Pixiu (sound: pí xiū), pronounced "Pixiu" in Cantonese. According to legend, Pixiu is a ferocious and auspicious beast, and this beast is divided into male and female. The male is named "Pixiu" and the female is named "Pixiu". In the south, most people like to call this auspicious beast "Pixiu", while in the north it is still called "exorcism".
Pixiu feeds on wealth and receives wealth from all directions. Traditionally in China, there is a custom of "Pixiu". Like the dragon and the lion, it has the function of driving away evil spirits from the place and bringing happiness and good fortune. The role of luck.
The role of Pixiu
Pixiu is different from Qilin. Pixiu is a ferocious auspicious beast and has a strong desire to protect its master. It has the function of keeping the house in check and warding off evil spirits.
The role of Pixiu in Feng Shui can be explained in the following points:
1. It has the function of keeping the house in check and warding off evil spirits. Placing the consecrated Pixiu at home can make the home run well, increase good luck, drive away evil spirits, have the effect of calming the house, and become the patron saint of the home to ensure the safety of the whole family.
2. It has the effect of attracting wealth and increasing wealth. In addition to helping partial wealth, it is also helpful for positive wealth, so businessmen should also place Pixiu in their company or home.
3. It has the function of resolving the five yellow evil spirits, which can be used to dispel evil spirits in the house and increase wealth. Especially in terms of wealth, Pixiu has a more obvious effect.
Legend
Pixiu is also known as Tianlu and warding off evil spirits. It is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese myths and legends. It has a dragon head, a horse body, and lin feet. It is shaped like a lion, has gray hair, and can fly. Pixiu is a ferocious and powerful creature. It is responsible for patrolling the heavens and preventing demons, ghosts, plagues and diseases from disturbing the heavens. In ancient times, people often used Pixiu as a title for the army. It has a mouth but no anus. It can swallow everything without diarrhea. It can attract wealth and accumulate treasures. It can only go in but not out. It has special magical powers. Many Chinese people now wear Pixiu jade products for this reason.
There is a record in the Han Dynasty "Biography of the Western Regions": "There are peach trees, lions and urinating cows in Mount Wugo." Meng Kang noted: "The peach pulls out, and the talisman pulls out every day, like a deer's tail. The one with one horn is called the sky deer, and the one with two horns is called to ward off evil spirits." To ward off evil spirits is Pixiu.
However, after the change of dynasties, the shape of Pixiu is relatively uniform, such as short wings, double horns, curly tail, mane and whiskers often connected to the chest or back, protruding eyes, and long fangs. The most commonly seen Pixiu nowadays have one horn and a long tail. Generally, there are three types of materials used to make Pixiu statues:
1. Metal - usually made of copper, because this type of metal is relatively cheap, and its polished color is close to gold.
2. Wood - Some ancient houses will use strong wood to carve Pixiu, and then place it on the beams to ward off evil spirits.
3. Porcelain - made of different types of jade.
Pixiu statues made of different materials can be placed in auspicious positions in Feng Shui. Many geologists believe that they have the effect of promoting wealth. In eight different directions, copper statues are generally placed. The created Pixiu will have a strong power to attract wealth. In fact, Pixiu is beneficial to both positive and partial wealth, so the Pixiu image has shown signs of becoming popular in recent years; however, using Pixiu to promote wealth always has a religious overtone, so when the main god of the Xuankong hexagram is Riguishen, Or when the bird, rabbit, and sun are auspicious, the consecrated Pixiu has the strongest power to promote wealth, regardless of whether the work is in the right direction or in the wrong direction. But one thing to note is that for those who commit crimes, Pixiu may not have the power to attract wealth. This is the characteristic of spiritual animals, and Pixiu made of jade has the strongest power to attract wealth.
The origin of Pixiu
It is said that Pixiu is the ninth prince of the Dragon King. Its staple food is gold, silver and jewelry. Naturally, it is full of treasures. Compared with other three-legged toads, which are also auspicious animals, it is called He has many heads, so he is favored by the Jade Emperor and the Dragon King. However, eating too much will always cause diarrhea, so one day he may defecate in public because he can't help it, which makes the Jade Emperor angry, so he slaps him, and he hits his butt. The butthole was sealed. From then on, gold, silver and jewelry could only go in but not out. After this allusion spread, Pixiu was regarded as an auspicious beast that attracts wealth.
