When people die, they become ghosts. What do ghosts become when they die? Where was the money burned to Tiandi Bank deposited? by春秋記史
Edit: OF
人死了變成鬼，鬼死變成了什麼？燒給天地銀行的錢都存到哪裡了？
特別聲明：本文內容均引用權威資料結合個人觀點撰寫，文末已標註文獻來源及截圖，請知悉。
在中國傳統文化中，死亡並不是生命的終點，而是一個新的開始，人死後會變成鬼，而鬼的生活也並非一成不變。
你可能聽過逝者會在陰間繼續「生活」的說法，而親人透過燒紙錢等方式，給他們「寄錢」過日子。
那麼，鬼的世界到底是怎麼樣的呢？那些燒給「天地銀行」的錢又存到哪裡了？更令人好奇的是，鬼死了之後會變成什麼？神秘的冥界背後，究竟隱藏著怎樣的規則與秘密？
人死了就是鬼？
早在春秋時期，中國的生死觀念就已經開始成型，最早的「魂魄二元論」就是那個時代的產物。
這個理論由子產提出，他認為，人死了之後，魂和魄會分離：魂歸天，魄歸地。意思是，人的靈魂會飛向天界，身體則歸於泥土，因此死亡並非完全的消亡，而是生命形式的轉變。
這種觀念在漢代得到了進一步發展，當時的人們相信，亡者的魂魄會進入一個類似人間的冥府，繼續他們的生活，於是漢朝的喪葬儀式和墓葬文化就變得極其隆重，皇帝和貴族們尤其熱衷於厚葬，他們相信透過精美的陪葬品，能讓死者在另一個世界過得更好。
孔子曾說：“生，事之以禮；死，葬之以禮，祭之以禮。”
意思是，活著的人要用禮儀侍奉，死後也是一樣，喪葬禮儀不只是給活著的人一個交代，更是為了安頓亡者的魂魄，避免他們變成惡鬼回來騷擾生者。
說到漢代，那真是個講究“長生不老”的時代，漢武帝就是一位響噹噹的“長生狂熱愛好者”，甚至派遣張騫出使西域，尋找傳說中的崑崙山，想找一種叫“不死藥」的東西。
據說崑崙山上住著一位仙女－西王母，掌管長生的秘密，西王母並不是什麼救世主，而更像是一個生活在崑崙山上的高貴仙女，周圍圍繞著各種奇異的靈獸。
漢武帝對長生的渴望不僅止於此，他還熱衷於在泰山舉行封禪大典，而這個儀式象徵著與天溝通，祈求長壽和永生。
但儘管皇帝們希望透過各種手段成仙，歷史上卻沒有哪位皇帝真的獲得了永生，漢哀帝時期，甚至還爆發了「行西王母詔籌」事件，關東一帶的百姓因為頻繁的災害陷入末日恐慌，紛紛求助西王母，希望她能帶來轉機。
以至於成仙雖是漢代皇帝的夢想，但更多普通百姓卻只是想讓死者在另一個世界過上好日子，於是，厚葬和燒紙錢這樣的風俗就流傳了下來。
說到鬼的生活，就不得不說說冥府這個神秘的地方，在漢代冥府的概念已經非常成熟，冥府被描繪成一個類似人間的官僚系統，亡者在陰間也要按照規矩辦事。
馬王堆出土的帛畫上就描繪了地下、人間和天堂的分層結構，墓中的「遣策」文書也表明，古人相信地下世界有一套和人間類似的秩序和法律。
亡者進入冥府後，要經過一連串的審判，冥府的官僚體系非常複雜，十殿閻羅負責對亡者進行審判。
亡魂要在「孽鏡台」前照出自己生前的善惡，罪孽深重的亡魂要經過各殿的審判，最後決定他們的去處。
冥府的審判過程有嚴格的時間節點，例如「頭七」、「末七」等，整個過程持續四十九天，最後確定亡者的歸宿，這也就是為什麼民間傳說中，頭七是亡魂回家的日子。
有趣的是，冥府的官員也像人間的官僚一樣，存在著賄賂現象，生者可以透過燒紙錢賄賂冥府的官差，為亡者謀得一些好處，這種現像不僅反映了當時人們對冥界的想像，也折射出了人間社會的現實。
