I love money, money loves me
Money comes from all directions
All the time
It's overwhelming
……
As early as the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian said: "The world is bustling, all are for profit, and the world is bustling, all for profit." But this is not a bad description, Sima Qian believes that people's pursuit of wealth is normal and in line with the laws of nature.
The Chinese's belief in the "God of Wealth" can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, and after thousands of years of evolution, there are now five famous gods of wealth, each with its own abilities.
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We are eager to live a happy life, when we worship the God of Wealth, we should pay attention to the distinction, don't worship the wrong one!
The God of Literature and Wealth - Bigan
Bigan, friends who have watched the Fengshen List or the movie "Fengshen" know that he was a generation of loyal ministers during the Shang Dynasty, and he was dissected by the king of Zhou because of his death. But the fact that Bigan is the god of literature and wealth is rarely heard.
Bigan's death is a terrible pity, who knew that in the middle of the yin and yang, he was on the list of gods because he was "unintentional" when he died. Because there is no heart, there is no possibility of "eccentricity". Therefore, he is recognized as a fair, selfless, and impartial literary star and god of wealth.
Bigan source network
After the Shang was destroyed, King Wu felt the loyalty of Bigan and named him the "god of the country", which means the protector of the country. Confucius once praised Bigan: "Yin has three benevolences (Weizi, Jizi, Bigan)", and Bigan is "the head of the three benevolences". Successively praised by King Wu and Confucius, and there are deeds of admonishing the king with death, Bigan was worshiped by the ancient scholar class, so he was called the "God of Literature and Wealth".
Emperor Hanging Bigan Wen Seal Forehead Ink Rubbing Han Anonymous Taipei National Palace Museum Collection
Wenqu Xing's main Wenyun, in order to correspond to the identity of "Wenqu Xing" in the temples and New Year's paintings, the "God of Wealth" often wears the prime minister's black gauze hat, wears a high-ranking official embroidered python robe, holds Ruyi in his hand, and has a serious and solemn face, which is a typical civil official doctor.
Now engaged in clerical work, worship the God of Wealth, you can pay more attention to the God of Wealth.
Wu God of Wealth - Zhao Gongming
Zhao Gongming is the most famous God of Wealth, his legend comes from "Romance of the Gods", and Zhao Gongming is named "Golden Dragon Ruyi Zhengyi Dragon Tiger Xuantan True Monarch". "The Romance of the Gods" wrote that Zhao Gongming said to himself: "I, Zhao, surnamed Zhao Ming, the word Gongming...... Seal me in the palace, the god of wealth of the tiger, enjoy the incense lamp of ten thousand years, and give blessings to others. "He commanded the four gods of Zhaobao Tianzun Xiao Sheng, Nazhen Tianzun Cao Bao, Qiao Youming, the messenger of fortune, and Yao Yiyi, the immortal official of Lishi, to welcome auspicious blessings. Just by looking at his subordinates "Zhaobao, Nazhen, Zhaocai, and Lishi", you can know that Zhao Gongming is in charge of money and making money. It is the god of wealth.
Statue of the God of Wealth Riding a Tiger in modern times Xu Beihong Collection of the Palace Museum
When we look at the statues and portraits of Zhao Gongming, we can always see him riding a tiger. This tiger did not appear out of thin air, tracing the oral stories of the people, and the legend of this tiger can be found in Zhongnan Mountain, the birthplace of Zhao Gongming. This tiger is active in the Heishuiyu area, fierce and vicious, making the lives of the common people uneasy. It happened that one day the young Zhao Gongming took a sickle to mow the grass, and took advantage of the tiger's carelessness, so he subdued the tiger with a lawn mowing sickle, and surrendered it to his own mount, and when he ascended to immortal in the future, he rode the tiger to soar.
In New Year's paintings or fairy sculptures, Zhao Gongming wears an iron crown on his head, holds a nine-section whip in his hand, has a black face and a thick beard, and straddles a black tiger under his body. It is the image of a military attache with a hideous face, so people also call it the god of martial wealth.
Qing Dynasty Taoist water and land painting black tiger Marshal Zhao
Zhao Gongming is the god of wealth widely worshiped by the people, and friends from all walks of life can ask him for blessings and pray for abundant money and rich families in the coming year.
Wu God of Wealth - Guan Yu
Everyone knows the name Guan Yu. The earliest connection between him and the name of the God of Wealth appeared in the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", saying that he was in the center of Cao Cao's camp Liu Bei, hung a seal and sealed gold, not only returned the treasures rewarded by Cao Cao one by one, but also carried detailed records, which has the rudiments of an account book. The name of "Bookkeeping Ancestor" links Guan Yu with the management of accounts and money. This God of Martial Wealth, that's how it came about.