There are also male and female Pixiu. According to folklore, the male Pixiu represents wealth, while the female Pixiu represents the treasury. If you have wealth, you must have a treasury to keep it. Therefore, most Pixiu collectors collect one pair at a time. , can truly attract wealth.
But if you want to wear it on your body, just use one to avoid fights. The above are all legends, so please refer to them!
Pixiu’s habit is to lazily like to sleep, so it’s best to pick him up every day Touch it and play with it, as if you want to wake it up, and wealth will follow.
Another wonderful use of Pi Xiu is that if you place Pi Xiu ornaments on your desk, it can help you drive away bad men and avoid unnecessary harassment.
According to ancient books, Pixiu is a ferocious beast, one of the five auspicious beasts in ancient times (dragon, phoenix, turtle, unicorn), and is known as the beast that attracts wealth. Pixiu was once the totem of two clans in ancient times. Legend has it that he helped the Emperors Yan and Huang in battle and was awarded the title of "Tianlu Beast", which means blessings from heaven. It was designed to protect treasures for emperors and was also a symbol of the royal family, called "Emperor Treasure". Because Pixiu specializes in eating ferocious beasts and evil spirits, it is also called "evil spirit." Ancient Chinese Feng Shui scholars believe that Pixiu is an auspicious beast that can turn disaster into good fortune.
Pixiu has twenty-six shapes and seventy-nine incarnations. It has a big mouth, a big belly, and no anus. It only eats but does not poop. It symbolizes the wealth from all directions. It can only go in but not out. At the same time, It can be used to control the house and ward off evil spirits, and it can be used to gather wealth and power for the owner.
The ancient sages believe that fate is destined, but fortune can be changed. Therefore, there is a good wish among the people that "if you touch Pixiu once, you will have good luck, if you touch Pixiu again, your fortune will be rolling, and if you touch Pixiu three times, you will be prosperous."
Nine Sons of the Dragon
In the process of forming its image, the dragon has embraced all kinds of strange beast images. Later, as the image of the dragon developed, these strange beast statues incorporated certain characteristics of the dragon, forming the different sayings that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. But there is no precise record of what the nine sons of the dragon are and who ranks first and who ranks second. There are also various opinions among the people, but they all agree.
It is said that Zhu Youtang, Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, asked Li Dongyang, the Minister of Rites, who was famous for his erudition, on a whim: "I heard that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. What are the names of each of the nine sons?" Li Dongyang could not answer and retired from the court. Finally, I pieced it all together and pulled out a list. According to Li Dongyang's list, the nine sons of the dragon are: Pa Pi, Chaofeng, Jiazui, Bixi, Shutu, Chiki, Pulao, Suanni and Qiuniu. However, there are far more than just these dragon sons in folklore. Biuan, Pixiu, Taotie, etc. are all said to be the sons of the dragon. In fact, the so-called dragon gave birth to nine sons does not mean that the dragon happened to have nine sons. In ancient Chinese traditional culture, nine is often used to express many things and has the supreme status. Nine is an imaginary number and a noble number, so it is used to describe dragons. If we have to choose nine sons, we should choose the nine who have the greatest influence among the people. Li Dongyang was also in a hurry to make a deal, and the list he proposed was not representative.
One of the most influential sayings about "nine sons born from a dragon" is:
The eldest son imprisons the cow, likes music, and stands on the head of the piano. Some valuable huqins still have the image of a dragon head engraved on their head, which is called "leading huqin".
The second son, Yaizhen, looks like a jackal with dragon horns, glaring angrily, with his horns drawn back close to his back. They are fond of killing and fighting. They are engraved on sword rings, sword hilts and other weapons or ceremonial guards to serve as a deterrent.
The third son mocked the wind and looked like a dog. He was always in danger. The horned beast in the palace is his portrait. These animals lined up in a single line, standing upright at the front of the vertical ridge. The leader of the animals was an "immortal" riding a bird, followed in order by: dragon, phoenix, lion, Pegasus, seahorse, Suan Ni, fish, Xie Zhi, Bullfighting, and entertainment. There is a strict hierarchical system for their placement. Only the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing can have all ten of them, and the number of secondary halls must be reduced accordingly. Chaofeng not only symbolizes good luck, beauty and majesty, but also has the meaning of deterring demons and eliminating disasters.
