Three Pure Ones

The Three Pure Ones (Chinese: 三清), also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Purities, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Clarities, or the Three Divine Teachers, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are:

• Jade Purity (Chinese: 玉清) ━ Original and Primordial Heavenly Lord (元始天尊)
• Upper Purity (Chinese: 上清) ━ Divine Treasures Heavenly Lord (靈寶天尊)
• Grand Purity (Chinese: 太清) ━ Heavenly Lord of Way and Virtue (道德天尊)

They are considered the primordial embodiments of the Energy of The One (Chinese: 一炁), which is another name for Tao. There is a famous saying in Taoism:

"The Energy of The One transforms into the Three Pure Ones. (一炁化三清)"

This saying can refer to a starting scene in Taoist creation mythology, meaning that in the beginning of the universe, there was nothing else but Tao, namely the Energy of The One. It transformed into or emanated three primordial Divinities, who are the Three Pure Ones.

Additionally, the saying can also refer to a very high level of Taoist practice, which is described as:

"The Five Types of Energies combine and become the Energy of The One; the Energy of The One then transforms into the Three Pure Ones. (五行合爲一炁，一炁化作三清)"

This refers to a pivotal phase in Taoist internal cultivation that when the Five Types of Energies are perfectly mixed and become the Energy of The One, the Energy of The One then transforms into or manifests the Three Pure Ones.

The saying has double meanings because according to Taoist cosmology, a human body is a small universe, while the universe is a grand human body; therefore, whatever happened during the creation of the universe can also happen within everyone's body.

The Three Pure Ones are considered the sources of all existence in the universe and are believed to have power over time. They were also understood as representing the Past, Present, and Future by some.

According to Taoist mythology, the Three Pure Ones reside in the highest heavens called the Three Purest Heavens (Chinese: 三清天), which are:

• Jade Purity Heaven (Chinese: 玉清天), where Original and Primordial Heavenly Lord resides.
• Upper Purity Heaven (Chinese: 上清天), where Divine Treasures Heavenly Lord resides.
• Grand Purity Heaven (Chinese: 太清天), where Heavenly Lord of Way and Virtue resides.

• Heavenly Lord of Way and Virtue
• Jade Purity, Original and Primordial Heavenly Lord
• Upper Purity, Divine Treasures Heavenly Lord