Daode Tianzun

Common card · No. 424060

Daode Tianzun (Chinese: 道德天尊; pinyin: dàodé tiānzūn; lit. 'Heavenly Venerable of the Way and its Virtue'), also known as Taishang Laojun (Chinese: 太上老君; pinyin: tàishàng lǎojūn; lit. 'Supreme High Old Lord') is a high Taoist god. He is the Taiqing (Chinese: 太清; pinyin: tàiqīng; lit. 'Supreme Pure One'), one of the Three Pure Ones, the highest immortals of Taoism. Laozi is regarded to be a manifestation of Daode Tianzun who authored the Dao De Jing (Chinese: 道德經; pinyin: dào dé jīng; lit. 'Classic of the Way and its Virtue'). He is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism, intimately connected with "primordial" (or "original") Taoism. Popular ("religious") Taoism typically presents the Jade Emperor as the official head deity. Intellectual ("orthodox") Taoists, such as the Celestial Masters sect, usually present Laozi (Laojun, "Lord Lao") and the Three Pure Ones at the top of the pantheon of gods.

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