Introduction of Lord Nan Dou aka Nan Dou Xing Jun (延壽六司南斗星君)

 
Nan Dou Xing Jun (延壽六司南斗星君) aka Lord Nan Dou, Nan Dou Liu Si Xing Jun (南斗六司星君) or The Six Longevity Lords of the Southern Hemisphere.

In Taoism, besides Lord Emperor Chang Sheng Da Di (南極長生大帝) and Lord Bei Dou (消災七元北斗星君), Nan Dou Xing Jun are the Deities that one self can pay respect to for prolonging of one's age, ceasing of the death disasters and changing of one’s fortune & luck (延壽, 度厄,司祿).

Since our Heavenly Master Zhang Dao Ling (張天師) started his promoting of Taoism, Lord Nan Dou was one of the important Deities that Taoists must pay respect to and because in Taoism, we are a Religion & a form of Teaching that greatly depended on the movement of Stars and so Lord Nan Dou was being highly respected by All Schools, Sects and Taoists together with Lord Bei Dou.

In some contexts, Lord Nan Dou was also being recognized as the Star Lord that being appointed to look after the Element of Fire (火行). And so, in some of our Taoist Mantras that associated with the Element of Fire, Lord Nan Dou would be mentioned, etc.

Due to the position of Lord Nan Dou being located (around the South Pole – opposite of North Pole where Lord Bei Dou was located), he was being appointed by the San Qing (三清道祖) aka The Three Pure One to assist Lord Bei Dou in looking into Living Beings' Life Span and Age issues.

In Taoist Rituals/Ceremonies, Li Dou (禮斗) or Bai Dou (拜斗) is one of the many Rituals/Ceremonies that is being dedicated to Lord Bei Dou and also, to honour the Lord Nan Dou.

In Taoism, once oneself is being claimed that the age is going to meet with an end, by doing a Petition Report to Lord Nan Dou and by placing the 6-Stars Lamp Formation (六星延壽燈法), oneself's life-span will somehow be prolonged (according to the merits and cultivation of the oneself, etc).

So who are the 6 Stars in the Lord Nan Dou Group?

Here they are:

1st Star: Tian Fu Si Ming Xing Jun 天府司命星君

2nd Star: Tian Xiang Si Lu Xing Jun 天相司祿星君

3rd Star: Tian Liang Yan Shou Xing Jun 天梁延壽星君

4th Star: Tian Tong Yi Suan Xing Jun 天同益算星君

5th Star: Tian Shu Du E Xing Jun 天樞度厄星君

6th Star: Tian Ji Shang Sheng Xing Jun 天機上生星君