“So Mum, what does 千秋 (literal translates to thousand years) means? What sort of deity is 大伯公 (Tua Pek Kong)? Do you know how he came about? “
I found myself bombarding my mum a string of questions that probably made her dumb-folded, or maybe not, since she got used to my random questions.
These questions struck me after observing a celebratory event at the wet market, for I realized that I know almost nothing about this deity that my family (and I) have been worshiping/praying since I was a young kid! I felt a little embarrassed of myself like, OHMYGOSH, how is it that I can be praying when I don’t even know who exactly I am praying to, and does that mean that, perhaps, as a result I don’t receive the blessings that I supposed to have, should I have been a more religious Taoist follower?
See, I get why fishermen tends to pray for example 媽祖 (Mazu, Sea Goddess), or 觀音 (Guan Yin, Goddess of Mercy) or 灶神 (Zao shen, Kitchen god)or even 关羽 (Guan Yu, Righteous god) but erm hmm 大伯公 (Tua Pek Kong which literally translate to great grand uncle)?
So here are some findings after googling:
大伯公 (Tua Pek Kong) is the Earth deity that most Chinese commoners worshipped ; it held an unique position in that he is the lowest ranking official in the bureaucracy yet it is probably one of the most commonly worshiped deity. The Earth God is prayed for the abundance of crops, grains and healthy livestocks etc. In today’s modernized context, this God is made relevant (talk about adaptability) for people to pray for prosperity, happiness, wealth and safety. *PHEW* it is good to know, at least that is one thing I have been praying correctly for. $$$$$$
There are different legends surrounding his origins which you can read more here. In short, it surrounds the whole notion of people remembering a person who was kind-hearted and willing to make sacrificial efforts for others.
It is interesting, isn’t it?
To me, my idea of a religion, has been a simple one; I believe most of us ‘choose’ to follow (a) religion(s) for it provides some sort of meanings or support to our lives in some ways; a platform to seek personal improvement, to (for lack of a better word) make sense of their environment. In my case, I guess I grew accustomed to the custom and its presence in my home, without much thought on its significance. Let’s say, if I am living in the past, when agriculture is my sole livelihood,or grew up in a very religious family, the notion of religion may be made more relevant. Do you feel the same way as I did? Share some comments below!
tweetyeggy 