Everyone in Shantou worships his master

"Worship the master" is a traditional folk custom in Chaoshan area and a sacrificial activity to gods. It has a long history, a wide range of sacrifice objects, and a wide range of influences. Due to thousands of years of folk worship and deification, as well as the noise and use of rulers in the past dynasties, the worship of the master and its place (the Laoye Palace) have been covered with a mysterious veil. Speaking of Chaoshan people "worshiping masters", there is so much knowledge. There are different "masters" to worship in different seasons. The scope is so wide and the number of gods involved is beyond ordinary people's imagination. Except for the first and tenth day of every month, The fifth thing to do is to worship the landlord of the family. During the year, there are also God of Heaven (Jade Emperor), Buddha (Tathagata Buddha), Goddess of Mercy, Land Father, God of Wealth, Moon God (Moon God), Door God, and Ancestors...especially in the first month. , worshiping the master is a top priority, which is related to the prosperity and decline of the family home in a year. From the 30th of the new year to the 15th of the first lunar month, worship is performed almost every two or three days, and the scene is grand.

Compared with religious activities such as worshiping Buddha, "worshiping the master" is more local and flexible. The activity time of "Worship the Master" is based on the lunar calendar. The first and fifteenth days of each month in the lunar calendar are fixed sacrificial times. These two days are usually held at home and the format is relatively simple. The main purpose is to worship the landowner and the God of Heaven, place incense burners, candlesticks, and offerings, burn incense and pray, and then burn the paper for the underworld. In addition, there are various other birthdays of gods, which are grand and solemn. For example, on the birthday of God of Heaven and the birthday of Earth God, especially in the first month of the year, there are not only many activities but also a large scale of "worshiping the master". If you want to offer sacrifices at home, you have to go to the "Master's Palace" to offer sacrifices. The offerings should also be paid attention to, there are three kinds of animals: pigs, chickens and fish; there are specially made Chaoshan rice cakes, such as hair cake, pingpong cake, peach cake, etc., there are various fresh fruits, and the necessary braised goose. Each village has its own grand "Welcome to the Master" event. The temple must offer super-large incense, invite opera performances, have an honor guard parade, set off firecrackers, etc.

In addition to burning incense and paper, "worshiping the master" also has the form of "asking for a cup". Take two cups made of bamboo or wood and drop them to the ground after praying. If both sides are tails, it is a "laughing cup"; if both sides are heads, it is a "steady cup", neither of which is auspicious; if one is upright and one is reversed, it is a "holy cup", which is a good omen and indicates the content of the prayer. It can be achieved. This form is also used for conversations with gods. The Holy Grail means that the gods agree with your request, otherwise, they do not agree with your request.

Worshiping gods is a phenomenon that exists among Chinese people and even all human beings. It is the same among Chaoshan people. As "Dongli Zhi" (Chen Tianzi, Wanli 2nd year of Ming Dynasty) said: "Guangdong customs are noble. , the temple flourished." There are thousands of large and small temples in the Chaoshan area. The gods worshiped in the temples include natural gods (parents of heaven and earth, sun gods, moon gods, gods of wind, rain, thunder and lightning, gods of mountains, rivers and plants...) Buddhist gods Gods, Taoist gods, emperors, saints, heroes, upright officials, etc., on every first and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, you can see women carrying baskets running between various temples to worship them devoutly. The gods in Chaoshan are collectively called "Masters". Why are Chaozhou people so obsessed with worshiping gods and worshiping multiple gods at the same time? It should be said that there are certain geographical and historical reasons. Chaoshan is located in the coastal area and is also a land of southern barbarians. Since ancient times, there have been many natural disasters and the development of culture has been relatively late. The foundation of primitive religious ideas has led to belief in God and formed in people's minds. A kind of thinking concept. When people encounter a destiny that they are unable to control, they will easily develop a mentality of belief in gods. The reason why people believe in gods and worship gods, whether it is idols or natural images, is because they believe that doing so is useful and useful to them. The main reasons are: fear, insurance, entertainment, idol worship, etc. Worshiping gods is actually very difficult to pinpoint. You can say it is feudal superstition, or you can say it is a kind of belief. Faith is a good thing. People cannot live without faith. People must always have some spiritual sustenance and spiritual strength to support them. However, when faith is too much, it becomes superstition. Today's Chaoshan people, like other ethnic groups in the world, believe that there is no god in the world, but there is no harm in worshiping the gods. At least they can get spiritual comfort. As the saying goes, "I would rather believe in something than something that doesn't exist." This kind of belief and worship in Chaoshan It basically inherits the various traditional beliefs of the Han people about society. Due to various worship activities, the number of gods in Chaoshan increased, and the number of temples also increased, and gradually became a typical and distinctive part of folk culture.

The classification of "masters" and the procedures for worshiping important masters

Chaoshan people attach great importance to New Year festivals and worshiping their ancestors. It has become a fixed social custom in the mid-Ming Dynasty and has been It has been passed down to this day.

