Doumu

Depiction of Doumu (1922).

Doumu (Chinese: 斗母; pinyin: Dǒumǔ; literally: "Mother of the Great Chariot"), also Doumu Yuanjun (斗母元君 Dǒumǔ Yuánjūn, "Primordial Mother Goddess of the Chariot") or simply known as "Big Dipper Mother", is a Chinese goddess in traditional religion and Taoist schools. She is also named through the honorific Tianhou (天后, "Queen of Heaven"), shared with other Chinese goddesses, especially Mazu, who are perhaps conceived as her aspects.

She represents the Big Dipper (or Great Chariot, or Plough), and is therefore considered the mother of its seven stars and two not visible ones, the Jiuhuangdadi (九皇大帝 Jiǔhuángdàdì) or Nine Great Emperor Gods. The Big Dipper is in Chinese culture, as well as in other cultures of the world, a traditional symbol of the absolute principle originating the universe (Taidi, Tian or the Tao in Chinese thought). Therefore, Doumu is not the chthonic goddess, but rather the "solar" or heaven goddess; she is indeed seen as the female consort of Shangdi, also named Doufu (斗父 Dòufù, "Father of the Great Chariot"), or Yuanshi Tianzun (元始天尊, "Heavenly Lord of the Primordial Beginning") or Taiyi Tianzun (太乙天尊, "Heavenly Lord of the Great Oneness") in Taoism.

According to Ge Hong (283-343), Yuanjun was the teacher of Laozi.[1]

In Buddhism and Hinduism

In Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions of Chinese Buddhism, Doumu is also known as the Bodhisattva Marici. In Hinduism, she is known as Gayatri.

Art

Doumu in art
Hall of Doumu at the Green Ram Temple in Chengdu, Sichuan. 
Statue of Doumu at the Green Ram Temple. 
Song dynasty statue of Doumu. 

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Doumu.

References

  1. ↑ 抱朴子曰：復有太清神丹，其法出於元君。元君者，老子之師也。太清觀天經有九篇，云其上三篇不可教授，其中三篇世無足傳，常瀋之三泉之下，下三篇者，正是丹經上中下，凡三卷也。元君者，大神仙之人也，能調和陰陽，役使鬼神風雨，驂駕九龍十二白虎，天下衆仙皆隸焉，猶自言亦本學道服丹之所致也，非自然也。 See translation in "Humans, Spirits, and Sages in Chinese Late Antiquity: Ge Hong's Master Who Embraces Simplicity (Baopuzi)", in Extrême-Orient, Extrême-Occident, 2007, N°29, pp. 95-119. .
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