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At the beginning of the Great Sacrifice performed by the Chinese emperor for centuries, singers sang the song of creation, addressed to the "Sovereign Lord" known as "Shang Di":
"Of old in the beginning, there was the great chaos, without form and dark. The five planets had not begun to revolve, nor the two lights to shine. In the midst of it there existed neither form nor sound. You, O spiritual Sovereign, came forth in Your sovereignty, and first did separate the impure from the pure. You made heaven; you made earth; you made man. All things became alive with reproducing power."
Another hymn adds, "Lord Di, when You separated the Yin and the Yang, Your creative work had begun. You did produce, O Spirit, the seven elements. Their beautiful and brilliant lights lit up the circular sky and square earth. All things were good. I, Your servant, thank You fearfully, and, while I worship, present this memorial to You, O Di, calling You Sovereign."
Another praises Shang Di as the "true Ancestor of billions and trillions of things," while at a later stage he is identified as "a potter" who "have made all living things. Great and small are sheltered [by Your love]."
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, May 11, 2007 at 12:16 PM
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