"Master" was originally an old-time honorific for superiors or masters. Calling God this way shows the reverence ordinary people have for gods. Volume 5 of Wang Yingkui's "Liu Nan Essays": "In the pre-Ming Dynasty, the Jin gentry had only Jiu Qing called Lao Ye, Ci Lin called Lao Ye, outside ministers and above were called Lao Ye, Yu Zhi called Ye Ye, and villagers called Lao Ye." Si Jing of the Qing Dynasty Those above the official rank are called adults, and those below the fifth rank are called masters. In the old days, nobles were also called masters, and servants called their masters also called masters. Among the Chaozhou people, they not only worship the original Taoist, Buddhist and folk gods, but also worship the local ghosts and gods of Fujian, Vietnam and South Vietnam, as well as local gods. Therefore, there are many names of gods in the Chaoshan area, and temples and ancestral halls are everywhere. Chaoxin regulates temples, regardless of their size, and collectively calls them "Laoye Palace", and the gods are generally called "Laoye". In the small temples of Chaoshan folk villages, gods created by Chaoshan people are mostly worshiped. Trendy people are well aware of the mystery of "God is man-made", and they can create whatever they need, and they are very comfortable with it. Its images are mostly based on three aspects: ancient and modern heroes, ancestors of various ethnic groups and surnames, and various myths and legends. Consciously, they believe that these "own" gods are the most reliable, can protect people at critical moments, and worship them the most diligently. The so-called "worshiping the master" usually refers to worshiping these local gods. "Master" is the collective name for all types of gods. These include:

1. Heroes of ancient and modern times. Especially those who have done good things for the local people are often worshiped as gods after their death.

2. Ancestor worship system. In addition to each surname worshiping its own ancestors, the "Sanshan Wang Temple" that worships the same ancestors of Chaozhou people can be found all over Chaoshan.

3. Local customs and legends. Such as "Laiwu Goddess", "Wind and Rain Saint", etc.

The Yuxian Temple is a temple dedicated to the God of Rain. According to legend, there was a child prodigy in the Song Dynasty, Sun Daozhe, who helped the people with rain and eliminated disasters, and was revered as the God of Rain. There are Yuxian temples in Jiedong, Chao'an, Chaoyang and Raoping counties. In particular, the "Wind and Rain Saint Temple" in Yuluo Town, Jiedong County, Jieyang City is even more famous because it is related to the patriotic poet Xie Ao of the Southern Song Dynasty. Xie Ao (1249-1295), whose courtesy name was Gaoyu, was named Xifazi, and his posthumous title was Legenggong. He was not only a great patriotic poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, but also a national hero who resisted the Yuan Dynasty. At the same time, he is also the ancestor of more than 200,000 residents with the surname Xie in Jieyang City and even in eastern Guangdong. Xie Ao was originally from Changxi, Fujian Province. His ancestor Xie Bangyan was a famous poet in the Song Dynasty. His father Xie Yue wrote "Spring and Autumn Extensions" and "Zuo Shi Dialectics" which have been passed down to the world. In the second year of Xianchun reign of Emperor Duzong of the Song Dynasty (1266), Xie Ao was only 17 years old when he moved to Lin'an with his father. He was already good at poetry and prose and had quite a reputation. In June of the 10th year of Xianchun reign (1274) of Emperor Duzong of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty issued an edict to attack the Song Dynasty. In July of the first year of Jingyan, Duanzong of the Song Dynasty (1276), Wen Tianxiang called on all parties to raise troops to protect the Song Dynasty in Nanjianzhou (the state is now located in Nanping City, Fujian Province). Intrigued by his patriotic indignation, Xie Ao spent all his family resources to fight against the national calamity. He led his countrymen to defect to Wen Tianxiang and was appointed as a "counselor to join the army." Xie Ao was 27 years old at the time. In the second year of Jingyan (1277), Xie Ao accompanied Wen Tianxiang to escort Emperor Bing of the Song Dynasty, sailed south, entered Zhangzhou, and then Meixian to capture Chaoyang. At that time, Xie Ao's wife, who came with the army, was pregnant. Soon she gave birth to a son in a boat on the Houjiang River in Chaoyang, named Huaihu, with the courtesy name Zuixian. Later, in the battles in Jieyang, Haifeng and other places, Wen Tianxiang fell into the hands of the enemy. Xie Ao escaped wittyly and sneaked back to Chaoyang, found his wife and children, lived in seclusion in Baitu Village, and secretly organized the Xiangyong Standby Organization to fight against the Yuan Dynasty. Miss Wang said:

"In order to make the villagers in Chaoshan area not forget the Song Dynasty and stimulate the anti-Yuan sentiment, Xie Ao chose February 16th of the lunar calendar - the birthday of Song Taizu, to hold a "long-term festival". "Spring Festival" activity. In order to make the Yuan soldiers not suspicious, they casually said it was to commemorate the 'Wind and Rain Saint'. Now, the "Wind and Rain Saint Temple" in Dajiao Village, Yujiao Town, Jiedong County is the place where Xie Ao advocated loving his hometown and The national spirit of love for hometown and the expression of national integrity."

