Hi brothers, would really appreciate it if anyone of you could provide more info or picture(s) of this deity. Thanks

Hi Zen,
Welcome to our family.
Are you referring to the three Buddhist High Priests?
Can you provide some names. Bro Dorje is the expect in this area.
Regards.

Hi Brother REBORN,

I couldn't find much about the history about this zu shi but i supposed they are the 3 Buddhist High Priest mentioned. According to some, San Dai Zu Shi is also the "hua shen" of Qing Shui Zu Shi and another deity (sorry, I forgot the name). Please enlighten me... By the way, Bro Dorje, if you are reading this, I'd be glad if you could enlighten me on this issue. Thank you in advance!

Zen

清水祖師


又稱「麻章上人」，閩南一帶多稱為「烏面祖師」，臺灣則稱為「祖師公」、

「祖師爺」。全省近百座的清水祖師廟中，祖師爺的分身，別稱 [三代祖師」、

「蓬萊祖師」、「顯應祖師」、「照應祖師」、「輝應祖師」、「普庵祖師」。

其別稱尚有：

落鼻祖師：相傳每逢天災地變，祖師爺的鼻子會先掉落以示警，因此，

又被尊稱為「落鼻祖師」。

蓬萊祖師：清咸豐六年，安溪發生旱災，鄉人向祖師爺祈雨，非常靈驗，

為表謝意，就在蓬萊山建造祖師爺的精舍，並尊稱 「蓬萊祖師」。

麻章上人：祖師爺曾到麻章這個地方救濟貧病，村人尊稱「麻 章上人」。

烏面祖師：據說祖師爺曾與惡鬼鬥法，惡鬼相約把祖師爺關在 山洞中，

用火薰燒七天七夜後，祖師爺平安出洞，只是臉被薰 黑，

惡鬼佩服其功力，便聽其指揮，即張、黃、蘇、李四大將軍，

故有「烏面祖師」之稱。

相傳清水祖師俗姓陳，名應（一說為陳昭或陳昭應），法名「普足」，宋仁宗慶曆四年

正月初六誕生於福建省永春縣小姑鄉。陳應自幼在大雲院出家，因不堪寺院的虐待，於是到

高太山結茅築庵，閉關靜坐，後經大靜山明松禪師指點，參讀佛典三年，終於悟道。明松禪

師授他衣缽，並告誡他：「我佛最大功德，就是行仁，是故要捨棄萬緣，以利物濟世為職責」，

陳應便在麻章施醫濟藥，普救貧病，麻章人士尊他為「麻章上人」。

宋神宗元豐六年，清溪（福建安溪）永春一帶大旱，鄉人請他去祈雨，立刻甘霖普降，

因此被尊稱為「清水祖師」。清溪人士便在蓬萊山上築一精舍，延請麻章上人居住，並稱此為

「清水嚴」。麻章上人在此修行十九年，獨力募化，修橋鋪路，人人稱便，漳州、汀州一帶的人

都十分崇信他。宋徽宗靖國九年，五月十三日在說教中端坐而逝，享年六十五歲。地方人士

感念其德澤，奉報朝廷，敕賜「昭應大師」封號。

另根據台灣三峽祖師廟說明，清水祖師是北宋京都開封府祥符縣人(今河南開封)，

曾追隨宋丞相文天祥義舉勤王，英勇抵抗元兵，轉戰大江南北，是抗元扶宋的民族英雄。

清水祖師生前隱居於福建清水巖，死後明太祖追念他功在國家，敕封為「護國公」昭命於

福建省安溪縣清水巖建立祠堂崇祀，因此福建安溪人稱他為「祖師公」，其廟宇稱為「祖師廟」。

I'm not sure about the Taoist answer, but in Buddhism there are a few interpretations.

The first interpretations is the 3 Buddhas of the Past, Present and Future. It could also mean the first 3 Buddhist Patriarchs of Chinese Buddhism.

Perhaps you could help by refining your search, because information about the 3 Buddhas already can fill up the whole of the National Library!

Thanks brother Reborn and Dorje for the findings in Taoism and Buddhism...

When I was in the Qing Shui Zu Shi temple in Genting Highlands, I asked about the history of Qing Shui Zu Shi and the temple keeper told me Qing Shui Zu Shi is the reincarnation of Hei Ti Pusa.

With regards to San Dai Zu Shi, some refer Qing Shui Zu Shi and San Ping Zu Shi as San Dai Zhu Shi's "hua shen"... Well, there are many interpretations as of each temple I visit. Is there any concrete records about this deity? What do you think dear brothers?

Zen

Hi Zen,

I think a lot of people got confused with the three smaller Qing Shui Zu Shi statues at the Genting temple. I personally know the temple keeper (Ah Hock. He always sit at the donation table). He explained to me that the three small one are Qing Shui Zu Shi's 'minor image' ( hua shen).

