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The Living Life Series is dedicated to Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). The doctrine is in His image. The image is the doctrine. He who sees, understands and effects the doctrine sees and knows Him. He who does not see, know and effect the doctrine sees not and knows not the saint even if the saint or His image is beside him. The far may be near and the near may be far. Let the doctrine and the saint be part of our life. The lord saint in your life can be any heavenly saint of any religion, sect or school. The doctrine of truth is behind all and this is the Inner Truth that leads all (regardless of their religious affiliation or even if none) to inner peace and heaven on earth here and now and not just in the after life. The ideal worship and devotion is to know and effect the doctrine of God and the saints. The best gospel is the gospel of life. We learn from our life and the lives of others. The true temple is the world we live in. The sky is the roof of the temple and religions and sects are the pillars of the temple. All under Heaven are in the temple. Needless to say that all the saints we know are in this temple. Ji Gong Posat too is no exception. The whole wide world and web is the temple and must be regarded as a sacred place --- a temple for living and learning. It is more important that everyone that counts plays a role in this universal temple if due focus is to be given to the Mission of Heaven. Men must not be distracted by the agenda of men and end up serving the mission of man. That would be a far cry from the Mission of Heaven. We worship God and saints, not man however good that man may be. There should be no hero worshiping or idolizing of man whether he is a charismatic pastor, priest, monk, medium or lay leader. We don't even idol worship the image of any saint but reflect on what the image stands for. - the doctrine in the image. Omitofo 阿弥陀佛!.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Chinese New Year and the Gods of Wealth

No 386 of Living Life Series 1








Chinese celebrate the birthday of the God of Wealth on the fifth day of Chinese New Year.  Firecrackers are exploded as a sign of welcoming the God of Wealth. Shops hang red cloth banner over the top of the main door.   

Every home will hang a picture of the God of Wealth for Chinese New Year. Originally only merchants practise this custom but soon others took on the practice.  Soon people of different times and regions worship their own concepts of God of Wealth. There is the traditional one Zhao Gongming, then the Martial God of Wealth , the Civil God of Wealth, the Deities of Wealth of Five Directions and the Angel of Fortune. The concept of God of Wealth is not one but more than one.  

According to Chinese culture. com, the five main gods of wealth are as follows

The primary god of wealth is Zhao Gongming, also known as Marshal Zhao or Altar Zhao. He was originally one of the gods in the hell before the Jade Emperor appointed him as marshal or general responsible for trading, business and wealth in the human world.  He is depicted with a dark face with a full beard and dons an iron helmet and battle robe. He holds a precious scepter and rides a tiger. Around him, there are treasure-amassing basins, big gold and silver ingots, precious pearls and wealth enhancing corals.

Guan Yu, a famous general of the State of Shu during the Three Kingdoms Period. He was loyal and courageous. He would not be lured by gold, silver and treasure and was loyal. He could not be bribed. People especially businessmen admire and respect Master Guan Yu's loyalty and integrity and  he became a saint of fortune making and business. He is thus a god of wealth.  

Fan Li, a civil god of wealth was an outstanding statesman, thinker and strategist of the Spring and Autumn Period. He was also a businessman good at making money. Later, he lived with his family in Taodi and continued to amass wealth though farming, livestock raising and doing business. He distributed his wealth to local people. His generosity was highly acclaimed and many worshiped him as the God of Wealth. 

Another civil god of wealth is Bi Gan.  Bi Gan, the uncle of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty was a loyal and righteous minister. It is recorded in Fengshen Yanyi or The Creation of the Gods that Bi Gan's heart was dug out by Daji, King Zhou's concubine, but he didn't die due to the incense paper offered by a certain sage Jiang Ziya. There after, Bi Gan retreated into the midst of the common people to distribute treasure. Merchants under the blessing of Bi Gan did honest business. That's why Bi Gan came to be worshiped as civil god of wealth. He is depicted dressed like a civil official who wears a minister's head gear and robe, with a ruyi (an S-shaped ornamental jade, a symbol of good luck) in his hand and gold or silver ingots under his feet.     

Apart from two martial and two civil gods of wealth, the side god is also worshiped among the people. The name of the god comes from the position of the portrait, which is often placed on the side of a house or shop. It is believed that with the blessing of the side god, good fortune will come to someone when he or she goes out of his home, office or shop, where ever he goes, be it north, south, east, west or middle. The side god is sometimes referred to as "Five-Road God". 

But the term the Five Directional Gods of Wealth or Wu Lu Cai Shen often refer to all five and not just to the side god.

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