Fu Lu Shou
The Sanxing ( Chinese 三星 , "three stars"), consisting of Fu , Lu and Shou ( Chinese ), or Cai , Zi and Shou (財 子 壽), are the gods of the three stars and the three gifts of luck (Fu), Prosperity (Lu) and longevity (Shou) in Chinese popular beliefs . The terms “Sanxing” or “Fu Lu Shou” stand for the three attributes of a good life in Chinese culture.
Their images go back to the time of the Ming Dynasty , when the gods of the three stars were first depicted in human form. They are also associated with other deities in the Chinese religion and Daoism .
Statues of the three gods are placed on the facade of temples of the popular religion and on ancestral shrines as well as in almost every Chinese house and many Chinese shops on small altars with a water glass, an orange or other offerings. They are especially common on the Chinese New Year celebrations . According to the rules of Feng Shui , they stand at eye level with the viewer at the entrance of a room. Traditionally, they are arranged from right to left: Shou is on the left of the viewer, Lu in the middle and Fu on the right. Chinese characters are also written from right to left.
The three gods and their stars
Fuxing
The star of Fu (福), Fuxing (福星), refers to the planet Jupiter . Chinese astrology believed that the planet Jupiter was auspicious. According to a Daoist myth from the Ming Dynasty, the star of Fu is associated with Yang Cheng, a governor of Daozhou during the Western Han period (206 BC - 24 AD). Yang Cheng risked his life by writing a warning letter to the emperor. In it he admonished him to spare the people who had to send dwarf slaves as tribute to the imperial court. After his death, a temple was built to remember him. Over time, he was seen as a personification of happiness.
He is usually depicted in a scholarly costume. He is holding a scroll in his hand that sometimes has the letters "Fu" on it. There are also pictures of him holding a child or being surrounded by children. He also sometimes merges with Cai Shen , the god of wealth.
Luxing
The star of Lu (禄), Luxing (禄 星) corresponds to the star ζ Ursae Majoris or, in traditional Chinese astronomy, the sixth star in the Wenchang group. Like Fu, this star was personified and believed to be Zhang Xian, who lived in the Later Shu Empire . The word lu specifically refers to the salary of a government official. As such, Lu is the star of wealth, position and influence.
The star of Lu is also worshiped separately from the other two, as a deity, which brings success in the imperial official examination and consequently success in the civil service. The Lu star is usually depicted in the clothing of a mandarin .
Shouxing
The star of Shou (壽), Shouxing (寿星), can be equated with α Carinae ( Canopus ), the star of the south in Chinese astronomy. It is believed that he predetermined the lifespan of mortals. Legend has it that he was carried around in the womb for ten years before he was born and was an old man when he was born. He is characterized by a high, arched forehead and a white beard. He also wears a peach as a symbol of immortality . The god of longevity is usually depicted smiling and friendly. He can often also carry a pumpkin filled with the elixir of long life. Sometimes he merges with Laozi and corresponding gods of Taoist teaching.
See also
- Fukurokuju , Japanese god believed to be descended from the Sanxing
- Seven gods of luck , the Japanese equivalent
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fu Lu Shou - The Chinese Three Stars of Luck , goodlucksymbols.com, accessed November 30, 2017.