Monday, 04/20/2026
Posts
The Day of Fortune God
Update: 26/01/2023
"According to folk beliefs, many people consider the 10th day of the first lunar month to be the day when the God of Wealth flew to heaven. On this day, in addition to buying roasted pork, roasted duck, snakehead fish, etc. to worship the God of Fortune for good luck, people also buy gold to welcome fortune."
Dear everyone! I am not going to discuss buying gold to expect fortune, but buying roasted pork, roasted duck, grilled snakehead fish, etc. to worship the God of Wealth and pray for good luck is not advisable.
Every day we go to the market to buy fish and meat for our daily meals, which causes the number of animals that are killed to serve the immense needs of people. Now that there is a folk's concept about the day of the God of Fortune, the number of animals killed is countless times greater than usual. "There is a demand, then there is a supply". The greater the demand, the more the supply increases to serve that need.
As a Buddhist, performing the "three kinds of pure flesh" is not hearing, seeing, or doubting which we can eat. However, we have to reconsider the no-doubt principle, as if we have a need to buy flesh, people will kill to sell it. Thus, we have indirectly killed living beings, and those who do not have religious beliefs will directly kill living beings or tell others to kill and harm animals.
At the beginning of the year, everyone goes to the temple to pray for peace, good luck, and happiness for themselves and their families. On the other hand, we indirectly kill pigs, ducks, fish, etc by folk's beliefs about the day of the God of Wealth, which is an unwholesome action. Doing this cannot bring peace, happiness, or luck to yourself or others.)
Buddha taught:
"People are afraid of punishment,
People are afraid of death.
Be a role model.
Don't kill; don't ask someone to kill." (Dp129)
"Beings seek peace,
Whoever uses a mace to harm people,
To find myself,
Do not get lost in the next life." (Dp133)
Dear all! Please do not use the killing of sentient beings to pray for peace and luck for ourselves. That will only bring loss of life, diseases, and insecurity. Peace or happiness can only be achieved when we know how to stop killing karma, release living beings, give alms, practise loving-kindness, etc.
Secondly, being called "God", this transformation cannot be accomplished by evil karma. He/she must cultivate merit and virtue to become "God". Therefore, will it be reasonable when these Gods want us to go and kill sentient beings? Anyone who reads the Ksitigarbha Sutra will know that the gods advise us not to kill, only to release… Even though he is a god, he is still Samsara, so he must always strive to create blessings and merit, just like us humans. Do not rush to believe in legends and create bad karma for ourselves without knowing it.
Good causes lead to satisfactory results, and bad causes lead to tragic results. Therefore, I hope everyone will stop the karma of killing, know how to release living beings, give alms, and practise good deeds to be able to bring happiness and peace in the present moment as well as in the future.
May everyone always be happy and healthy!
Tâm Tri
Translated into English by Thai Nhuoc Don