![]() ![]() (in Chinese Buddhism and Buddhist-inspired Taoist sects) a kind of deity or spiritual person imported from Taoism.(in Daoism and Chinese folk religion) a Daoist who was blessed to become immortal from death onwards and/or a guardian of a village.(in early Tang dynasty folk religion conception) immortal being part of a small spiritual cabal who had immortal lifespans and supernatural powers, and were enlightened to the works of heaven, which assigned everyone else to "gloomy underworld jails", "a fiery underworld", and/or a mundane role in the afterlife depending on how positively one viewed the afterlife.(in new-age conception) seeker who takes refuge in immortality (longevity for the realization of divinity) transcended person recoded by the "higher self" divine soul fully established being.( as a metaphorical modifier) immortal accomplished person celestial marvelous extraordinary.( based on the folk etymology for the character 仙, a compound of the characters for person and mountain) sage living high in the mountains mountain-man hermit recluse.( in popular Chinese literature) genie elf, fairy nymph 仙境 ( xian jing is fairyland, faery).( in Chinese mythology) wizard magician shaman sorcerer.( or by extension) alchemical, herbal, shí liáo, or qigong methods for attaining immortality. ![]() ( in Chinese alchemy) alchemist one who seeks the elixir of life one who practices longevity techniques by turning Shen to Jing.( in Daoist religion and pantheon) physically immortal immortal person an immortal saint, one who is aligned with Heaven's mandate and does not suffer earthly desires or attachments.( in Daoist philosophy and cosmology) spiritually immortal transcendent human celestial being.The Chinese word xian is translatable into English as: Translations Xiwangmu descends from heavens with a Peach of Immortality ( Jade Pond Birthday greeting, by Jin Tingbiao, Qing dynasty Painting of two xian, Iron-crutch Li of the Eight Immortals on the left releasing a bat and Liu Haichan on the right holding one of the Peaches of Immortality and accompanied by the three-legged toad, Jin Chan. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as ṛṣi who possessed similar traits. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. Xian were also thought of as "personal gods" who were formerly humans, and types of ascended humans who became them include "ascetics, scholars, and warriors." "Taoists pray to the.to request help, and try to follow the examples the gods set while living." Taoist cults of immortality formed around a variety of issues and leaders, including many healing cults formed around charismatic leaders who used "medical magic". A variety of synonyms exist for the word across the various conceptions of it, including zhenren, a word used in Taoism that can also refer to " god and deified mortal", both of which xian could also be seen as. The word xian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality enlightenment", to physical "immortality longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and tai chi chuan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality". Xian were also thought by some Taoists to be synonymous with the gods inside the body, and as beings that sometimes cause mortals (who could fight them with martial virtue and martial arts) problems. The Eight Immortals and other xian were thought to have powers linked to their tools that were ultimately of a single nature that can add to or subtract the lifespan of humans depending on the human's level of sin. Sometimes, they and other xian were viewed as similar in nature to ghosts, rather than deities. The Eight Immortals are a good example of xian sometimes being seen as folk heroes who can offer assistance to "worthy human followers" and whose existence fosters the relationship between the living and the dead. Xian have been venerated from ancient times to the modern day in a variety of ways across different cultures and religious sects in China. Xian as depicted on Eighty-seven Celestials (八十七神仙), popularly attributed to Tang dynasty painter Wu Daozi, currently housed in Xu Beihong Memorial Hall in Beijing. ![]()
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