The Jade Emperor

Sacred Birthday on the Ninth Day of the First Lunar Month

The Jade Emperor's birthday is traditionally celebrated by Daoists and in Chinese folk religion on the 9th day of the 1st lunar month, involving offerings and incense to the "Heavens."

According to the records in the sacred chronicles, long ago in a past age, there was a kingdom called Pure Felicity of Resplendent Solemnity original: "Guangyan Miaole." This is a mythical kingdom in Daoist cosmology where the Jade Emperor was born as a prince.. The king of that country was named Pure Virtue, and his queen was named Precious Moonlight. At that time, the king had no heir. One day, he thought to himself: "I am now growing old, yet I have no crown prince. When my body passes away, to whom shall I entrust the state and the ancestral shrines?"

After having these thoughts, he immediately issued a royal edict to all the Daoist community. In all the palaces, following the sacred liturgical teachings, they hung ritual banners and canopies. In a state of profound purity and cleanliness, they prepared extensive offerings. For six periods of the day This refers to the traditional Daoist ritual schedule of performing rites at dawn, midday, sunset, evening, midnight, and before dawn., they performed the sacred rites and prayed fervently to the true immortals. Half a year passed, and the king's original sincere intention never wavered.

Suddenly, one night, Queen Precious Moonlight dreamed of the Lord of the Primordial Way original: "Taishang Daojun." Also known as the Lingbao Tianzun, he is the second of the "Three Pure Ones," the highest deities in the Daoist pantheon. together with a host of the highest Perfected Ones original: "Zhizhen." Beings who have reached the highest level of spiritual realization in Daoism.. They were beings of golden form and jade-like character, a company of absolute purity. They rode in a five-colored dragon carriage, surrounded by banners that cast no shadows and shaded by the glow of radiant clouds. At that moment, the Lord of the Primordial Way sat peacefully within the dragon carriage, cradling an infant. From every pore of the infant's body, hundreds of millions of [rays of light radiated...] The text cuts off here, typical of a woodblock print page break, describing the miraculous light emanating from the divine child.