6
BARTHOLOMEW P.M. TSUI
Supreme Deity is most emphatically affirmed, and the basis of affirmation is the Patriarch's personal experience and communication with Him. One can experience the Supreme Deity because He has "signs" (hsiang). Yet, being transcendent, He is without form. That is why Lo says, "God is formless but manifests himself in signs."19 Patriarch Lo is very much aware of the transcendent nature of the Supreme Deity. Words applicable to limited beings like existence, form, name, nature, desire, activity, like or dislike, speech, quantity are all inapplicable to Him.20 In this respect, Lo's struggle with a theological language is not unlike Lao Tzu's pithy pronouncements on the Being and Non-Being (yu, wu), or Medieval scholars' formulation of analogy or the Mutazilites' discussion of the names of Allah. In spite of the inadequacy of language when talking about the Supreme Deity, He is worthy of veneration and praise and the worshipper's sentiment overrules philosophical difficulties. A hymn of praise forms the very first passage of Lo's most important book, the T'ai-hsüan's Discourse on the Truth. "(Oh Thou art) the most great and most venerable! Thou art the God above all gods, the origin of myriad beings. Thou art timeless, beginningless, endless. In Thee there is no mark of destination, no quantity, no form, or name. Thou art present everywhere and there is nothing Thou canst not do. With Thy assistance the heavens become pure, the earth obtains peace, the sun and moon become bright, gods and men become spiritual, the great way is born, the Universe becomes established. Oh, Thou art great and holy, the most great and most venerable! Thy honour is supreme. Thou art so great that no name is adequate.”21
Patriarch Lo contrasts the Supreme Deity with other spirits and ghosts by saying that the former is the origin of myriad beings,22 whereas the other gods are merely certain spiritual essences of the Universe. In other words, he recognizes the vast difference between the Supreme Deity and other gods in Chinese popular religion. The latter exist but ought not to become the objects of worship. That is why in his sect, the Supreme Deity alone is the object of veneration. Such a state of affair is reflected in this sect's shrine. Only the character “shen” (神) or the text I have just quoted appears on the wall directly behind and above the altar. No images or name-tablets of other gods are allowed on
6
BARTHOLOMEW P.M. TSUI
Supreme Deity is most emphatically affirmed, and the basis of affirmation is the Patriarch's personal experience and communi- cation with Him. One can experience the Supreme Deity because He has "signs" ( ). Yet, being transcendent, He is without form. That is why Lo says, "God is formless but manifests himself in signs."'" Patriarch Lo is very much aware of the transcendent nature of the Supreme Deity. Words applicable to limited beings like existence, form, name, nature, desire, activity, like or dislike, speech, quantity are all inapplicable to Him.20 In this respect, Lo's struggle with a theological language is not unlike Lao Tzu's pithy pronouncements on the Being and Non-Being (, ), or Medieval scholars' formulation of analogy or the Mutazilites' discussion of the names of Allah. In spite of the inadequacy of language when talking about the Supreme Deity, He is worthy of veneration and praise and the worship- per's sentiment overrules philosophical difficulties. A hymn of praise forms the very first passage of Lo's most important book, the T'ai-hsüan's Discourse on the Truth. "(Oh Thou art) the most great and most venerable! Thou art the God above all gods, the origin of myriad beings. Thou art timeless, beginningless, endless. In Thee there is no mark of destination, no quantity, no form, or name. Thou art present everywhere and there is nothing Thou canst not do. With Thy assistance the heavens become pure, the earth obtains peace, the sun and moon become bright, gods and men become spiritual, the great way is born, the Universe becomes established. Oh, Thou art great and holy, the most great and most venerable! Thy honour is supreme. Thou art so great that no name is adequate.”2'
Patriarch Lo contrasts the Supreme Deity with other spirits and ghosts by saying that the former is the origin of myriad beings,22 whereas the other gods are merely certain spiritual essences of the Universe. In other words, he recognizes the vast difference between the Supreme Deity and other gods in Chinese popular religion. The latter exist but ought not to become the objects of worship. That is why in his sect, the Supreme Deity alone is the object of veneration. Such a state of affair is reflected in this sect's shrine. Only the character “shen” (# ) or the text I have just quoted appears on the wall directly behind and above the altar. No images or name-tablets of other gods are allowed on
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