The fourth son Pulao, shaped like a dragon but smaller than the dragon, likes music and singing, and is engraved on the button of the bell. It is said that Pulao lives by the sea and is most afraid of whales. Whenever he encounters a whale attack, Pulao screams incessantly. So, people put his image on the bell and carved the long piece of wood that struck the bell into the shape of a whale, using it to strike the bell in order to make the sound louder and louder.
The fifth son Suān Ni (suān ní) is also known as Jin Ni and Ling Ni. Suanni is originally an alias for lion, so it is shaped like a lion. It likes to smoke and like to sit, leaning on the foot of the incense burner. It was introduced to China with Buddhism. Since the Buddha Sakyamuni has the metaphor of "the fearless lion", people naturally arrange him as a Buddha's seat, or carve it on the incense burner so that he can enjoy the incense. In addition, Suanni is also the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva, and there is a temple dedicated to Suanni on Mount Wutai, the monastery of Manjushri Bodhisattva.
Because Suanni is the fifth son of the dragon, the temple is named Wuye Temple, which has great influence in the local area. The dragon-shaped decoration in the middle of the collar of the stone lion or bronze lion during the Ming and Qing Dynasties is also the image of Suanni, which makes the traditional Chinese door lion guarding the door more open and majestic.
Liuzi Bixi bìxì, also known as Baxia, looks like a turtle and likes to bear heavy loads. The turtle under the stele is also like this. According to legend, in ancient times, it often carried three mountains and five mountains on its back to create trouble. Later, he was subdued by Xia Yu and made many great contributions to Xia Yu. After the flood control was successful, Xia Yu let it carry up its achievements, so it carried many stone monuments in China. Basia and tortoises are very similar, but there are differences upon closer inspection. Basia has a row of teeth, while tortoises do not. The number and shape of the carapace of Baxia and tortoises are also different. Baxia, also known as stone turtle, is a symbol of longevity and good luck. It always held its head forward with difficulty, holding on to its four feet desperately, struggling to move forward, but it could never move away.
The Seventh Son (bì'àn), also known as the Charter, looks like a tiger, is powerful, and is prone to prison litigation, so people carved it on the prison door, so there is a folk saying of Tiger Head Prison . It is also said that it upholds justice and can distinguish right from wrong, so it is also placed on both sides of the yamen lobby and on the top of the cards for officials to go out and avoid, to maintain the solemn atmosphere of the court.
The eight sons bear a crotch (xì), their bodies are like dragons, they are elegant and graceful, and they are coiled around the top or both sides of the stone tablet.
Mozi Chi (chī) kiss, also known as owl tail or 鸱(chī) kiss, is a fish-shaped dragon (some say it looks like a lizard with its tail cut off). It likes to look around, so it is located at both ends of the ridge of the palace. . In Buddhist scriptures, Chi Kiss is the object under the seat of the Rain God, which can extinguish fire. Therefore, placing it at both ends of the roof ridge also has the effect of extinguishing disasters and extinguishing fires.
It can be found that in this statement, the eldest son Qi Niu and the fourth son Pulao both like music, the third son Chaofeng and Mozi Chiqi are both located on the roof, and the sixth son Bixi and the eighth son Fuxi are all surrounding the stone monument. , there is a suspicion of duplication. It would be better if we take one of the two and add some other common sayings:
Taotiè (tāotiè), looks like a wolf and is gluttonous in nature. It is located on bronze vessels and is now called the Taotie pattern. Because it can drink water, it was also engraved in the middle of the outside of the bridge in ancient times to prevent the bridge from being submerged by floods. According to folklore, this kind of monster is so greedy that after eating everything it can eat, it finally eats its own body. In the end, it only has a head left, so it ends up with a head but no body. reputation.
The earthworm, also known as the earthworm, looks like a fish but not a fish. It is good at water and has a graceful body. It is decorated on the top of the stone bridge railing.