Once I asked our Zu Shi ( when our temple (Qing Shui Zu Shi temple at Woodlands Ind Park E8), didn't have too many consultees, who they are. I was told these are the 'minor images' or 'hua shens'. Furthermore, Qing Shui Zu Shi also explained the present day statues showing him as totally black is wrong. Qing Shui Zu Shi is a Chinese monk. His face turned black from smoke and fire when he fought the demons in the Peng Lai cliff. In fact, most statues also painted his lips in red. He said this is very offensive (as monk don't put on lipstick!). These are all human makings, past down through generations (and also commercialized by the statues maker, decorated so that his products can sell better!).

Qing Shui Zu Shi have several minor images, not limited to:
i) Sandai Zu Shi
ii) Penglai Zu Shi
iii) Xianying Zu Shi
iv) Zhaoying Zu Shi
v) Huiying Zu Shi
vi) Pu An Zu Shi
vii) Luo Bi Zu Shi

btw, there's also another Qing Shui Zu Shi temple in Woodlands, next to the Sembawang God of Fortune's temple, known as Peng Lai temple. It's near to North Link, Admirality Road.

Dear Bro Reborn,

Thanks for the detailed discussion about Qing Shui Zu Shi. I personally is quite devoted to this deity. I am currently based in Kuala Lumpur. On the 6th day of the recent chinese new year, I was back in my hometown in Penang, I went to the Chor Su Kong Temple (Snake Temple) for praying. I personally find that the holy statue of Qing Shui Zu Shi in snake temple very graceful (I can say the most graceful that I have seen so far).

Zen

Hi Zen,

I think I've found some interesting infors on San Dai Zhu Shi.

Pls read it here:
Scroll down to page 121:
http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/44/4402006.pdf

Dear Zen,


Last week, when I was in Yongchun, I stumbled upon this unique San Tai Zhu Shi. The temple keeper explained that San Tau Zhu Shi is not Qing Shui Zhu Shi, although both lived around the same period.

Regards.

what i know that the San Tai Zhu Shi is one of His name... the other name is Qing Shui Yan Zu Shi, Zhao Ying Zu Shi, Luo Bi Zu Shi, Hei Mian Zu Shi...

in my country He also known as protector imigrant from mainland...

His also often presented with different face, black, yellow or red... black symbolize victory from evil bothering at His meditation in Qing Shui Yan...

i have the San Tai Zhu Shi praise mantra, but in hokkian language.

sorry, my english not very good... :) :) :)

My Grandmaster-San Dai Zu Shi (三代祖师) cultivates at 闽南龙湖寺 and got enlightened there.

The kimsin of my grandmaster which resides in the present location is from China.

德化龙湖寺-安溪九峰岩-南洋红毛丹格村九峰岩-新加坡九峰岩通淮庙(present location).

The very first kimsin is "invited" from "Long Hu Si" to Ann Kway.
As my clan's forefathers came to Singapore (formerly known as Nanyang) "invited" and brought the lineage of my grandmaster to Singapore. Its past location was at a village known as "Hong Mao Dan Ge" at Thompson.
After the government wants to use the land, it was then shifted to the present location.
It was recorded to have up to 100years of history.

This is the relation on where my grandmaster came from.

I guess it is different from Qing Shui Zu Shi.

Hi emptiness_yh,

Yes, I could be wrong in my earlier posting. There're so many version of San Tai Zu Shi. Sorry folks.

Is your Grandmaster San Tai Zu Shi named Lim Zi Zhao [林自超]?

If so, then this should the one:-

三代祖师——林自超

自超，姓林氏，遇异人于九窦溪，使负之渡，万曰：“我泰山佛，传汝心印。”自是灵通。尝夜梦异人，导往泰湖山，见古木流泉，迥非凡境，乃登山创龙湖寺居焉。时绍定庚寅岁也(1230)。后示寂。

Best regards.

Yup, his identity is recorded in our temple as Lin Zi Chao.
It's alright, bro. We are posting the possibilities backgrounds of this patron deity.

Best wishes for the coming New Year. =)

Dear emptiness_yh,

Thank you for the info. I came across a booklet introducing all the taoist temples in Singapore and YES the temple you mentioned (九峰岩) in Thompson was stated there. I personally is also a strong believer in 三代祖师 like yourself. I have 2 kimsin of 三代祖师 (actually belongs my father). One in my KL home and the other in my Penang home.

Please PM me your contacts and perhaps the next time I'm in Singapore, we can come out for a cup of coffee.

Actually do you have pictures of the kimsin that you're having?



Zen

Greetings, Bro Zen.

I do not have pictures of the kim sin.
My house does not honour him. We pay respect to him at the mentioned temple at his anniversary.

Hello to fellow forum users..

Some updates for this thread..

My Grandmaster temple mentioned previously, have both San Dai Zu Shi (三代祖师） and Qing Shui Zu Shi (清水祖师).
For San Dai Zu Shi, we address him as San Dai Gong （三代公), a.k.a Sum Dai Gong in Hokkien.
For Qing Shui Zu Shi, we address him as Zu Shi Gong (祖师公), a.k.a Zhor Si Gong in Hokkien.

Below is a picture of San Dai Zu Shi, in my Grandmaster temple.

(The one in the middle, is San Dai Zu Shi. The one to his right, is Qing Shui Zu Shi.)
*Sorry for the bad photo taken, my intention was to take San Dai Zu Shi and not really Qing Shui Zu Shi.