Banner of Tai Yi Tian Zun Bao Gao (太乙救苦天尊寶誥)

Tai Yi Tian Zun (太乙天尊) aka Tai Yi Xun Sheng Jiu Tian Zun (太乙尋聲救苦天尊) or Tai Yi Zhen Ren (太乙真人).

In Taoism, he is the main key-person who is being appointed to take charge of the task of doing salvation for all the suffering souls, whether is to salvage them out of the suffering Realms or salvage them and bring them to the Eastern Palace for enjoying of eternal joyous.

During Taoist funeral wakes' rituals/ceremonies, Tai Yi Tian Zun will be invited and the Priests that conduct the Ritual/Ceremony must recite scriptures that are dedicated or associated with Tai Yi Tian Zun.

Different mantras are being recited too, in-order to assists the passed-on person to get the necessary blessing from Tai Yi Tian Zun.

In Big Salvation Ritual/Ceremony, the Taoist Priest will have to recite the Official Title of Tai Yi Tian Zun and also to visualize one self turning into Tai Yi Tian Zun while releasing the Positive Energy or Light Ray to do the salvation of the suffering souls.

Today, such Ritual/Ceremony can still be seen, but due to the engagement of Taoist Priest to conduct Funeral Ritual/Ceremony has dropped and so, not much people will be able to understand or see a Good "transformation" being done.

For Higher Res Pictures, feel free to visit this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taoism_deity_singapore_2007/photos/album/1526460477/pic/list

More info on Tai Yi:

Here's the 10 Direction Salvation Lords that Tai Yi Tian Zun manifest or transform to:

東方玉寶皇上天尊。
Dong Fang Yu Bao Huang Shang Tian Zun (East)

南方玄真萬福天尊。
Nan Fang Xuan Zhen Wan Fu Tian Zun (South)

西方太妙至極天尊。
Xi Fang Tai Miao Zhi Ji Tian Zun (West)

北方玄上玉宸天尊。
Bei Fang Xuan Shang Yu Chen Tian Zun (North)

東北方度仙上聖天尊。
Dong Bei Fang Du Xian Shang Sheng Tian Zun (North-East)

東南方好生度命天尊。
Dong Nan Fang Hao Sheng Du Ming Tian Zun (South-East)

西南方太靈虛皇天尊。
Xi Nan Fang Tai Ling Xu Huang Tian Zun (South-West)

西北方無量太華天尊。
Xi Bei Fang Wu Liang Tai Hua Tian Zun (North-West)

上方玉虛明皇天尊。
Shang Fang Yu Xu Ming Huang Tian Zun (Upper)

下方真皇洞神天尊。
Xia Fang Zhen Huang Dong Shen Tian Zun (Lower)

In total, we address them as Shi Fang Jiu Ku Tian Zun.

In Taoism, we also believed that, the 10 Courts of Yama Kings are the manifestation of these 10 Directional Salvation Lords.

救苦天尊寶誥 (Jiu Ku Tian Zun Bao Gao)　

至心皈命禮
Zhi Xin Gui Ming Li

青華長樂界　東極妙嚴宮
Qing Hua Chang Le Jie, Dong Ji Miao Yan Gong　

七寶芳騫林　九色蓮花座　
Qi Bao Fang Qian Lin, Jiu Se Liu Hua Zuo

萬真環拱內　百億瑞光中　
Wan Zhen Huan Gong Nei, Bai Yi Rui Guang Zhong

玉清靈寶尊　應化玄元始　
Yu Qing Ling Bao Zun, Ying Hua Xuan Yuan Shi

浩劫垂慈濟　大千甘露門
Hao Jie Chui Ci Ji, Da Qian Gan Lu Men

妙道真身　紫金瑞相　
Miao Dao Zhen Shen, Zi Jin Rui Xiang

隨機赴感　誓願無邊
Sui Ji Fu Gan, Shi Yuan Wu Bian

大聖大慈　大悲大願　
Da Sheng Da Ci, Da Bei Da Yuan

十方化號　普度眾生
Shi Fang Hua Hao, Pu Du Zhong Sheng

億億劫中　度人無量　
Yi Yi Jie Zhong, Du Ren Wu Liang

尋聲赴感
Xun Sheng Fu Gan

太乙救苦天尊青玄九晹上帝
Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun Qing Xuan Jiu Yang Shang Di