Tu'er Shen 免兒神

According to the book, What the Master Would Not Discuss, written by Yuan Mei during the Qing dynasty in China, a young soldier named Hu Tianboa fell in love with a state official that was visiting his Provence. Hu Tianboa peeked at the official when he was in the bath room. Hu Tianboa was caught peeking and was brought immediately  to the official. The official hearing what Hu Tianboa had done was very angry. Hu Tianboa admitted his love for the official. The official not eased by this proclamation and  ordered Hu Tianboa to be executed for his offense. When Hu Tianboa made it to the under world, he reported to the King of Hell, Emma. After hearing Hu Tianboa's story, the King became angry stating how dare this official put someone to death for Love. To fix this grave wrong doing the King sent Hu Tianboa back to the worldly plane as a protective diety of the LGBTQ community. He was then called Tu'er Shen, the Leveret Spirit.

There are many Bodhisattvas and protective deities within the Lotus Sutra and other teachings. These beings can be valuable examples to our practice and help us through the obstacles along our path. They can help us as examples of practice and teachers who teach us about ourselves. They can be that little push that we sometimes need to keep us going along the path. The phrase, Shoten Zenjin is used to refer to these protectors as a whole.

Tuer Shen is a protective deity of the LGBTQ+ community. He was given the task to help those in the community to be safe and to be able to find each other. He is venerated to find matches, protect, bring peace and prosperity. Tuer Shen's name is derived from the slang used to refer to Gay men in China. Gay men were referred to as rabbits. Tuer Shen is translated as the Leveret spirit. A leveret is a young male rabbit.

It is said that Tuer Shen appeared to one of the elders of his village in a dream. Tuer Shen told him to build a Temple for him. The elder went to the council and the Temple was built. It would be difficult for Temple's to Tuer Shen to survive as many did not agree with the LGBTQ community. Even the government at one point started a campaign to get rid of Tuer Shen's Temple's. Today you can find Tuer Shen enshrined in a Taiwan Taoist Temple and here at this Temple.