The origin of Shantou's custom of "learning from teachers"
Compared with religious activities such as worshipping Buddha, "worshipping teachers" is more local and flexible. The activity time of "Apprenticeship" is based on the lunar calendar. The first and fifteenth days of each month in the lunar calendar are fixed sacrificial time. These two days are usually held at home, and the form is relatively simple. Mainly to worship landlords and gods, put incense burners, candlesticks and offerings, burn incense and pray, and then burn paper. In addition, there are various other birth dates of gods, which are grand and solemn in form. For example, on the birthday of God and the birthday of the land, especially in the first month, "learning from teachers" is not only active, but also large-scale. There are sacrifices at home, and we have to go to the "main hall" for sacrifices. We should also pay attention to the offerings. There are three kinds of animals: pigs, chickens and fish. Chaoshan snacks with special features, hair, table tennis, peaches, all kinds of fresh fruits, and red roast goose. Every village has its own grand "welcome the elderly" activity. Temples should provide extra-large incense, invite Taiwanese opera performances, have a guard of honor parade, set off firecrackers and fireworks.
In addition to burning incense and paper, there is also the form of "asking for a cup". Take two cups made of bamboo heads or wood, pray and land. If both pieces are tails, it is a "laughing cup"; If both sides are positive, it is "stable cup", which is unlucky; If one is right and the other is wrong, it is the "Holy Grail", which is a good sign that the content of prayer can be realized. This form is also used to talk to the gods. The Holy Grail means that the gods agree to your request, and vice versa.
Worship of gods is a phenomenon that exists in China and even in all mankind, and so is Chaoshan people. For example, in Dongli Zhi (Chen in the second year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty), "Cantonese customs are still expensive, and temples are thriving". There are thousands of large and small temples in Chaoshan area. The gods worshipped in temples include natural gods (mother of heaven and earth, sun god, moon god, wind and rain god, mountain and river god, animal and plant god ...), Buddhist gods, Taoist gods, emperors, sages, heroes, honest officials and so on. On the first and fifteenth day of the first lunar month, women with baskets can be seen running between temples and worshiping devoutly. Immortals are collectively called "lords" in Chaoshan. Why are hipsters so obsessed with the worship of gods that many gods worship together? It should be said that there are certain geographical and historical reasons. Chaoshan is located along the coast, and it is also a barbarian land. Since ancient times, there have been many natural disasters and cultural development has been late. The basis of primitive religious thought led to the belief in God and formed the concept of thinking in people's minds. When people encounter a fate beyond their control, it is easy to sprout a belief in God. People believe in God and worship God, whether it is idols or natural images, because they think it is useful and beneficial to them. In fact, it is difficult to locate such a thing as worshipping God. It can be said to be feudal superstition or belief. Faith is a good thing, and people can't live without it. People always have some spiritual sustenance and support, but if they believe more, they become superstitious. Today's Chaoshan people, like other nationalities in the world, believe that there is no god in the world, but it is no harm to worship a god, at least in spirit. The so-called "believing in its existence but not believing in its absence" basically inherits the traditional beliefs of the Han people in society. Due to various sacrificial activities, there are more gods and temples in Chaoshan, which gradually become a typical and distinctive part of folk culture. ?
The classification of "master"? And the procedures for worshipping important masters.
Chaoshan people attach great importance to festivals and worship their ancestors, which became a fixed social custom in the middle of the Ming Dynasty and has been passed down to this day. "Grandfather" was originally a title of respect for the boss or master in the old society. It was used to address God, showing the reverence of ordinary people for the gods. Wang Yingkui's "Liu Nan Essay" was published on the fifth day: "In the former Ming Dynasty, the gentry only called Jiuqing the master, the word forest the master, the foreign ministers the master, the rest the master and the villagers the old man." In the Qing dynasty, the four-grade crystal official was called an adult above, and the five-grade crystal official was called a master below. In the old society, the gentry was also called the master, and the servant called the master the master. In chaozhou people, there are not only primitive Taoism, Buddhism and folk gods, but also local ghosts and gods in Fujian and South Vietnam, as well as local gods. Therefore, there are many names of gods in Chaoshan area, and temples and ancestral halls abound. Temples, big or small, are regulated by the DPRK letter, collectively known as the "Laoye Palace", and the gods are generally called the "Laoye Temple". There are many gods created by chaozhou people himself in the small temple in Chaoshan Folk Village. Hipsters know the mystery that "God is man-made" and can create whatever they need, which is very handy. Its image is based on three aspects: ancient and modern heroes, ancestors of all ethnic groups' surnames, and various myths and legends. They consciously think that these "own" gods are the most reliable, can protect people at critical moments, and have the highest frequency of worship. Usually, the so-called "worshipping the Lord" means worshipping these land gods. "Master" is a general term for all kinds of gods. These include:
First,? Ancient and modern heroes. Especially those who have done good things for the local people are regarded as gods after death.