Ming Guan Yu bronze statue Datong City Museum collection
Most of the people who worship Guan Yu and the God of Wealth are wealthy businessmen or business people. They want to have a successful career, but they also want to have a strong force to protect their wealth. Guan Yu, who is particularly righteous and strong, is a god who is just right for the needs of businessmen. Of course, the spirit of fairness and fairness is also the standard for businessmen to do things and behave. Therefore, in restaurants, hotels and even teahouses all over the world, you can see the statue of Guan Erye - his beard is two feet long, his face is like a heavy date, his lips are greased, his phoenix eyes, his silkworm eyebrows, and a green dragon glaive knife in his hand, standing solemnly in the shrine.
If you want to do business and make a fortune, it is highly recommended to go to Guandi Temple to worship.
Guan Yu Capital Museum Collection Source: Weibo @蘸salt
Interestingly, Bi Gan, Zhao Gongming, and Guan Yu are sometimes drawn together, while Bi Gan often wears an official hat and sits in the center, with Zhao Gongming and Guan Yu on either side. In the Beijing Baiyun Temple of Wealth, the three of them sat in the palace in this order. The meaning of the three together is far-reaching, it is the moral god of wealth that the Chinese believe in "benevolence, righteousness, and wealth", and benevolence is placed in the most important position.
"Water" God of Wealth - Jin Yuan Chief
Jin Yuanqi, the chief manager of Jin Yuan, was a native of the Yuan Dynasty, and was the chief of Suzhou and Hangzhou during his lifetime, in charge of water transportation. "Yueqing County Chronicles" said that there are dragons in Shimentan all the year round, Jin Yuanqi was ordered to crusade against the troublesome dragon, cut off its tail, the dragon knocked down the mountain, Jin Yuanqi drowned in the water. After the death of Mr. Jin, he was appointed as a god, and his priesthood was to protect water transportation and shipping, so he was often worshiped by the people engaged in the water transportation industry in the south of the Yangtze River. The water system in the south of the Yangtze River is rich and there are many rivers, and protecting water transportation is to protect wealth and luck, so the head of Jin Yuan has gradually evolved from the god of water to the god of wealth.
If your work is related to water, and you see the temple of the chief Jin Yuan, you may wish to visit it.
"Buddha" God of Wealth - Yellow God of Wealth
The yellow god of wealth is the most common god of wealth in Tibetan Buddhism. He turned out to be a great bodhisattva who had already cultivated the five realms and ten places, and Shakyamuni ordered him to help all poor sentient beings in future lives and take the path of Buddhism, so he became the great protector of the Dharma in Buddhism. "Innocent and Solemn Glass Light" contains, "The king of the God of Wealth, Zhanbala, with an angry face, a big belly like an altar, wearing a wishful treasure chain decoration, holding a red order flag in his right hand, and a treasure beast in his left hand, he lives on the big mat with the majesty of the king, and is surrounded by the people of the God of Wealth of the Wonderful Sage." ”
Qing Tibetan Buddhism five-color God of Wealth Thangka Collection of China Finance and Taxation Museum
The Yellow God of Wealth generally presents the image of a short and sturdy angry King Kong, holding a "Tubao Weasel" (also known as the Tubao Mouse) in his hand, he is also one of the four heavenly kings, and he is also a serious God of Wealth.
Matching with the god of yellow wealth, there is a "heart mantra", which is said to be not required to be recited, but only to see the mantra, that is, not to get sick. If you recite this mantra, you will not be sorrowful or anxious, and your body will not be painful. This mantra is like a vase, a wishful treasure, a wishful tree, whatever it wants, fulfilling the wishes of all beings.
The clay sculpture treasure king sitting statue in the collection of the Palace Museum in the Qing Dynasty
The money in his hand is to give to everyone, and to use the supreme treasure to cut off the "seven povertys" of all sentient beings. Seven poor does not mean "poor in seven ways", but refers to "poverty" beyond wealth.
The "seven povertys" specifically refer to: 1. Believing in poverty: not having correct knowledge and correct views, 2. Avoiding poverty: not having the precepts to rely on, 3. Hearing poverty: not hearing the Fa-rectification, 4. Confessing poverty: not having the heart of repentance, 5. Being ashamed of poverty: not having the heart of respecting the public, 6. Giving up poverty: not having the heart of giving, 7. Wisdom of the poor: not having wisdom.
If you want to get "worldly wealth" and "worldly wealth" at the same time, you can look for the "Yellow God of Wealth" when passing by the Lama Temple.
Bibliography:
From the Loyal Minister to the God of Wealth: The Creation of the Image of the God of Wealth and Traditional Chinese Business Ethics
Research on the Legend, Text and Ritual Construction of Zhao Gongming's God of Wealth Culture
On the religious connotation and folk customs of the worship of the God of Wealth
Chinese folk belief in the God of Wealth and the study of the treasure scroll of the God of Wealth
The god of wealth in Tibetan Buddhist statues
A brief analysis of the Yellow God of Wealth Thangka