What is the golden toad and what it stands for! What are the four ancient god beasts and what are their functions from the perspective of geomantic omen?
Among the many gods of wealth in Chinese folk beliefs, one can only be regarded as a quasi-god of wealth, that is, he has not won the title of god of wealth. However, because this god can bring people a certain fortune and bear some responsibilities of the god of wealth, people regard it as the god of wealth. Liu Haichan is one of the most representative prospective wealth gods.
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Toad, formerly known as Liu Hai, was born in Yanshan Mountain (now Beijing) in the Five Dynasties. He was a scholar in the Liao Dynasty, and later became the prime minister who assisted Liu, the prince of Yan. This person is used to "the study of Huang Lao".
There is a saying in The Mirror of Immortals in Past Dynasties: One day, a Taoist priest who claimed to be Zhengyangzi (Lv Dongbin) came to see him, and Liu Hai treated him with courtesy. Taoist practitioners practice "the sign of purity and inaction, and the golden liquid returns to Dan"! Collect ten eggs and ten dollars, one egg at a time, and pile them high into a tower. Liu Hai exclaimed, "It's too dangerous!" The Taoist replied: "Living in Rong Lu is a worry, and the danger of the Prime Minister is even worse than this!" Liu Hai suddenly realized. Later, he took off his seal and changed his name to Liu Xuanying. In the name of "The Sea Toad", he took Lv Dongbin as his teacher and became immortal, wandering between Zhong Nanshan and Taihuashan. Kublai Khan of Yuan Shizu named him "the true king who knew the great Tao by the sea toad", and Emperor Wu Zong added "the pure emperor who knew the great Tao by the sea toad".
From this perspective, Liu Hai is a Taoist who abandoned his wealth after enlightenment. He has nothing to do with the god of wealth. Perhaps Liu Hai became a god of wealth because of his Taoist name-the sea toad. Toad, that is, toad, its secretion is highly toxic and harmful to human body. It is listed as one of the five poisons (scorpion, snake, centipede, gecko and toad). Venenum Bufonis, the secretion of toad, has the functions of strengthening the heart, relieving pain and stopping bleeding, so it is also worshipped by people. "Peaceful Magnolia" quotes the cloud in Xuanzhong Ji: "Toads have horns at first, eat them, live for thousands of years, and eat mountain spirits." At that time, people regarded toad as a mascot to ward off evil spirits, suppress evil spirits, urge people to die, and manage wealth, which was a kind of aura. Liu Hai is famous for his "toad" as the road sign, and is honored as the God of Wealth with the legend of "Liu Hai hits the golden toad".
The golden toad in Liu Hai's opera appears in a large number of folk New Year pictures and paper-cuts, and many masterpieces on this subject have been handed down by painters of all ages. In these works, Liu Hai is an urchin who dances and smiles. Fluffy hair, drooping forehead, dancing with a bunch of money in his hand. A three-legged golden toad holds the other end of the money string in a jumping shape, full of festive and auspicious wealth. The golden toad played by Liu Hai is not an ordinary toad, but a rare three-legged golden toad in the world. The golden toad is regarded as a spiritual thing, and the ancients thought it could make people rich. This is the main basis for Liu Hai to be shaped into a god of wealth. According to legend, Liu Hai used this plan to collect and pay the golden toad who had been practicing for many years, and became immortal. Liu Hai plays Jin Chan, who spits money. He scattered money everywhere, which helped many poor people. People respect him, thank him and call him a "living immortal". To this end, the Liu Hai Temple was built, and his story was made into a drama and sung everywhere. (Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Li Wenjuan Central University for Nationalities)