到了唐宋時期，一種叫“壽生寄庫”的儀式在民間流行起來，它的背後是一個有趣的信仰：人一出生，就像從冥府裡借了一筆“壽生錢”，這筆錢會在陽間慢慢用完，等到錢用光了，生命就結束了。
但透過「壽生寄庫」這種儀式，人們可以把錢「存」到冥府的庫房裡，累積陰間的福報，確保來世有個好投胎。
這個儀式的本質，就像是一個金融契約，你可以理解為，生者透過燒紙錢、誦經等方式，把陽間的「財富」寄到陰間的銀行里，為亡者積累福報，避免他們在陰間受苦，而這種儀式反映了唐宋時期人們對陰間生活的想像，也體現了那個時代商業和契約觀念的興起。
「壽生寄庫」不僅僅是為亡者準備的，生者也可以透過這個儀式為自己積累陰間的“存款”，當時的人相信，陰間和陽間一樣，都是需要錢來維持生活的。
透過“寄庫”，生者可以提前為自己預留一筆“陰間存款”，確保自己死後在冥府過上舒適的生活。
幽冥文化的世俗化
在漢代之後，隨著佛教和道教的影響逐漸加強，關於冥界的觀念也變得更加複雜，道教主張透過修煉成仙，飛升而去，而佛教則帶來了地獄審判和輪迴的觀念。
在佛教的影響下，死亡不再是簡單的轉變，而是變成了一場審判。
佛教的輪迴觀念深入人心，亡者要經過地府的閻羅王審判，根據他們生前的善惡決定是進入極樂世界，還是受刑後轉世投胎。
佛教也帶來了地藏王菩薩的信仰，他被認為是冥界的主宰，負責超度亡魂，道教則崇拜酆都大帝或泰山府君，認為他們是冥界的統治者。
兩種宗教的融合，形成了中國特有的「十殿閻羅」審判體系，十殿閻羅分別負責不同的審判，亡魂要按照他們生前的行為接受裁決，有些人會下地獄受刑，有些人則會進入輪迴，等待下一次的投胎轉世。
說到冥府，大家可能最熟悉的就是燒紙錢的習俗了，在中國的傳統文化裡，亡者在陰間也需要錢財，生者透過燒紙錢的方式，給他們寄去陰間的「生活費」。
這些紙錢並不是普通的紙，而是經過一系列儀式「轉化」成了冥府的貨幣。
你可能會好奇，燒給亡者的錢都去哪了？
根據民間的說法，這些錢會被存到冥府的銀行里，亡者可以用來賄賂冥府的官員，或者購買陰間的物資，冥府的官員也像人間的官員一樣，收錢辦事，只要你錢燒得夠多，亡者也能在陰間過得舒適一點。
這個習俗不僅反映了人們對亡者的關心，也折射出了人間社會的現實，在陽間，錢能解決很多問題，在陰間也是如此，透過這種方式，生者可以幫助亡者在冥府裡過上好日子，避免他們在陰間受罰。
那麼鬼死了會變成什麼呢？
那麼，鬼死了會變成什麼呢？這個問題其實並沒有一個明確的答案。
在中國的傳統文化裡，鬼並不是永生的，根據不同的宗教和信仰，亡者的魂魄可能會經歷不同的命運。
有些人透過修煉成仙，飛升而去；有些人則進入輪迴，等待下一次的轉世，至於燒給「天地銀行」的錢，也許只是人們對亡者的一種情感寄託。
不管怎麼說，死亡並不是終點，在中國的生死觀中，生與死是一個不斷循環的過程，而冥府則是這個循環中的一個重要環節，它既是亡者的歸宿，也是生者和亡者之間的橋樑。
參考資料：
1.祭祀燒的」錢」都存到哪裡了：古代中國的幽冥觀念與壽生信仰2023-02-07 11:25·新京報
2.劉益民評《儲蓄來生：宋代以來的壽生寄庫信仰》｜為生者燒紙錢2022-12-30 11:00·澎湃新聞
3.欒保群談中國古代的幽冥文化2018-04-15 11:36·澎湃新聞
When people die, they become ghosts. What do ghosts become when they die? Where was the money burned to Tiandi Bank deposited?
