Religion of Western Chu

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate Professor, Department of Comparative Religions and Mysticism, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This article, in a descriptive and analytical way, investigates the nature, elements and function of religion in ancient China, during the Western Chu period. The works left from this period - including iconography and writings on ritual bronze vessels, writings on occult bones, royal tombs and some later works - express their religious beliefs and rituals. The religion of western chu included the belief in Tien as the Supreme God, the spirits of ancestors, the spirits and gods of nature, and the belief in life after death. The Supreme God was at the head and the rest of the spirits and gods were at a lower level and were his agents. Tien is a personal deity, ruler of all existence, creator and sustainer of all beings. He sends revelations to help people and judges them with justice. In addition to believing in Tien, they believed in life after death, that man has two souls: one is P’o, who after death, will fall to the lower world and live a dark life there. Another is Hun, who ascended to Tien’s Palace and lives there happily. In order to obtain favorable living conditions, or at least to be safe from calamities, one must respect and worship God, spirits and ancestors and make sacrifices for them. Unlike the Shang period, in the Chu period, not the spirit of the dead ruler but the living ruler himself is the intermediary between Heaven and Earth, who should rule the people justly according to Tien Ming.

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Religions and Mysticism
Volume 56, Issue 2
March 2024
Pages 553-573

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