Four heavenly ministers

The Four Heavenly Ministers (Chinese: 四御; pinyin: Sì yù), also translated as the Four Sovereigns, are four of the highest sky deities of Taoism and subordinate only to the Three Pure Ones (Chinese: 三清; pinyin: Sān qīng). They assist the Three Pure Ones in administering all phenomenon of the universe.

The Four Heavenly Ministers are:

1. the Great Jade Emperor (Chinese: 玉皇大帝; pinyin: yù huáng dàdì)
2. the Great Emperor of the North Star (Polaris) in the Purple Forbidden enclosure at the center of Heaven (Tian) (Chinese: 中天紫微北極大帝; pinyin: Zhōngtiān Zǐwēi Běijí Dàdì)
3. the Great Emperor of the Curved Array/Little Dipper (Chinese: 勾陳大帝; pinyin: gōuchén dàdì)
4. the Empress of the Earth (Chinese: 后土皇地祇; pinyin: hòutǔ huáng dìqí).

The Great Jade Emperor is the head of all sky deities and presides over the heaven. The Great Emperor of the North Star assists the Jade Emperor in managing the sun, the moon, stars, and the climate of the four seasons. The Great Emperor of the Curved Array/Little Dipper oversees all matters in heaven, earth, and the human world. The Empress of the Earth is in charge of fertility, land, rivers, and mountains. The four heavenly ministers are often worshiped in Taoist temples.

See also

• Chinese mythology

External links

• 道教文化资料库
• 玉皇大帝
• 道法会元卷之三 Archived 2017-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
• 星座探奇
• 神祇列傳-紫微大帝 Archived 2017-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
• 道教之音
• 地母
• 后土皇地祇－地母元君