Second,? Ancestor worship system. In addition to worshipping their ancestors, the "Sanshanwang Temple" dedicated to their ancestors is all over Chaoshan.
Third,? Legends of local scenery. Such as "Laiwu Goddess" and "Wind and Rain Sage"
Yuxian Temple is a temple dedicated to the rain god. According to legend, Sun Daozhe, a prodigy in the Song Dynasty, was honored as the Rain God. There are Yuxian temples in Jiedong, Chaoan, Chaoyang and Raoping counties. Especially, the "Fengyu Xianci" in Luo Yu Town, Jiedong County, Jieyang City is famous for its connection with the patriotic poet Xie Ao of the Southern Song Dynasty. Xie Ao (1249-1295), whose real name is Gao Yu, is the Duke of Geng Le. He was not only a great patriotic poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, but also a national hero who rebelled against the Yuan Dynasty. At the same time, he is also the ancestor of more than 200,000 Xie residents in Jieyang city and even in eastern Guangdong. Xie Ao's ancestral home is in Changxi, Fujian. His ancestor Xie Bangyan was a famous poet in the Song Dynasty. His father Xie Yao wrote Spring and Autumn Annals and Zuo's Syndrome Differentiation, which spread all over the world. In the second year of Song Duzong Xianchun (1266), Xie Ao was only 17 years old when he moved to Lin 'an with his father. He has been able to write poems and essays, and he has a good reputation. In June of the 10th year of Song Duzong Xianchun (1274), Yuan Shizu wrote a letter to crusade against the Song Dynasty. In July, the first year of Song Jingyan (1276), Wen Tianxiang of Nanjian Prefecture (now Nanping City, Fujian Province) called on all parties to arise and protect the Song Dynasty. Inspired by patriotic indignation, Xie Ao devoted himself to the national disaster and led Xiang Yong to Wen Tianxiang, where he was appointed as a "consultant to join the army". In the second year of Jingyan (1277), Xie Ao accompanied Wen Tianxiang to escort Min, and went south to Zhangzhou, and then to Meixian, and captured Chaoyang. At that time, Xie Ao's wife, who came with the army, was pregnant, and soon gave birth to a son on the boat in Houjiang, Chaoyang, named Huaihu, and the word drunk fairy. Later, in the battles in Jieyang and Haifeng, Wen Tianxiang fell into the enemy's hands. Xie Ao took off tactfully, sneaked back to Chaoyang, found his wife and children, lived in Baitu Village, secretly organized and organized anti-Yuan. Miss Wang introduced:
Xie Ao chose February 16th of the lunar calendar, Song Taizu's birthday, to hold the "Long Spring Festival", in order to make the villagers in Chaoshan area not forget Song State and arouse anti-Yuan sentiment. In order to make Yuan Bing suspicious, just call it to commemorate the' Wind and Rain Sage'. Now, the' Temple of the Sage of Wind and Rain' in Dajiao Village, Yujiao Town, Jiedong County is the sustenance and embodiment of the national spirit and national integrity advocated by Xie Ao. ”？
Sacrificing ancestors is usually held at the vernal equinox or autumnal equinox of the lunar calendar every year, so there is often a saying of "Spring and Autumn Festival", some on March 3 or September 9, and some on the winter festival.
The night before the sacrifice, an incense table will be set up in the courtyard to sacrifice the world and slaughter a pig and a sheep.
