In ancient times, people had a deep understanding of nature, feng shui and lifestyle, especially in the selection of sites for building houses and planting trees.
Among them, the saying "the family has a green dragon tree, and the descendants will be rich from generation to generation", although it sounds full of superstition, it contains the wisdom and experience of the ancients. Does it make sense?Let's dig deeper into the meaning of this sentence and see if the concept is superstitious or if there is really some practical basis.
What is "Green Dragon Tree"?
"Green dragon tree" does not refer to a specific tree species, but to a tree planted on the east side of the house. Although there is no specific type of tree, fruit trees are generally the main ones, because fruit trees not only have economic value, but most of them are good and meet people's expectations.
The ancients regarded the East as the land of the Green Dragon, and imagined the Green Dragon as a mysterious dragon representing the gods of the East. The roots of this concept can be traced back to the worship of the stars by the ancients, who divided the sky into four directions: east, west, north, south, and corresponding to the four gods: "the green dragon on the left, the white tiger on the right, the vermilion bird in the front, and the Xuanwu in the back".
The green dragon represents the god of the East, the White Tiger is the god of the West, the Suzaku is the god of the South, and the Xuanwu is the god of the North. Such a concept of the universe has been deeply influenced by the folk tradition and has also permeated daily life.
In the traditional concept of architectural feng shui, the choice of a house facing north and south, that is, facing east, is to welcome the divine power of the green dragon. Therefore, the terrain on the east side of the house should be as high as possible than on the west side, which is consistent with the saying that "if there is a dragon tree in the family, the children and grandchildren will be rich". It is believed that with the blessing of the dragon tree in the east, families will prosper and their children and grandchildren will be prosperous.
So, is there some truth to the saying that "the family has a green dragon tree, and the children and grandchildren will be rich from generation to generation"?In today's society, this seemingly superstitious belief may be considered by some young people as an outdated belief with no scientific basis. However, we can find some plausibility in the practical experience of the ancients.
The "green dragon tree" is not an ordinary tree, but has some requirements:
The first condition is to have a good meaning and avoid planting some inauspicious trees, such as "do not plant mulberries before and willows after that, and do not plant ghosts in the courtyard to clap hands (i.e., raise trees)".
The second condition is to choose fruit trees as much as possible, not only because fruit trees have economic value, but also because under ancient production conditions, the fruit produced by fruit trees can provide extra food for the family** without starving the family.
In ancient societies, people's productivity levels were relatively low and food was often insufficient. Planting fruit trees can not only solve the family's food ration problem, but also increase the family's income with the surplus fruits**. Therefore, "prosperity for future generations" is not just a slogan, but is based on the actual economy.
The saying "family has a green dragon tree, and the children and grandchildren will be rich from generation to generation" does not only contain economic considerations, but also involves a spiritual inheritance. There is a proverb in the ancients: "The predecessors planted trees, and the descendants enjoyed the shade", emphasizing that the prosperity of the family requires the efforts and wisdom passed down from generation to generation, which also illustrates the result of "descendants from generation to generation to become rich".
In ancient societies, people had a deep affection and responsibility for the cultivation of trees. The old people in the countryside like to plant all kinds of trees on all kinds of land, including not only fruit trees, but also other plants. This is not only for economic reasons, but also for the love of the land and hope for the future.
Through the planting of trees, the fathers passed on to the offspring an example of hard work, so that the offspring understood the value of hard work and patience. This tradition of planting trees is not only for today, but also for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Through the growth of trees, the fathers left a real wealth to their children, not only material, but also spiritual.
2024 is the "Year of the Green Dragon", do you plan to plant a "Green Dragon Tree"?