Xian ling (religion)

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Chinese folk religion
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Theory Chinese theology Chinese gods and immortals Chinese mythology Chinese creation myth Chinese spiritual world concepts Model humanity: Xian Zhenren Wen and wu
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Xian ling (simplified Chinese: 显灵; traditional Chinese: 顯靈; pinyin: xiǎn líng) is the notion of a numinous, sacred (ling) presence of a god or gods in the Chinese traditional religion. The term can be variously translated as "divine efficacy", "divine virtue", or also "efficacious response"; these terms describe the manifestation and activity of the power of a god (灵气; 靈氣; líng qì, "divine energy" or "divine effervescence", see qi). ^[a]

Within the context of traditional cosmology, the interaction of these energies constitutes the universe (the All-God, Tian), and their proper cultivation (bao ying) upholds the human world order.^[a]
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