道法自然
上元天官賜福大帝
The Upper Yuan
Festival · 15th day of the 1st lunar month
The Upper Yuan
On the fifteenth night of the first lunar month — the Lantern Festival — the Official of Heaven descends to distribute blessings. Red scrolls reading 'Heaven's Official Bestows Blessings' still hang over doorways across China.
Festival · 15th day of the 1st lunar month
History · 史记
The Heavenly Official, Bestower of Blessings, is the first of the Three Officials — Heaven, Earth and Water — among the oldest trinities of Chinese worship, reaching back to the sacrifices of the sage-kings Yao, Shun and Yu. The Way of the Celestial Master made them central to its rites: to heal the sick, the penitent's confession was written in three copies — one placed on the mountain for Heaven, one buried in the earth, one sunk in the water — the famous Three Officials Handwritten Petition.
His festival is Shangyuan, the fifteenth of the first lunar month, when heaven's gates open and blessings descend. That night became the Lantern Festival — the most brilliant night of the Chinese year.
The Celestial Master healing rite recorded in the Sanguo Zhi: the sick wrote their names and confessions in three copies, placed on the mountain, buried, and sunk — petitioning Heaven, Earth and Water at once.
On the fifteenth of the first month the Heavenly Official reviews the registers of merit and lets blessings fall. Lanterns were lit below to match the blessings above — the beginning of the Lantern Festival.
三國志·張魯傳
Records the Three Officials Handwritten Petition rite of the Celestial Master movement.
荊楚歲時記
The sixth-century festival calendar describing Shangyuan customs in the southern kingdoms.
東京夢華錄
The Song memoir of Kaifeng recording the great Shangyuan lantern nights.