Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue道德天尊

Also known as

Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue of Great Clarity, Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Laojun), Great Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue, Venerable Treasure of the Masters

Pantheon

Three Pure Ones

Rank

Third of the Three Pure Ones

Realm & symbol

Heaven of Great Redness in the Realm of Great Clarity

Relationship to Daoism

Core Daoist pantheon

Overview

The Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue, also known as the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, is the deified form of Laozi and one of the Three Pure Ones. From the Eastern Han onward, Laojun was described as an embodiment of the Dao and transmitter of the Celestial Masters' scriptures and methods; the Tang imperial house also revered Laozi as its sacred ancestor. Religious Laojun and the historical thinker Laozi are connected in the history of belief, but research should distinguish sacred narrative from the historical person.

Functions

• Teachings of the Daodejing
• Exemplar of the immortals
• Transmitting the Dao and its methods

Iconography

In a Hall of the Three Pure Ones he normally stands to the right of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, depicted as a white-haired, long-bearded elder holding a fan or divine staff.

Scriptural basis

Related figures