediate creation.
Higher than the traditional “Four Emperors” system: In the theology of the Shenxiao sect, the deities of Jiuchen (especially Longsheng Great Emperor) have a higher status than the traditional “Four Emperors” system centered on Yuhuang. Yuhuang is regarded as the administrative master governing “the three realms”, while the Jiuchen are the incarnations of the “Great Way” in a higher dimension and the masters of calamity. This reflects the attempt of the Shenxiao sect to construct a more grand and more fundamental cosmology.
Core of rituals: In the large-scale sacrificial ceremonies of the Shenxiao sect, inviting and paying homage to the Jiuchen deities is the core part of the ritual. Taoists communicate with the Jiuchen through meditation, chanting scriptures, and incantations, acting on behalf of Heaven to preach and exercise Taoist techniques.
