Liu Hai plays golden toad

 

Liu Hai plays golden toad

 

Agudengba told the coachman Azhuo the story of Liu Hai, a woodcutter, who rescued Jin Chan. Liu Hai later sought Taoism and became a disciple of Zhong Liquan, and finally became a Taoist in Zhongnan Mountain.

Agudengba then told the coachman Azhuo the story of "bangs playing with golden toads". This allusion comes from Taoism and is attached to the legendary figure who lives without grains and commits suicide. The Golden Toad was originally a little dragon girl from the South China Sea. She later transformed into a golden toad and leapt out of the White Dragon Pond. When the golden toad was in the middle of the tour, a big python suddenly jumped forward and bit off one of the little golden toad's legs. The little dragon girl became a three-legged golden toad. . In ancient China, it was believed that being protected by the three-legged golden toad could lead to wealth. It means prosperous wealth, happiness and beauty. Xie Jin, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, once wrote a famous couplet: The dragon does not sing, the tiger does not roar, the fish does not jump, the toad does not jump, and the bangs in the painting are killed by laughter. A chariot without wheels, a horse without a saddle, an elephant without tusks, a cannon without smoke, will suffocate the general in the formation.

Agudengba said with a smile: Chinese mythology can be said to be a myth among world myths, because Chinese Taoism that exaggerates myths is very different from any world religion. In that era when Taoism was prevalent, Chinese monsters were numerous in number and had various shapes. The people were miserable and hated and feared monsters. The three-legged golden toad is said to be the Little Dragon Girl of the South China Sea, and is also said to be an evil toad spirit.

Legend has it that Liu Hai, a disciple of Han Zhongli, often liked to travel around the world and slay demons. One day when Liu Hai passed by a place, he found that there was a powerful toad spirit harming the people there. In order to benefit the local people, Liu Hai cleverly used magic to subdue the toad spirit. The toad spirit lost one of its legs during a fight with Bangs and has since become a three-legged toad. After being subdued, the three-legged toad became Liu Hai's helper, atonement for his sins, and used his unique skill of biting money to attract wealth, and worked with Liu Hai to help the poor. Therefore, Liu Hai kept it with him and let it follow him to subdue monsters and help others.

Whenever he met kind-hearted and poor people, Liu Hai asked Jin Chan to spit out money to help them. The bangs play with the golden toad, and the golden toad spits out money. Wherever he went, he scattered money and helped many poor people. People respected him, were grateful to him, and called him a "living god."

For this reason, Liu Hai temples were built in various places, and his stories were compiled into dramas and sung everywhere. Since then, many bizarre stories about bangs have circulated throughout history. The three-legged golden toad, which has the ability to bite money and gather wealth, has also become an image of attracting wealth in people's minds. People also call it the "Golden Toad for Fortune". It has always been very popular among the people.

Although mythological allusions are very attractive, the reason why the three-legged golden toad incident has such a powerful effect in attracting wealth is not just because of a story. In Taoism, the number "three" is the number of life. Two, two, three, and three give birth to all things. It is said that the three-legged golden toad attracts wealth. It is precisely because the three legs exactly represent the number of wealth, which can make wealth and harmony Wealth luck grows. In addition, the "three" in the "Book of Changes" also represents the three talents of heaven, earth and man. The three pillars of the golden toad just meet this symbol. The aura is stable, and it is also a sign of gathering wealth and achieving success. Therefore, wearing or placing a three-legged golden toad is not only beneficial to wealth, but also beneficial to career. Golden toad is regarded as a spiritual creature, and the ancients believed that getting it can make you rich. This is the main basis for bangs to be portrayed as the God of Wealth. In fact, it is the Taoist priests, wizards and goddesses who really get rich.

Agudengba added: It is also said that Liu Hai was renamed Liu Haichan. He was from the Five Dynasties and his ancestral home was Yanshan (now Beijing). This person is familiar with "Huang Lao's learning". After Liu Hai removed his seal, he changed his name to Liu Xuanying and his Taoist name "Hai Chanzi". He became a disciple of Lu Dongbin and became an immortal. He traveled between Zhongnan Mountain and Taihua Mountain. Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, named him "The True Monarch of Sea Chan's Ming Enlightenment and Promoting the Way", and Emperor Wuzong named him "The Sea Chan's Ming Enlightenment and Propagation of the Dao, the True Monarch". Is Liu Hai's master Lu Dongbin or Han Zhongli? There is no need to argue. ​

Among the many gods of wealth believed in by Chinese folk, one can only be regarded as a quasi-god of wealth, which means that he has not been titled as a god of wealth. However, because this god can bring people a certain amount of wealth and assumes part of the responsibilities of a god of wealth, people regard him as a god of wealth. He is regarded as the God of Wealth.

Liu Hai was a Taoist priest who gave up his wealth after enlightenment. He was not destined to be the God of Wealth. Perhaps Liu Hai became the God of Wealth because of his Taoist name - Haichanzi. Toads, namely toads, are ugly in appearance and have highly toxic secretions that are harmful to the human body. They are listed as one of the five poisons (scorpions, snakes, centipedes, geckos, and toads). And because the toad's secretion, toad venom, has the effects of strengthening the heart, analgesizing, and stopping bleeding, it is also worshiped by people. At that time, people regarded toads as mascots that could ward off five diseases, suppress evil spirits, promote health, and bring wealth. They were spiritual creatures. Liu Hai is famous for his Taoist name "Toad", and he was promoted to the throne of the God of Wealth due to the legend of "Bang Hai playing with the golden toad". Liu Haichan became a quasi-god of wealth.

The three-legged toad symbolizes wealth and wealth, and in Feng Shui, the three-legged golden toad also has the function of attracting money. People believe that wearing a jade sculpture of a three-legged toad can improve one's wealth; and placing a three-legged toad on the financial position of the home or at the cashier counter of a store can help the home or store attract money and make wealth flow. There is a folk saying called "Whoever gets the golden toad will be rich", and this is what it means.

Liu Hai and Jin Chan appear in a large number of folk New Year pictures and paper-cuts, and there are many excellent works of this theme handed down by painters of the past dynasties. In these works, Liu Hai is an image of a dancing and smiling naughty boy with fluffy hair hanging down from his forehead, dancing with a string of money. A three-legged golden toad holds the other end of the string of money in its mouth in a jumping shape, full of emotions. Festive and auspicious wealth. The golden toad played by Liu Hai is not an ordinary toad, but a three-legged golden toad, which is rare in the world.

Bangs play with golden toads, fishing for money step by step. In Chinese folk, the golden toad symbolizes wealth, so the golden toad with bangs adds a festive color, embodying people's simple concept of wanting to get rich. It has become a popular auspicious thing, and is made into various handicrafts and decorations. Place it in a shop, hoping to bring prosperity and wealth.

Agudengba sang a song called "Bangs Playing with the Golden Toad":

 

Chinese folk praise bangs,

I prefer bangs to play with golden toad.

A bunch of money catches a golden toad,

The golden toad spits out money.

Money keeps coming,

Bless the world and help thousands of families.

The three-legged golden toad became a mythical beast,

Lucky things can attract wealth.

Bangs became the God of Wealth,

Prosperity of wealth depends on worship.

There are thousands of gods and goddesses in the world,

Only the golden toad can make money.