Xian ling (religion)

[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.

Through rituals of worship and proper conduct, people acquire and maintain a sense of stable world order, peace, and balance (bao ying).

[a] Within temples it is common to see banners bearing the phrase: "If the heart is sincere, god will reveal his power" (心诚则灵; 心誠則靈; xīn chéng zé líng).

[a] Worship consists of the display of reverence or respect (jìngshén 敬神) for the gods, honoring them through the fulfillment of vows (还愿; 還願; huányuàn').

[c] A deity may also require, in exchange for his or her help through divine effervescence, that people act morally and perform good works, virtuous deeds (shànshì 善事), and practice self-cultivation (xiūxíng 修行).

[e] "Doing good deeds to accumulate virtue" (行善积德; 行善積德; xíng shàn jī dé) is a common formula for religious practice.

[f] Virtue is believed to accumulate in one's heart, which is seen as the energetic center of the human body (zài jūn xīn zuò fú tián 在君心作福田).

[g] Divine power usually manifests in public; once the event is witnessed and acknowledged, reports about it spread quickly and the cult of the deity establishes itself and grows in popularity, and temples are built.

[g] Zavidovskaya also cited an example of the cult of the god Zhenwu in Congluoyu Town (丛罗峪镇; 叢羅峪鎮; cóngluóyù zhèn, Lin County, Lüliang), Shanxi Province.