Jiao Tu, shaped like a snail and a clam, likes to keep silent, has a docile temperament, is a bit autistic, and resents others entering its lair, so people often carve its image on the pavement of the door or depict it on the door panel. .
Pixiu is known as the ninth son of the dragon in the South and Southeast Asia. It has a big mouth without an anus and can only go in but cannot come out. It is very popular among gamblers. A jade brave is placed in the Macau casino, which means that you can eat everything you want, and you can only make money without losing money.
“Tiger fathers have no dog sons.” The dragon is so powerful that it can swallow clouds, spit out mist, and make waves. It has become the idol of the Chinese people for thousands of years. Naturally, its sons are not just ordinary people. Dragons also have daughters, but they are not so famous. The heroine in "Springtime" is Little Dragon Girl. The children of the dragon are all kinds of strange things, which are quite similar to the children of Zeus in Greek mythology. However, Europeans are more open-minded than the Chinese after all. In their mythology, the god Zeus is a typical example of romantic and even promiscuous sex. He turns into a horse and a cow to molest good women. The dragons in our country are well-behaved. At most, it's just "two dragons playing with pearls". In the eyes of the Chinese people, the dragon is a symbol of authority and dignity. We say that we are "descendants of Yan and Huang", and we also say that we are "descendants of the dragon."
In addition, Pixiu was another name for the giant panda in ancient China.
Praise to the Tapir Screen
Bai Juyi's work "Praise to the Tapir Screen" (the third year of Changqing, about 823 AD, the full text of the appendix is ??as follows)
Tapir They have elephant trunks, rhinoceros eyes, ox tails and tiger feet, and were born in the valleys of the south. Sleep next to it to ward off plague, and draw its shape to ward off evil spirits. If you have an old illness, you often have a small screen to protect your head every time you sleep. When I meet a painter, I occasionally order him to write it. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, this beast eats iron and copper, but not other food. Because of confusion. Then he praised it and said: Miao Zai, this beast was born in the southern country. Its name is tapir, and it will not eat anything but iron. In ancient times, people's hearts were loyal. The order of conquest came from the emperor. Swords and halberds are used sparingly, and copper and iron are abundant. The tapir is full of food all day long. After three generations, the kings and laws were different. The iron is a soldier, the copper is a Buddha. The Buddha statues are growing day by day, and the weapons are growing day by day. Where is the mountain without production? Where is the valley without wealth? There is nothing left behind even an inch of baht, copper, and iron.
It's such a pity that tapir is useless. Woohoo! The sorrow of the bandit tapir is the sorrow of the times!
The most popular animal in recent times is undoubtedly the panda. In ancient China, its alias was also called "tapir". There are many descriptions by literati (Note: Taiping Yulan 908 volumes, 20 volumes of beasts. There are detailed information), but the most interesting and special one is Bai Juyi's "Praise to the Tapir Screen". The reason for the article is as follows: Bai Juyi originally had a headache, so he invited a painter to draw a picture of a cat and panda on the screen. Why? Because it "sleeps in its surroundings to ward off plague, and draws its shape to ward off evil spirits." The fur retains heat and the image wards off evil spirits. Sure enough, from then on, my head no longer suffered from the wind, so I wrote this "Tapir Screen Praise" to commemorate it.
As for the general idea of ??the content: Cats and bears eat iron to survive. Since ancient times, kings have followed the rules. They have few weapons and consume little copper and iron. Cats and bears are full of food all day long, and they are not happy! Later, a large number of copper and iron were cast. Weapons and Buddha statues were made. The panda has no choice but to starve. Bai Juyi expressed sympathy for this cute animal.
In fact, there are hidden meanings in Bai Juyi's words: First of all, the description of "eating iron" in the Classic of Mountains and Seas may not be completely believed, so there is a sentence "because of confusion". In addition, there are also criticisms about the use of copper and iron. War disasters are frequent and weapons are increasing. People are in panic, and the number of Buddha statues increases accordingly. But there is no plan to remove the fuel from the cauldron. If the emperor can love the people as his sons and not start a war lightly, how can there be a risk of insufficient copper and iron?
The two stone lions in front of the bank that people often talk about are actually Pixiu. , not the lion as people think.
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