Puxian Zhenren

Puxian Zhenren as depicted on a relief at Ping Sien Si Temple in Perak, Malaysia

Puxian Zhenren (Chinese: 普賢真人; pinyin: Pǔxián Zhēnrén) is a deity in the Ming dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi). He is one of the Twelve Golden Immortals (十二金仙) of the Chan Sect (闡教), led by Yuanshi Tianzun, and the master of Muzha.

In Chinese religion, Puxian Zhenren is often identified as the Taoist counterpart of the Buddhist bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Puxian Pusa).

In Investiture of the Gods

Puxian Zhenren is one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect. He lives in White Crane Cave (白鹤洞) on Jiugong Mountain (九宫山). He is the master of Muzha, the second son of Li Jing and the elder brother of Nezha. Puxian teaches Muzha Daoist cultivation and martial arts, and later gives him the Twin Wu Gou Swords (吴钩双剑) to help the Zhou army fight the Shang dynasty.

The battle between Puxian Zhenren, Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun, Cihang Daoren, and Jinling Shengmu

During the war, Puxian supports Jiang Ziya and the Zhou forces against the Jie Sect. He uses several magical treasures, including the Taiji Talisman (太极符印), the Long Rainbow Rope (长虹索), and the Twin Wu Gou Swords. During the battle of the Ten Absolutes Array (十绝阵), he breaks the Cold Ice Array (寒冰阵) and kills its creator, Yuan Jiao.

During the Battle of the Myriad Immortal Array (万仙阵), Puxian Zhenren, together with Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun and Cihang Daoren, fought the Jie Sect disciple Jinling Shengmu, one of the sect's leading disciples. Later in the battle, Puxian confronted Lingya Xian. With the assistance of Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun, he forced Lingya Xian to return to his true form as a Six-tusked White Elephant, which thereafter became Puxian's mount. Following the defeat of the Jie Sect and the completion of the Fengshen campaign, Puxian Zhenren entered the Western Sect (西方教). He subsequently became the Buddhist bodhisattva Samantabhadra (普贤菩萨). During the battle, Puxian also reveals a Three-Headed, Six-Armed Golden Body (三首六臂金身), showing the strength of his cultivation.

Interpretations

In the Ming dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), Puxian Zhenren illustrates the religious syncretism of Taoism and Chinese Buddhism. According to Kazuo Yamashita in the Yuanguang Buddhist Studies Journal, the novel's author deliberately adapted Buddhist figures into a Taoist framework. In the story, Puxian is introduced as a senior Taoist immortal and disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, but later leaves the Chan Sect to join the "Western Sect" (西方教), where he becomes the Buddhist bodhisattva Samantabhadra (普贤菩萨). Yamashita argues that this transformation was a literary device used by Ming authors to integrate popular Buddhist deities into a unified Chinese mythological tradition.

According to research by Fang Litian of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Samantabhadra's widespread popularity in Chinese Buddhism led to his incorporation into the Daoist pantheon, where he was given the title Zhenren ("Realized Man" or "Immortal"). Fang argues that figures such as Puxian Zhenren arose from the blending of Buddhist and Daoist traditions, as Buddhist bodhisattvas were increasingly incorporated into Daoist tradition. Although Mount Emei is now regarded as the bodhimanda of Samantabhadra, historical records indicate that during the Han and Jin dynasties it was primarily a center of Daoist practice and was recognized as one of the Daoist Cave heavens. Buddhism became the dominant tradition on the mountain during the Tang and Song dynasties. Fang argues that the mountain's religious history contributed to the identification of Puxian as both the Buddhist bodhisattva Samantabhadra and the Daoist Puxian Zhenren in later tradition.

Related sites

In the Yulin Caves-Cave 3 depicts Samantabhadra riding a white elephant and surrounded by "Daoist-influenced celestial beings" (道教化的天人), combining Buddhist and Daoist imagery in a single composition.

Jiugong Mountain, in present-day Tongshan County, Hubei, has long been associated with Daoism. In Investiture of the Gods, it is the location of Puxian Zhenren's White Crane Cave (白鹤洞). According to historical records, the Daoist priest Zhang Daoqing established a number of Daoist temples on the mountain during the Southern Song dynasty, after which it became an important Daoist religious site and was regarded as one of China's Five Great Daoist centers (五大道场).

At the Qingyang Palace (青羊宫), one of the oldest Taoist temples in Chengdu, Sichuan, Puxian Zhenren is enshrined in the Sanqing Hall (三清殿). The hall's main altar is dedicated to the Three Pure Ones and is flanked by statues of the Twelve Golden Immortals, including Qingxu Daode Zhenjun.