Ancestor worship is usually held at the spring or autumn equinox of the lunar calendar every year, so there is often a saying of "Spring and Autumn Festival", and it is also held on March 3rd or Autumn Equinox. It is held on September 9th, and some are held on the Winter Festival.

The night before the worship, an incense table should be set up in the patio to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, and the animals should be slaughtered, that is, a pig and a sheep should be slaughtered.

At around midnight the next morning, gongs began to be sounded to announce the event. At this time, worshipers heard the sound and came in droves. The red candles were burning high in the ancestral temple, the lights were bright, and drums and music were playing. Then the deacons were ordered to perform their duties, and then the shrine was opened and the altar was placed. Finally, they stepped in front of the altar. The incense was lit and sent to the eldest son. The eldest son bowed and offered the incense. The attendees were arranged neatly in order of generation and age. The ancestor worship begins with the recommendation of food and the first offering of gifts, the eldest son offers wine, and the participants kowtow three times. Then they all knelt down to listen to the sacrificial inscriptions, which were read by the ceremonial student.

After reciting, everyone worships again, and finally recommends rice and tea, offers algae and wealth, and removes the food to turn wealth. After the ancestor worship is over, each person gets a portion of the pig and mutton sacrifices according to the number of people participating in the sacrifice, which is called pork belly. During the ancestor worship period, some theater troupes were invited to perform for several days. This has been done every year since the Ming Dynasty, so the performance has become a major folk custom in Chaoshan.

The impact of "worshiping masters" on Chaoshan people

Chaoshan people like to believe in Buddhism and worship gods. In my opinion, "worshiping masters" is a "patent" for Chaoshan women after marriage, regardless of Whether they believe in Buddhism or convert to Christianity, they believe in the word "good", do not bully the weak, give charity to save orphans, and show their virtue. In fact, their worship of God is not out of ignorance and superstition, but to add more happiness to their family life. Insurance channels. The Chaoshan area has a natural market economy. Men go out for business, and the risks are unpredictable. Women can only pray at home, and of course they also have the desire to have children.

In their view, Worshiping the Lord is an extremely sacred thing. They have to take a shower, change clothes, and comb their hair before worshiping the Lord.

The Jade Emperor is worshiped on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. p>The second day of the lunar month, the sixteenth day. The third day of the lunar month, the seventeenth day. The fourth day of the lunar month, the eighteenth day. The fifth day of the lunar month, the tenth day. Nine. The sixth day of the lunar month, the twenty-first day. The seventh day, the twenty-first day. The eighth day, the twenty-second day. Gong

Guanyin

Tathagata

Bo Gong

On the twelfth day of the lunar month, the twenty-sixth day. Sao Muxian

The thirteenth day of the lunar month, the twenty-seventh day. /p>

In the last two days, the masters have weekends. (There are too many masters in our country, so all the men and women who believe in them are buffet-style. There is no rule about which master to worship on any day. It is an absolute market economy. It is up to you to choose. )

In the Chaoshan area, there are more temples than food stores in the streets, and the long-standing trees are also the objects of worship by the locals. The most solemn event is at the end of the year. It is said that at the end of the year, all the masters go to heaven for a meeting. At this time, every family will pay homage to the master in a grand manner, and they will have to pay homage to all kinds of things. Usually in the middle of the night, clothes, hats, and money are made for the worshipper (to be given to the master for shopping in heaven), and they are all burnt to ashes after the worship.

Therefore. At the end of the year, people in Chaoshan don't go out at night. There are ferocious and tired-looking people everywhere burning clothes and money in front of their homes. Don't be afraid of ghosts. On the fifth day of the lunar month, the people in Chaoshan were busy again and had to pick up the masters. Some of the old and weak ones were already tired. They fell ill. They were frightened, thinking that the worshiper was dissatisfied, so they prayed again.

Chaoshan people believe in Feng Shui and hope for a good life when they go out to work. When buying a house, you need to look at a good life, when you get married, you need to look at a good day, when you take office, you need to look at a good life, when buying stocks, you need to look at a good life, and it is said that some people also look at a good life when giving birth... I don’t know if it is necessary to look at the college entrance examination. It's a good day.

Any temple in Chaoshan area is full of incense all year round. Business was so good that in the end, I discovered that when people in Chaoshan paid their respects to the master, they did not say they were grateful to him for bringing him peace of mind and strength. They are begging the master. In some temples, you can often see some believers and good women. They place the offerings, add sesame oil, light incense, and then kneel down in front of the master to worship. While praying, he spoke plausibly.

The demand for goods in a drugstore is like a rotation.

The clinic is flooded with requests for clients.

If you open a shroud shop, your business will be prosperous.

Those who open glass shops ask for hail.

The taxi driver begged for rain and a typhoon.

……

Excerpted from /view/1275399.htm