Early the next morning, I began to knock gongs to tell the public. At this time, the believers heard an endless stream, and the red candle in the ancestral hall had a high fever, bright lights and drums and music. Then he ordered the deacons to do their own things, then brought out the owner of the niche and arranged the gods. Before entering the spirit, the ancestors were sent to burn incense, and the ancestors bowed down and offered incense. Participants are arranged neatly according to their generation and age. At the beginning of ancestor worship, there are recommendations first, gifts at the beginning of the trip, wine at ancestor worship, and three worships for participants. Then kneel down and listen to the eulogy, which is read by the ceremony. After reciting, people will worship again, and finally recommend rice and tea, offer money and withdraw money. After the ancestor worship, the pig and mutton in the sacrifice are distributed to everyone according to the number of participants, which is called meat appreciation. During the period of ancestor worship, some people will invite the troupe to perform for a few days, which has happened every year since the Ming Dynasty, so it has become a major folk custom in Chaoshan.
The Influence of "Appreciating Teachers" on Chaoshan People
Chaoshan people like to believe in Buddhism and worship God. In my opinion, "apprentice" is the "patent" of Chaoshan women after marriage. No matter whether you believe in Buddhism or convert to Christianity, you believe in the word "goodness", do not bully the weak, give alms to save the orphans, and show virtue. In fact, their worship of God is not ignorance and superstition, but out of adding more insurance channels to family life. Chaoshan area is a natural market economy. When men go out to do business, the risks are unpredictable. Women can't help. They only pray at home, and of course they have the desire to have children.
In their view, learning from teachers is a sacred thing. They should take a bath, change clothes and comb their hair before attending the teacher. Besides, the teachers who worship every day are different. ?
Junior one, fifteenth. Jade emperor?
Junior two, sixteen. Landlord?
Grade three, seventeen. Mazu?
Grade four, eighteen. God of wealth?
The fifth day, the nineteenth day. Grain mother?
Sixth grade, twentieth grade. Pearl empress?
The seventh day, the twenty-first day. King Sanshan?
The eighth day, twenty-two. Shouxing Palace?
The ninth and twenty-third days. Guanyin?
10, 24. Tathagata?
The eleventh day, the fifteenth day. Uncle?
Twelve, twenty-six Sao mother fairy?
Thirteen, twenty-seven He Xiangu?
Fourteen, twenty-eight Taibai Venus?
The last two days, master's weekend. There are too many grandfathers in our country. Therefore, it is considered that both men and women are buffet-style, and there is no stipulation on which grandpa to worship. This is an absolute market economy, you can choose. )?
In Chaoshan area, no matter the streets and alleys, the most are temples. Not just a grain store. Trees for a long time are also the objects that local people bow down to. And in a year, the most grand is at the end of the year. It is said that at the end of the year, all the masters will have a meeting in the sky. At this time, every family should worship their master with great fanfare. Buddhism, fruit, sansheng, everything. And it depends on the day of your worship. Everything is normal in the middle of the night. Clothes, hats and money (for shopping in the sky) should be made for worshippers. After the worship, all these will be burned to ashes. ?
Therefore, Chaoshan people don't go out at night all the year round. When ugly and tired people burn dirty clothes and money at home. In any case, ghosts are afraid, let alone people. ?
On the fifth day, all the masters will come down to work. Chaoshan people are busy again and have to pick up the master again. By the time the master was picked up, some old, weak, sick and disabled people were already too tired to fall ill. They were frightened and thought that the worshippers were not satisfied, so they made up for it again. ?
Chaoshan people believe in feng shui luck. Going out to work depends on a good day, buying a house depends on a good day, getting married depends on a good day, taking office depends on a good day, and buying stocks depends on a good day. It is said that some children also want to see a beautiful day ... I wonder if the college entrance examination should be a good day. ?
Any temple in Chaoshan area enjoys a peak of incense all year round. Business is very good. Finally, I found that Chaoshan people don't learn from their teachers. They don't mean to thank him for bringing him peace and strength. They are pleading with his lordship. In some temples, you can often see some loyal men and women. They put the offerings on the table, add sesame oil, light incense, and then kneel before the master to worship. During the pilgrimage, he was eloquent. ?
The demand for goods in pharmacies is like a rotation. ?
People who run clinics demand customers like clouds. ?
Shoppers who run shroud stores are looking for a prosperous business. ?
The glass shop owner begged for hail. ?
Taxi drivers begged for rain and typhoon. ?
……