God of wealth

Japanese: 財神 - ざいしん

In China, a god believed to have the power to accumulate wealth and bring good fortune. There are two types: the God of War and the God of Culture. The God of War includes the Guandi Temple and the Five Manifestations of Wealth, while the God of Culture includes Bi Gan, who was killed for admonishing King Chu of the Shang dynasty, as well as Guan Zhong, Fan Li, and Yidun. In general, the God of War is considered to be higher than the God of Culture, and when a storehouse for the god of wealth is set up, Guandi is placed on the top shelf, and the God of Culture is placed on the bottom shelf, centered around the Five Manifestations of Wealth. The festival is held on the second day of the New Year every year, and the God of Wealth temples in Beijing and other places attract many pilgrims. The pilgrims have the custom of taking home the paper money offered to the God of Wealth, enshrining it in their homes, and returning it to the God of Wealth the following year by doubling it. In addition, on the way home from a pilgrimage, it is customary to buy a flower hairpin from a stall near the temple and wear it on the way home, as a symbol of bringing good fortune home. In areas north of Beijing, there is a Hindu belief in the god Mahakala, the god of wealth, and there is also a custom of building small shrines in the gardens of private homes to worship the five great gods (rat, hedgehog, fox, weasel, and snake) as gods of wealth. In Japan, the Seven Lucky Gods, including Ebisu, are worshiped as gods of wealth that bring good fortune, and pilgrimages to the Seven Lucky Gods are held during the New Year.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

中国において，蓄財招福に霊験をもつと信じられる神。武財神と文財神の2系統がある。武財神には関帝廟，五顕財神があり，文財神には殷の紂王に諫言して殺された比干をはじめ，管仲，范蠡，猗頓らが祀られている。一般に文財神より武財神のほうが上位とされ，商家などで財神棚を設けるときには関帝を上段に，下段には五顕財神を中心に文財神を祀る。祭日は毎年正月2日で，北京の財神廟をはじめ各地の財神廟は多くの参詣人を集めるが，参詣人は財神に供えた紙銭を持帰り，自宅に祀って翌年これを2倍にして財神に返納するという風習がある。また参詣の帰路，福を持帰るという意味から廟の付近の露店で花かんざしを求めて差して帰るならわしがある。北京以北の地帯ではヒンドゥー教徒の財神マハカラ神に対する信仰があり，また民家の庭に小祠をこしらえ五大家 (ネズミ，ハリネズミ，キツネ，イタチ，ヘビ) を財神として祀る風習もある。日本においては，えびすをはじめとする七福神が福徳を招く財神として信仰され，正月に七福神詣が行われる。

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