Embrace the Blessings: Celebrating the Sacred Birthday of the Supreme Elder Lord

April 2，2026

The Manifestation of the Great Tao

The fifteenth day of the second lunar month is celebrated in Taoism as the Holy Birthday of the Supreme Elder Lord, a supreme deity of creation, salvation, and enlightenment. It is a profound moment when the Great Tao manifests, rekindling the vital energy of life, making it the perfect time to pray for blessings and welcome auspiciousness.

However, though it is called a "Holy Birthday," it does not refer to the moment of a mortal birth. In Taoist faith, the Supreme Elder Lord is the very embodiment of the Great Tao. He was born from the beginningless void and arose without cause. He is the origin of all paths and the ancestor of primordial energy, and is thus referred to simply as the "Great Tao." The physical manifestation of this Great Tao is precisely the Supreme Elder Lord.

1 2

The Profound Meaning of His Name

The four characters of his Chinese title, "Tai Shang Lao Jun" (Supreme Elder Lord), carry an infinitely deep significance. "Tai" (Supreme) refers to the greatest expanse of space; "Shang" (High or Above) represents the highest of all realms; "Lao" (Elder or Ancient) signifies the longest duration of time; and "Jun" (Lord or Sovereign) denotes the most noble existence in the world. Therefore, his title encompasses the ultimate in greatness, height, endurance, and nobility. Through these tangible words, humanity praises the ineffable incarnation of the Tao.

The Founding Patriarch

The Supreme Elder Lord has delivered countless beings to salvation and is revered as the teacher of the three teachings. The historical sage Lao Tzu is considered the eighteenth earthly incarnation of this Supreme Taoist Ancestor. Because he bequeathed the foundational Taoist classic, the Tao Te Ching, the Supreme Elder Lord is also honored as the Heavenly Worthy of the Way and its Virtue (Daode Tianzun), and is universally revered as the founding patriarch of Taoism.

The reason this specific date is celebrated as the Supreme Elder Lord's Holy Birthday traces back to the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, when Emperor Xuanzong issued an imperial edict establishing the day. Later, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, it was officially named the Festival of the Descending Sage.

Boundless Blessings and Merit

On this highly auspicious occasion, by cultivating a pure heart, making vast vows, worshiping the Supreme Elder Lord, reciting the Precious Incantation of Supreme Clarity, and offering generous alms, one will naturally receive boundless blessings. We dedicate this supreme spiritual merit to all sentient beings, praying for global peace, auspiciousness, and absolute tranquility across the world.

1 4

接福氣：賀道祖太上老君聖誕

2026年4月2日

農曆二月十五日為道教中具有開天創世與救贖教化的太上老君聖誕，更是大道顯化，重啟生機之時，適宜祈福納祥。

然而雖名“聖誕”，卻並非指太上老君出生之時，在道教信仰中，老君是大道的化身，生於無始，起於無因，為萬道之先，元氣之祖也，故稱為“大道”。大道之身，就是指太上老君。

“太上老君”四字，具有極深的含義。“太”，是指空間之最大；“上”，是指高低之最上；“老”，是指時間之最久；“君”，是指世間之最貴，所以“太上老君”四字包含至大、至高、至久、至貴，人們用“太上老君”透過有形的文字，來讚美不可說的“道”之化身。

太上老君度人無數，為三教之師；老子就是太上道祖的第十八世化身，因他傳下道家經典《道德經》，故稱老君為道德天尊，也被道教奉為開山祖師。

之所以農曆二月十五日為老君聖誕，是因為在唐朝開元年間，玄宗皇帝下詔所定的日子，到武宗時正式定名為降聖節。

值此殊勝日，以清淨心、發廣大願，朝拜太上、誦持太清寶誥、普施供奉，自然獲福無量。以此殊勝功德回向給一切眾生，祈願世界和平、吉祥安泰。

< Back to blog