Friday, September 19, 2008

Souyuan

Souyuan in the Taoist eschatology is equivalent to the Judgment Day. ''Sou'' means collect, ''Yuan'' a cycle, to round off or complete, taken together Souyuan can be translated as to reclaim, to complete the circle or cycle, or to absolve and judge. Souyuan as in 收原 literally means to reclaim the ''Yuanlings'' or primordial souls. The process is also called ''Pudu '' or ''Mojie'' .

Souyuan is to induct the yuanling from the realms of the living and hell back to heaven.

Stages of Souyuan


Two previous Souyuan had been decreed by heaven, the first one around the time of Fuxi and Yellow Emperor called the ''First Souyuan'' or ''Qingyangqi'' corresponding to the Spring of absolution, it was sometimes called ''Longhan'' . Nine instruments of armageddon or disasters accompanied that event in which some 200 million yuanling were reclaimed.

The ''Second Souyuan'' was called the ''Hongyangchi'' , also ''Chiming'' corresponding to the summer stage of judgment around the time of Laozi in his last incarnate up till the time of Mencius, some eighteen instruments of armageddon descended on earth, and another 200 million yuanlings reverted to heaven.

The current stage of Souyuan is called the Third Souyuan , called ''Baiyangqi'' or the autumn of Souyuan. It started at the end of the nineteen century, well over a hundred years in running, and still counting. In all some eighty-one instruments of Armageddon, i.e. calamities disasters were and would be deployed to shake up the two realms, that of the living and hell.

The Third Souyuan was approved by the Jade Emperor Guan Shengdi and initiated by ''Wuji Shengmu'' who has sympathy on the remaining yuanling on earth and in hell, the process was documented in full in the book ''The Feast of Immortal Peaches'' .

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