What does Xuanwu mean in front of Zuoqinglong and right Baihu and behind Suzaku?

Qinglong is the God of the East, with dragons as patterns, representing the East;

Suzaku is the god of the south, with a bird as the pattern, representing the south;

The white tiger is the god of the west, with a white leaping tiger as the pattern, representing the west;

Xuanwu is the god of the north. Xuanwu is a snake wrapped around a turtle as a pattern, representing the north.

The four geomantic images are "Zuo Qinglong, Right White Tiger, Former Suzaku and Later Xuanwu".

Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu are the guardians of the gods, and these four gods actually come from the worship of ancient stars. The ancients divided the stars in the ecliptic (the celestial region where the sun and the moon pass) into 28 constellations, called "Twenty-eight Hostages";

Later, the twenty-eight lodges and the four elephants merged into one, forming the saying of "twenty-eight lodges" and "four elephants". Among them, there are seven places in the East-Jiao, Kang, Shi, Fang, Xin, Wei and Ji. The ancients imagined it as Jackie Chan. Because it is located in the east, according to the theory that the five elements of Yin and Yang are matched with five colors, the east is blue, so it is called "Qinglong". In this way, there are Xuanwu in the north, White Tiger in the west and Suzaku in the south.

Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu are collectively called "four elephants", also known as 44,000 gods. Generally, the gods of the Quartet are often used in military ranks and ranks, and become the patron saint of marching and fighting. QuLi still said, "ok. There are Zhu birds (sparrows) in front and Xuanwu behind, and there are dragons on the left and white tigers on the right, swaying on the floor. " Chen Man pointed out, "Yes, the army will leave. The names of Suzaku, Xuanwu, Qinglong and Baihu are also well known. " He said, "Let all the flags fly. The dragon flag has nine sides, the sparrow has seven sides, the tiger has six sides, and the tortoise and snake have four sides." In other words, its manifestation is to draw "four elephants" on the standard, thus showing the military formation of front, back, left and right, boosting morale and achieving the goal of invincible. Notes on the Thirteen Classics? "Book of Rites Quli" says: "Like a bird flying, like the poison of a turtle and snake, the dragon and tiger are excited, which is not comparable to these four things." It can be seen that its role is great.

Qinglong was originally the God of the East in ancient mythology, and one of the Seven Hosts and Four Elephants in the East in Taoism. For the twenty-eight lodging houses, the seven lodging houses in the East (horn, kang, bian, room, heart, tail and dustpan) have the image of dragons, which are located in the east, belong to wood and are blue in color, collectively called Qinglong, also known as Black Dragon. The forty-four volumes of Tai Huang Shangzhi Zhai Yi call Qinglong Dongdou: "Jiaosu Tianmen, Kangsu Pavilion, Changsu Tianfu, Su Fang Tian Yixing Jun, Shinjuku Uranus Jun, Weisu Tianji Xingjun, and Jisu Tianlu Xingjun." As for its image, The Collection of Daomen General Education has seven clouds: "Oriental Dragon Horn, puffing, thundering and flying, surrounded by four ghosts, stands on my left." In addition, Taoism also uses it in alchemy. For example, Volume 72 of "Seven Chapters of Clouds" quotes the Dan of the four gods in the ancient scriptures: the dragon is a dragon, and the oriental wood is also mercury. It is clear and unwilling, not turbid and undesirable, far and unreachable, and there are endless hidden changes, so it is called dragon.

The White Tiger was originally the God of the West in ancient mythology, and it was one of the four images of the seven Pleiades in Taoism. Among the twenty-eight lodgings, the seven western lodgings (Kui, Lou, Wei, Ang, Bi, tapir and Shen) are the images of tigers, which are located in the west and belong to gold and white, and are collectively called white tigers. Volume 44 of Emperor Tai Shang Ru Zhai Yi calls Baihu Xi Dou: "Su Kui Tian Jiang Xing Jun, Lou Su Tian Jian Xing Jun, Su Wei Tian Cang Xing Jun, Angsu Tianmu Xing Jun, Bi Su Tian Er March, Li Su Tianping March, Shen Su Tian Shui March." As for its image, there are seven clouds in the book "The Collection of Daomen General Education": "The West should stay in the tiger, set its tone with the quality of Yingying, intimidate all animals, stir up mountains and establish my rights." At the same time, Taoism also uses it in alchemy terms. For example, Volume 72 of Yun Qi Tanabata quoted Dan, one of the four gods in the ancient classics, as saying, "The White Tiger and Xijin have also won a real position." "Jing" says: If the son is prosperous, the wife has different names, and the five elements are born together, which is also caused by essence. It can't move, so it's called a tiger.

Suzaku was originally the god of the south in ancient mythology, and one of the seven stars and four elephants in southern Taoism. The seven hotels in the south (Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi and Zhu) are 28 hotels, with a dark image, located in the south, belonging to fire and red in color. They are collectively called Suzaku, also known as "Suzaku". In Volume 44 of Emperor Taizong Zhai Yi, Nan Zhu Cuixing is called: "Su Jing Tianjing Xing Jun, Ghost House Tiankui Xing Jun, Liu Su Chutian Xing Jun, Su Xingtian Kuxing Army, Zhang Su Libra Xing Army, Yi Su Tian Tian Xing Army, Ji Su Tianjie Xing Army." As for its image, there are seven clouds in "The Collection of Jiao Tong's Needs": "The South Pearl Cuisine, from the length of the bird, the change of the Dan point, the sound of blue thunder, the colorful colors and the six images of the divine instrument, will guide me." At the same time, Taoism also uses it in alchemy terms. For example, the seventy-second volume of "Seven Chapters and Clouds" quoted the "Four Gods Dan" in ancient classics, saying that Zhu Cui was the founder of Zhu Cui, and the fire cinnabar in the south of Ding Bing was also a dragon, and the gas turned into a bird. Its qi rises to heaven, and its mass array is the ground, so it is the foundation of the Great Dan, and it flies when it sees fire, so it is obtained.

Xuanwu was originally the God of the North in ancient mythology and one of the Seven Stars and Four Elephants of Northern Taoism. There are 28 lodgings in the seven northern lodgings (bucket, female, virtual, dangerous, house and wall) located in the north, also known as Guishetai, which belongs to water and has a mysterious color, and is collectively called "Xuanwu". In Volume 44 of Emperor Tai Shang Ru Zhai Yi, North Xuanwu Star Jun is called "Dou Su Tian Miao Xing Jun, Niu Su Tian Tian Xing Jun, Female Su Tian Nv Jun, Xu Su Tian Qing Xing Jun, Dangerous Su Tian Qian Xing Jun, Su Su Tian Qi Xing Jun, Su Bi Shi Tianxing Jun." As for its image, "The Collection of Jiao Tong's Needs" has seven clouds: "North Xuanwu Star, Taiyin Metaplasia, Virtual and Dangerous Aerosol, Terrace of Tortoise and Snake, Wandering in the Sky, Commanding All Spirits, Coming from My Right." At the same time, Taoism also uses it in alchemy terms. For example, Volume 72 of Yun Qi Tanabata quoted the four gods Dan in the ancient classics, saying that "Xuanwu people are black mercury in northern China, and they can be soft and firm." The Classic says: Bodhisattva is like water. Non-lead, non-tin, non-stone and the like, water is Hedong Shenshui, born before heaven and earth, so medicine can not be abandoned temporarily, and everything can be nourished, so it is called Xuanwu.