Special statement: The contents of this article are written with authoritative information and personal opinions. The source of the literature and screenshots have been marked at the end of the article. Please be informed.
In traditional Chinese culture, death is not the end of life, but a new beginning. People turn into ghosts after death, and the lives of ghosts are not static.
You may have heard that the deceased will continue to "live" in the afterlife, and relatives will "send money" to them by burning paper money and other methods to live on.
So, what is the world of ghosts like? Where was the money burned to the "Tiandi Bank" deposited? What is even more curious is, what will the ghost become after death? What kind of rules and secrets are hidden behind the mysterious underworld?
When a person dies, he becomes a ghost?
As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, China's concept of life and death had begun to take shape, and the earliest "soul dualism" was a product of that era.
This theory was proposed by Zichan, who believed that after death, the soul and soul will separate: the soul returns to heaven and the soul returns to earth. This means that the human soul will fly to heaven and the body will return to the earth. Therefore, death is not a complete demise, but a transformation of life forms.
This concept was further developed in the Han Dynasty. People at that time believed that the souls of the deceased would enter a Hades similar to the human world and continue their lives. Therefore, the funeral rituals and tomb culture of the Han Dynasty became extremely grand, and the emperors and nobles They are particularly keen on lavish burials. They believe that through exquisite burial objects, the deceased can live a better life in the other world.
Confucius once said: "In life, things should be done with propriety; in death, burial should be done with propriety, and sacrifices should be done with propriety."
This means that living people must be served with etiquette, and the same applies after death. Funeral rituals are not only to give an explanation to the living people, but also to settle the souls of the dead and prevent them from turning into evil ghosts and coming back to harass the living.
Speaking of the Han Dynasty, it was really an era that emphasized "immortality." Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was a well-known "immortality enthusiast" and even sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions to search for the legendary Kunlun Mountains, hoping to find a kind of "immortality". Medicine" stuff.
It is said that there is a fairy living on the Kunlun Mountains, the Queen Mother of the West, who is in charge of the secret of immortality. The Queen Mother of the West is not a savior, but more like a noble fairy living on the Kunlun Mountains, surrounded by various strange spiritual beasts.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's desire for immortality did not stop there. He was also keen to hold a Zen ceremony on Mount Tai, and this ceremony symbolized communication with heaven and prayed for longevity and immortality.
But although emperors hoped to become immortals through various means, no emperor in history really achieved immortality. During the period of Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, the "Edict of the Queen Mother of the West" even broke out. The people in the Kanto area were affected by frequent disasters. Caught in a doomsday panic, they all turned to Queen Mother Xi, hoping that she could bring about a turn for the better.
Even though becoming an immortal was the dream of the emperors of the Han Dynasty, more ordinary people just wanted the deceased to live a good life in another world. Therefore, customs such as lavish burials and burning paper money were passed down.
When talking about the life of ghosts, we have to talk about the mysterious place of Hades. In the Han Dynasty, the concept of Hades was very mature. Hades was described as a bureaucracy similar to the human world, and the dead had to follow the rules in the underworld.
The silk paintings unearthed in Mawangdui depict the hierarchical structure of the underground, human world and heaven. The "Qi Ce" document in the tomb also shows that the ancients believed that the underground world had a set of order and laws similar to those on earth.
After the deceased enters the underworld, he must go through a series of trials. The bureaucracy of the underworld is very complicated. The Tenth Hall of Hell is responsible for judging the deceased.
The souls of the dead must reflect their good and evil deeds in life in front of the "Mirror of Sin". The souls of the dead who have committed serious sins must go through the trials of various halls and finally decide their whereabouts.
The trial process in Hades has strict time nodes, such as the "First Seven", "Last Seven", etc. The whole process lasts for forty-nine days, and the final destination of the deceased is determined. This is why in folklore, the first seven are the souls of the deceased returning home. days.
Interestingly, officials in the underworld are like bureaucrats in the human world. There is a phenomenon of bribery. The living can bribe the officials in the underworld by burning paper money to obtain some benefits for the deceased. This phenomenon not only reflects people’s view of the underworld at that time. Imagination also reflects the reality of human society.
