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
南斗星君寶誥
ReplyDeleteNan Dou Xing Jun Bao Gao (Praise Mantra)
志心皈命禮。
Zhi Xin Gui Ming Li
太微正曜。南極都曹。
Tai Wei Zheng Yao, Nan Ji Du Cao
主司陽官。宰御火帝。
Zhu Si Yang Gong, Zai Yu Huo Di
位離宮而名符日曜。
Wei Li Gong Er Ming Fu Ri Yao
隨斗柄而環應七元。
Sui Dou Bing Er Huan Ying Qi Yuan
助天地豐育之功。
Zhu Tian Di Feng Yu Zhi Gong
體道德光明之照。
Ti Dao De Guang Ming Zhi Zhao
受性降神。
Shou Xing Jiang Shen
握品物生成之統紀。
Wo Pin Wu Sheng Cheng Zhi Tong Ji
陶魂鑄魄。
Tao Hun Chou Po
管人天遷化之樞機。
Guan Ren Tian Qian Hua Zhi Shu Ji
注秩消災。延齡溥福。
Zhu Yi Xiao Zhai, Yan Ling Pu Fu
至聖至尊。大悲大願。
Zhi Sheng Zhi Zun, Da Bei Da Yuan
中天大聖。
Zhong Tian Da Sheng
南斗六司延壽星君。
Nan Dou Liu Si Yan Shou Xing Jun
壽星大帝陽明普度天尊。
Shou Xing Da Di Yang Ming Pu Du Tian Zun
hi wat abt the others 3 dou the dong xi and middle dou r their position the same.
ReplyDeleteNo, they located at different position.
ReplyDeleteBei Dou in North Pole.
Nan Dou in South Pole.
Dong Dou is located in the Eastern Hemisphere of the Universe.
Xi Dou is located in the Western Hemisphere of The Universe.
Zhong Dou is located near the Equator, where in Singapore, we are able to see it.
why do ppl normally pray to nan dou bei dou but no the other 3 of them , how can we see zhong dou in singapore.
ReplyDeleteGreat Pictures Shifu. What is the most correct form of Nan Dou holding his Ruyi (left or right hand)?
ReplyDeletesifu..may i ask..izzit nam dou seng kuan is nam kek sin yong..in cantonese??
ReplyDeleteNot that ppl dont pay respect to the rest of the 3 Xing Jun, just that they are not that common among the culture.
ReplyDeleteDuring big celebrations, the scriptures of the 3 Xing Jun will be recited in order to request blessings from them for the living beings.
When the sky is clear, look towards the North Direction of Singapore. If you are destinated to see them, they will slowly appeared in the view where you can see.
Yup, usually we will see him holding on to a Ru Yi and a Gourd beside him, these 2 are the features of Nan Dou Xing Jun.
ReplyDeleteRu Yi - represent the Prosperity & Career Luck of one self
Gourd - represent the Longevity & Age Period.
I'm not quite sure abt which nam kek sin yong u refering to.
ReplyDeleteDo u have the pic of nam kek sin yong?
tink dou tian gong at jurong west have four statues of them...saw them behind the temple.
ReplyDeleteok..i will try to get it for you..sifu
ReplyDeleteTo slimcat:
ReplyDeleteYup, they got the Four Statues to represent the Four Directional Xing Jun, but short of Zhong Dou Xing Jun.
To jasonlam25:
Sure, look forward for that.
is dou mu the main god that control them , becos can see theat when pray to dou got dou mu on the top .
ReplyDeleteYes, Dou Mu Yuan Jun is consider as the Mother of all Stars, and so, in some placement system, Dou Mu Yuan Jun will be placed on top of them.
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