The Five Marshals of the Thunder Department refer to the five marshals of the Thunder Department who are under the leadership of the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Thunder Universal Heavenly Lord. There are many marshals in the Thunder Department. It is said that the Thunder Department has thirty-six drums, each of which is operated by a marshal, hence there are thirty-six marshals; It is said that the Thunder Department has 24 Heavenly Kings who urge clouds to assist in rain protection, hence there are 24 Marshals. The five marshals of the Thunder Department are commonly found in Taoist scriptures, widely circulated among the people, and enshrined in some Taoist temples, namely Deng, Bi, Liu, Xin, Pang, and other five marshals of the Thunder Department.
Among the marshals of the Thunder Department, Marshal Deng is the leader. Marshal Deng, renowned for his loyalty. The first volume of “The Remaining News of Casting Tripod” describes it as “shining with silver teeth”. In Volume 2-3 of the “Supplement to the Records of Yi Jian”, it is recorded that “Zhao Shandan, a member of the royal family, encountered Master Jiuhua’s teachings on spiritual treasures when he was young, and his practice showed many effects. When he built altars and practiced the method, he saw flames of divine beings surrounding him, and said, ‘I summoned General Deng of Tianyuan.'” In the Song Dynasty, he was called “General Deng of Tianyuan. According to the “Changshu Chronicles” by Emperor Yao Zongyi of the Ming Dynasty, there is a Thunder God Temple in the Taoist temple, led by “Marshal Deng, the great god of laws and regulations”, which is believed to be responsible for the examination and summoning of the Thunder Department’s laws and regulations.
Marshal Bi: Mingtian Hua, originally a thunder spirit, hid in the fields and was born from the thousand year old stalactite energy. At birth, there are thunderstorms in the clear sky during the day, flames illuminating the sky, and sudden storms. A large snake surrounds it, while bees feed it. Ji Chang, because the field is the field, refers to the completion of Huawei and the cultivation under the Rulu Rock. N ü wa was unable to repair the sky, and Marshal Bi assisted the essence of water and fire, shouting loudly to the heavens and earth, only to block the heavenly leak. He refined a five colored fire hail wind thunder formation and helped the Yellow Emperor kill Chiyou, earning him the title of Dragon Master. The Jade Emperor conferred the title of Marshal of the Thunder Gate and appointed him as the head of the Twelve Thunder Courts, assisting the Xuantian God in eliminating the demons of the Plague War. He oversaw the chaos of heaven and earth, corrected the appearance of evil spirits, and dealt unjust blows.
Liu Tianjun: Hou, born in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Born in the fishing crossing of the Minjiang River, he fell into the heart of the waves when he was young but did not die. Due to poverty, he was sent to serve as a tutor to Luo Zhenren. He was skilled in the Five Thunder Palm Technique and was able to summon wind and catch rain. He responded immediately to knocks and helped the people and the country. That year, there was a severe drought in Tokyo, and the emperor prayed at the Liu Tianjun Temple, but there was heavy rain. It’s a great autumn day. The emperor ordered him to be the “True Lord of Lihua Tzu Chi”. The Jade Emperor also appointed Liu Tianjun to be in charge of various affairs of the Thunder Palace.
Marshal Xin: His original name was Xinxing, his courtesy name was Zhenyu, and he was from Yongzhou. There is Shenlei Mountain in the territory of Yongzhou. Xin Xing’s mother died from a thunderbolt on Shenlei Mountain. Xin Xing cried while holding his mother’s corpse. Thunder God felt his utmost filial piety and transformed into a Taoist priest, apologizing for his sins and giving him the Twelve Fire Pills of Xinxing for consumption. Xin Suiyi is shaped like a demon, with its head, beak, and wings on its shoulders. It holds a tip on the left and a hammer on the right, and steps on five drums. The Jade Emperor conferred upon him the title of Marshal, and together with Marshal Bi, they engaged in five affairs, traveling between heaven and earth, and dispelling evil spirits in the underworld. Legend has it that June 15th is the birthday of Marshal Xin, and Taoist practitioners who worship the Thunder God follow a vegetarian diet and call it “Lei Zhai” to pray for divine blessings.
Marshal Pang, originally named Pang Qiao, with the courtesy name Changqing. One of the gods of the Thunder Tribe in Taoism. According to the “Complete Collection of the Origins and Origins of the Three Teachings”, Shuai’s surname is Pang, his given name is Qiao, and his courtesy name is Changqing. He was from the Han River, his father was Pang Ding, and his mother was from the Yao family. He made a living by ferrying. Qiao was born on the ugly day of Guihai in the eleventh month of the year of Emperor Xian of Han. Pang Qiao has always been careful and kind, always finding nothing and saving people in times of emergency. On the evening of the Double Ninth Festival, a merchant returned home to seek a ferry and accidentally left a hundred taels of gold on the ship. The next day, the boatman arrived anxiously. Pang Qiao immediately returned the gold intact to the boatman. The boatman was grateful and took out a ingot to express his gratitude, but Pang Qiao politely declined. Two days before New Year’s Eve, a young woman begged to cross alone. It was very late and it was snowing heavily, so the woman had nowhere to go. Pang Qiao stayed at home to warm herself and provide food and clothing. The next day, after the snow stopped, the woman disappeared without a trace. On the third day, Pang Qiao was busy receiving the boat passengers, while his father Pang Ding was riding the boat in a raincoat, and the woman followed behind. When the ship arrived at the shore and was returning, the river wind was strong and the ship was overturned. Pang Qiao saw this and quickly jumped into the cold river water, drifting with the current. If there was a floating stem, he swam directly to the place where his father fell into the water, dived into the water and lifted his father up. He swam to the edge of the cliff. At this point, Pang Qiao had exhausted his strength, but another wave hit and immediately swept Pang Qiao and his father back into the water. Pang Qiao tried his best to rescue his father, then searched for the woman and dived into the water three times before finally rescuing her. At this time, it was New Year’s Eve, and ghosts came and went to call for justice to be replaced. Pang Qiao solidified the essence of 16 and used the Kan as his home. Boiling waves could not be put in danger, and women were incarnations of Cihang (Guanyin), so of course it was okay. Pang Qiao’s father was not in danger either. Pang Qiao hugged his father and sobbed loudly, while dozens of ghosts also cried out, “Yu should be replaced this year, but I have no choice but to be chased by my filial son and given the day of no reincarnation!” After hearing this, Pang Qiao picked up a whip and beat him, and the ghosts fled. The next night, the ghost came to cry again, with a strong and gloomy wind. The ghost cried bitterly, not to mention that his father had just survived from the surging water and had a particularly poor physical condition, still in danger of life. Pang Qiao had no choice but to stick incense dust in his palm and smoke it with fire, praying to the sky.
The Jade Emperor heard that he was extremely filial and sincere, with a kind heart and treated all travelers equally, saving lives in times of crisis. As the Marshal of Mixed Qi, holding a golden sword, only the entry and exit of Tianmen is fate, in order to subdue evil spirits, eliminate old evil, and make Autumn unhappy.
Some Taoist temples often have a temple dedicated to heavenly generals, enshrining Marshal Lei or other heavenly generals. Due to the differences in local cultural and historical backgrounds among different authentic believers, the number and title of Marshal enshrined may vary. But with Marshal Lei as the protector deity, the prayers of the rescue deities are indeed unanimous.