In the Tang and Song Dynasties, a ritual called "Shou Sheng Ji Ku" became popular among the people. Behind it is an interesting belief: when a person is born, it is like borrowing a "Shou Sheng Money" from the underworld. It will be used up slowly in the earthly world. When the money runs out, life will be over.
But through the ritual of "Shou Sheng Deposit", people can "deposit" money into the warehouse of the underworld to accumulate blessings in the underworld and ensure a good reincarnation in the next life.
The essence of this ceremony is like a financial contract. You can understand it as the living sends the "wealth" of the earth to the bank of the underworld by burning paper money, chanting sutras, etc., to accumulate blessings for the deceased and avoid them. Suffering in the underworld, this ritual reflects people's imagination of life in the underworld during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and also reflects the rise of business and contract concepts in that era.
"Shousheng Jiku" is not only prepared for the deceased, but the living can also accumulate "deposits" for themselves in the underworld through this ceremony. People at that time believed that the underworld, like the earth, needs money to maintain life.
Through "deposit", the living can reserve a "deposit in the underworld" for themselves in advance to ensure that they can live a comfortable life in the underworld after death.
The secularization of netherworld culture
After the Han Dynasty, as the influence of Buddhism and Taoism gradually strengthened, the concept of the underworld became more complex. Taoism advocated becoming an immortal through cultivation and ascending to heaven, while Buddhism brought the concepts of hell judgment and reincarnation.
Under the influence of Buddhism, death is no longer a simple transformation, but becomes a judgment.
The concept of reincarnation in Buddhism is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The deceased must be judged by King Yama in the underworld, and based on their good and evil deeds during their lifetime, it is decided whether they will enter the paradise world or be reincarnated after being tortured.
Buddhism also brought the belief in Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who was considered the master of the underworld and was responsible for saving the souls of the dead. Taoism worshiped Emperor Fengdu or Lord Taishan as the rulers of the underworld.
The fusion of the two religions formed China's unique "Ten Halls of Yama" trial system. The Ten Halls of Yama are responsible for different trials. The souls of the dead must be judged according to their behavior during their lifetime. Some people will go to hell to be tortured, while others will enter. Reincarnation, waiting for the next reincarnation.
Speaking of the underworld, everyone may be most familiar with the custom of burning paper money. In traditional Chinese culture, the dead also need money in the underworld, and the living send them "living expenses" in the underworld by burning paper money.
These paper money are not ordinary paper, but have been "transformed" into the currency of the underworld through a series of rituals.
You may be wondering, where does all the money burned for the deceased go?
According to folklore, the money will be deposited in the bank of Hades, and the deceased can use it to bribe officials of Hades or purchase supplies in the underworld. Officials of Hades are just like officials in the human world, collecting money to do things. As long as you burn the money With enough, the deceased can live a more comfortable life in the underworld.
This custom not only reflects people's concern for the deceased, but also reflects the reality of human society. In the world of the sun, money can solve many problems, and the same is true in the underworld. In this way, the living can help the deceased live a better life in the underworld. Good days to avoid their punishment in Hades.
So what will happen to ghosts when they die?
So, what happens to ghosts when they die? There is actually no clear answer to this question.
In traditional Chinese culture, ghosts are not immortal. Depending on different religions and beliefs, the souls of the deceased may experience different fates.
Some people become immortals through cultivation and ascend to heaven; some people enter reincarnation and wait for the next reincarnation. As for the money burned to the "Heaven and Earth Bank", it may just be a kind of emotional sustenance for the deceased.
In any case, death is not the end. In the Chinese view of life and death, life and death are a continuous cycle, and Hades is an important link in this cycle. It is not only the destination of the dead, but also the place between the living and the dead. bridge between.
References:
1. Where is the "money" burned for sacrifices stored: Ancient China's concept of the underworld and longevity belief 2023-02-07 11:25 · Beijing News
2. Liu Yimin commented on "Saving for the Afterlife: The Belief in Saving Life in the Treasury since the Song Dynasty" | Burning paper money for the living 2022-12-30 11:00·The Paper
3. Luan Baoqun talks about the underworld culture in ancient China 2018-04-15 11:36·The Paper
