SAN KUAN

Pinyin San Guan, in Chinese mythology, the Three Officials: T'ien Kuan, official of heaven who bestows happiness; Ti Kuan, official of earth who grants remission of sins; and Shui Kuan, official of water who averts misfortune. The Chinese theatre did much to popularize T'ien Kuan by introducing a skit before each play called The Official of Heaven Brings Happiness. Reflecting a Taoist principle that held heaven, earth, and water to be three transcendent powers, Chang Heng (2nd century AD) proposed that the confession of sins be written in triplicate, one to be burned for heaven, another buried in earth, and the third sunk in water.