"Fu" is the most auspicious word in the eyes of the Chinese people, and the "Fu culture" has a long history, is extensive and profound, from the deep cultural psychology to the external utensil system, from the home of bells and cauldrons to the sale of Yinche The word "福" embodies the ethical emotions, life consciousness, aesthetic taste and religious sentiments of the Chinese people with a culture of about 5,000 years.
Throughout the ages, there have been different opinions on the connotation of "blessing". "Book of Rites" records: Those who are blessed are also known as Baishun.
In other words, "福" means success and everything goes well. This is the earliest record of "Fu". The origin of "blessing culture" can be traced back to the natural worship of stars in primitive society. In order to ward off evil spirits and seek refuge, and pray for good weather and good harvests, the ancestors endowed them with extraordinary divinity and unique personality charm according to their own wishes.
In the popular worship of the three stars of "luck", "lu" and "longevity", the "luck star" most concentratedly reflects people's good wishes to pray for blessings and pursue a happy life. With the development of history and the changes of the times, the scope of its role has extended from the worship of "heaven" to the real world.
Its external manifestation extends from tribal totems to all aspects of people's clothing, food, housing and transportation; its internal prophetic meaning extends and sublimates from the simple appeal of intuitive good wishes to heralding good luck, happiness, longevity, wealth and promotion. The culture of being promoted to nobility, having descendants and descendants, etc. thus constitutes a unique "blessing" culture in the national cultural matrix.
The core of blessing culture is the concept of "five blessings". The term "Five Blessings" originally came from "Shu Jing" and "Hong Fan".
The first blessing of the five blessings is "longevity"; the second blessing is "wealth and honor"; the third blessing is "wellness"; the fourth blessing is "good virtue"; the fifth blessing is "good death". Longevity means longevity and longevity. Wealth means having enough money and having a distinguished status. Kangning means good health and peace of mind. Good virtue is a kind-hearted and generous nature. A good death is to be able to know the date of one's death in advance. At the end of his life, he suffered no misfortunes, no physical pain, no worries in his heart, and passed away peacefully. People believe that only this kind of life is perfect.
In feudal society, people of different classes and statuses had different understandings of happiness. For farmers, having their own land, planting in spring and harvesting in autumn, with good weather and abundant food and clothing is a blessing. However, ordinary people have been facing harsh government, war or famine all year round. If they can keep their families safe and survive, it is a blessing.
Businessmen often think that only having thousands of taels of gold and abundant wealth reaching Sanjiang will be their blessing. The blessings of scholars are different. They have lived in poverty for ten years, but once they become successful, being named on the gold medal list is their greatest blessing. The elderly regard health, longevity and having children and grandchildren as their greatest blessings.
The ancients’ understanding of happiness was both realistic and dialectical. Lao Tzu used dialectical thinking to explain blessings and disasters. In the fifty-eighth chapter of "Laozi", there is a saying that "misfortunes are where blessings depend; blessings are where misfortunes lie." In other words, this misfortune comes relative to blessing.
A blessing is a blessing. A blessing in disguise is a blessing. However, the lost horse came back and brought back several horses. This is a blessing in disguise. But compared to the man who picked up a gift horse, he suddenly lost several horses. This was a blessing and a curse.
In fact, the meaning of "blessing" is very broad, including all good wishes and goals in secular life. We often talk about the so-called auspiciousness, which mostly refers to blessings. Therefore, good luck can also be interpreted as blessing.
The ancient calligraphy book "Zi Lin" records: "Zhenxiang is also blessed." The ancient book "Fengjiaozhan" also says: "Fu first sees Xiang." From this point of view, blessing is a very important concept in our country's auspicious culture. With the development of society, the concept of praying has been integrated into various folk activities.
Stepping on the Five Blessings is an ancient blessing cultural activity that has been spread in the hometown of Zhongkui, the God of Wealth, and Liu Hai’s hometown since the Tang Dynasty. Five bats are carved on the rocks in Zhongkui’s hometown in Xi’an. , meaning "five blessings". According to legend, people will rejuvenate themselves after stepping on 5 bats in descending order. The five blessings will come to their door, and they will be as blessed as the East Sea.
After stepping on 5 bats in order from small to large, you will have both happiness and wealth.
The Nuo dance "Dancing the Five Blessings" is part of the "Dancing Zhongkui", also known as dancing the sentence. It generally has six dances: dancing the Five Blessings, dancing the official, dancing the peach, dancing the Kuixing, dancing the God of Wealth, and dancing the dragon and the phoenix. , that is, performing Nuo opera of good fortune, longevity, happiness and wealth, is an ancient folk cultural activity that prays for a long life, happiness and boundless blessings, and has a wide range of connotations.
Every important festival, these areas will "dance the Zhongkui" in order to bless the town house and win the first place; Zhongkui is a true god, wishing us happiness, wealth, longevity and happiness! In ancient times, "Dancing Zhongkui" was played with a puppet on the shoulders. Later, it evolved to include people playing the role of Zhongkui and parading around the village.
Performing the Five Blessings Dance, Kui has a purple-gold face, a long beard, a black gauze on his head, court boots on his feet, gold and silver pads on his belly, and a purple-red robe. He holds a golden bat in his left hand and a seven-star sword in his right hand. There are 5 bats leading the way, followed by a yellow umbrella cover, and a waiter with books and wine beside him, following each step. The Five Blessings dance of Nuo dance mainly includes several stages such as Zhong Kui's trance, Zhong Kui's patrol, Zhong Kui's blessing, and Zhong Kui's triumphal return.
So, how to realize the "five blessings"? In other words, where is the source of happiness in life? From the beginning, our ancestors combined the pursuit of happiness in life with the cultivation of personality and the perfection of morality. Not only did the initial concept put "cultivating virtue" as one of the five blessings, but it also regarded cultivating one's moral character and matching nature with virtue as the highest state of pursuing happiness.
When Confucius talked about what "happiness" is, he said: "When you are angry, you forget to eat, and when you are happy, you forget your worries. You don't know that old age is coming." "A basket of food, a ladle of drink, in a back alley, People cannot bear their sorrows and will not change their happiness. "What is pursued is the perfection of inner virtue and does not care about the prosperity of external life."
Mencius further carried forward his teacher's view of happiness that "a gentleman is concerned about morality but not poverty", and further proposed a view of virtue and happiness that a gentleman has "three pleasures", and expanded the pursuit of individual happiness to "admiration for happiness". The aspect of social morality is to be worthy of Heaven and not to be humbled by others.
From then on, my country's traditional life values ??of "putting morality first" and "praying for blessings with virtue" are destined to form the core quality of China's "blessing" culture.