If you missed my last article on Geb, it can be found here.
Yu Huang is the Chinese Jade Emperor. Of the many names he is known by, Heavenly Grandfather, Jade Lord, and Heavenly Duke are just a few. He is an assistant to Yuanshi Tianzun, one of the Three Pure Ones. Yu Huang is connected to the Tao, the Dao, and Buddist beliefs. You can even find Yu Huang in Vietnamese and Korean mythologies.
I cannot say for sure about the rest of Asia, but from the research I did for Yu Huang, the Chinese at least believe that the ruling in the Heavens is very much like that of the Earthly realm. There is an emperor that rules over everything and everyone, as well as others who take care of everything else, such as the stars, water, fire, and just everything. The Jade Emperor has only been in power since the tenth century. He makes sure the orders from the Three Pure Ones are followed. The Chinese believed that Emperor Zhen Cong of the Song Dynasty was a direct descendant of the Jade Emperor and therefore had a divine right to rule.
Yu Huang is married to the Celestial Queen Xiwangmu, and they had many children. Three of them, though, are important to Chinese mythology. These daughters are Zhu-sheng-niang-niang, Yen-kuang-nian-niang, and Zhinu. Zhinu, unfortunately, suffered because of her husband and father specifically.
Yu Huang was once the crown prince from the Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights and Ornaments. This means, at one point in his long life, he was mortal. However, he was always kind, generous, and willing to help his fellow human in need. Yu Huang wanted to be able to help people more and eventually went into a cave to grow spiritually. He passed three thousand two hundred trials that lasted roughly three million years each. That totals nine billion six hundred million years. For part of this time, an evil entity on Earth was creating problems that continued when he went to do his own trials. His did not last as long as Yu Huang’s, and he only passed three thousand tests. Though the rest of the Gods and immortals battled, they did not prevail. It wasn’t until Yu Huang emerged that the evil was defeated. This victory caused the Heavens to seat Yu Huang as the Jade Emperor.
Eventually, the current Jade Emperor will be replaced by the Heavenly Master of the Dawn of Jade of the Golden Door. When that takes place, I am not sure. I wonder, with the changes that have taken place with China and no longer having an emperor, will those be reflected in the Heavens? What do you think? I am curious as to your answer. Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
