Ones

Turning to the gods of Taoism, we find that the triad or trinity,
already noted as forming the head of that hierarchy, consists of
three Supreme Gods, each in his own Heaven. These three Heavens,
the _San Ch'ing_, 'Three Pure Ones' (this name being also applied
to the sovereigns ruling in them), were formed from the three airs,
which are subdivisions of the one primordial air.

The first Heaven is Yue Ch'ing. In it reigns the first member of
the Taoist triad. He inhabits the Jade Mountain. The entrance to
his palace is named the Golden Door. He is the source of all truth,
as the sun is the source of all light.

Various authorities give his name differently--Yuean-shih T'ien-tsun,
or Lo Ching Hsin, and call him T'ien Pao, 'the Treasure of Heaven,'
Some state that the name of the ruler of this first Heaven is Yue
Huang, and in the popular mind he it is who occupies this supreme
position. The Three Pure Ones are above him in rank, but to him, the
Pearly Emperor, is entrusted the superintendence of the world. He has
all the power of Heaven and earth in his hands. He is the correlative
of Heaven, or rather Heaven itself.

The second Heaven, Shang Ch'ing, is ruled by the second person of
the triad, named Ling-pao T'ien-tsun, or Tao Chuen. No information is
given as to his origin. He is the custodian of the sacred books. He has
existed from the beginning of the world. He calculates time, dividing
it into different epochs. He occupies the upper pole of the world, and
determines the movements and interaction, or regulates the relations
of the _yin_ and the _yang_, the two great principles of nature.

In the third Heaven, T'ai Ch'ing, the Taoists place Lao Tzu, the
promulgator of the true doctrine drawn up by Ling-pao T'ien-tsun. He
is alternatively called Shen Pao, 'the Treasure of the Spirits,'
and T'ai-shang Lao-chun, 'the Most Eminent Aged Ruler.' Under various
assumed names he has appeared as the teacher of kings and emperors,
the reformer of successive generations.

This three-storied Taoist Heaven, or three Heavens, is the result of
the wish of the Taoists not to be out-rivalled by the Buddhists. For
Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood they substitute the _Tao_, or
Reason, the Classics, and the Priesthood.

As regards the organization of the Taoist Heavens, Yue Huang has on his
register the name of eight hundred Taoist divinities and a multitude
of Immortals. These are all divided into three categories: Saint