The guardian deity of tombs – Hou Tu

Whenever you visit a cemetery during Qing Ming, have you ever noticed a small stone tablet with the characters “后土 (Hou Tu)” inscribed on it nearby the tombs of your ancestors? Before paying respects to our ancestors, we will offer incense to the “Hou Tu” before we begin other Qing Ming rites. Have you ever been curious about the significance of this stone tablet with the words “Hou Tu”? Why do you worship the “Hou Tu” first before worshiping your ancestors?

In folk belief, where there is land, there is a deity that oversees the land. Therefore, the cemetery is also overseen and guarded by the earth deity, “Hou Tu”. There are many different interpretations of the words “Hou Tu”. Some say it is an official title, while others say that it is an actual name. Regardless of how it is interpreted, “Hou Tu” is always associated as the deity of the land and the deity of the community, and is related to the worship of the land.

In Taoist school of thought, the Hou Tu found near a tomb has another meaning. When the living lie on their backs, they face the heavens and honour it as the “Tian Wang” or “Emperor of Heaven”. The dead who lie six feet underground with the earth covering them express gratitude towards the earth and honour it as “Hou Tu” or “Empress of Earth”, which is the “Hou Tu” referenced on the stone tablet.

The “Hou Tu” is usually set up at the front left side of the tomb, and the characters “后土” is inscribed on a small stone tablet, although some may represent the deity in a statue form.

Even though the “Hou Tu” is just represented by a small stone tablet, we will not only pay respects to the guardian deity of the cemetery at the Da Bo Gong Temple, but also to “Hou Tu” whenever we go to the cemetery to worship the ancestors. Before worshiping the ancestors, we pay respects to the “Hou Tu” for protecting the tombs of our ancestors and keeping them safe.

Therefore, whenever we visit the cemetery, we pay homage to the Hou Tu first to thank the deities for protecting our ancestors before we start to pay respects to our ancestors.

*Some information are taken from the internet

Stars in the Night Sky

Stars in the Night Sky

we will become a star in the sky, becoming one among a sea of twinkling lights. We can always see our loved ones and friends in the night sky, so we won’t be alone

Worship offerings: Preserving tradition and keeping up with the times

Worship offerings: Preserving tradition and keeping up with the times

there is a traditional proverb for worship, that it is hoped that people should drink water and think of the source, and to pay careful attention to one’s parents’ funerary rites and to worship one’s ancestors. The children and descendants must remember that they owe it to the sacrifices of their ancestors that they get to enjoy the shade of the great trees and the fruits of their labour!

The Final Portrait

The Final Portrait

Many people tend to think they don’t need to have their pictures taken or they dislike the notion because they are too old. Later however, when the time comes to prepare for the funeral, there simply isn’t a suitable or presentable photo that can be used as a funeral portrait.

RHYME OF LIFE: A PRICELESS TREASURE OF LOVE

RHYME OF LIFE: A PRICELESS TREASURE OF LOVE

“The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”
Nirvana Center Kuala Lumpur built their unique columbarium that is touted to be unlike any other found in Malaysia – the Rhyme of Life, embodying American journalist and novelist Chuck Palahniuk’s quote above.

Why are funerals needed?

Why are funerals needed?

Every ritual at a funeral is a way to accept the fact that we have lost a loved one, and the loss of a loved one is an unavoidable life experience for everyone and it is also a process.