In that old Chinese town, the afterglow of the setting sun fills the winding streets, adding a touch of gold to every bluestone slab and mottled old house. On a nondescript street corner in the town, there is a quaint incense shop. Although this shop is small, it is the place where the hearts of the people of the town are located, and there is a mysterious legend about the severed incense.
The shopkeeper, Lao Li, is an old man, and his face is engraved with traces of time. He sat in the shop**, carefully making incense sticks, and at the same time telling Xiao Ming the story about the severed incense.
Xiao Ming, the legend of this severed incense has been passed down since my grandfather's generation. Lao Li's voice revealed a trace of memory.
Xiao Ming, a boy about ten years old, stood in front of the counter with curiosity in his eyes. "Lao Li, does the severed head incense really bring bad luck?He asked.
Lao Li shook his head and flipped the spices in his hand, "This is actually a statement of our ancestors. They believe that if the incense head suddenly breaks while burning, it is like an incomplete prayer and represents bad luck. ”
Xiao Ming pondered for a while, and then asked, "Then why is there such a statement?"Is there any particular reason?”
Lao Li put down the tools in his hand and stared at Xiao Ming, "Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a poor scholar who would burn incense every day and pray for fame in the examination. One day, the incense he burned suddenly broke, and he failed the exam soon after. Since then, people have believed that the severed head incense is a bad omen. ”
Xiao Ming listened attentively, and seemed to have a different understanding of the 'severed head incense', he took out a few copper plates from his pocket and bought a few incense sticks.
The sun has set, and the incense shops on the street corners look more antique under the reflection of the lights, and the legend of the 'guillotine incense' is still circulating.
'Guillotine incense' is actually 'superstition'
One evening, Xiao Ming burned incense in front of the small shrine at home, looking pious. The room was filled with the fragrance of incense, and the setting sun cast a golden yellow on the floor through the curtains. At this moment, a gust of wind blew, and the incense head suddenly broke. Xiao Ming's heart suddenly lifted, and he recalled Lao Li's words about the severed head incense.
He hurried to the living room and found his grandmother, who was embroidering. "Grandma, when I burned incense just now, the incense head suddenly broke. Does this mean that our family is going to have a bad fortune?Xiao Ming's voice revealed uneasiness and fear.
The grandmother put down the embroidery in her hand, looked at Xiao Ming gently, and replied with a smile: "Child, these are all superstitions. In ancient operas such as "Watching the Money Slave" and "The Legend of the West Chamber", it is true that the severed head incense is considered a symbol of bad luck, but this is not true. ”
Xiao Ming asked puzzledly: "Then why did the ancients have such an idea?"”
The grandmother slowly explained: "In ancient times, people did not know many things scientifically enough, and they often used some superstitions to explain natural phenomena and various events in life. Guillotine is just one of them. ”
Xiao Ming was still a little uneasy, "Then the incense burned by our family is broken, there won't really be anything bad happening, right?"”
Grandmother gently touched Xiao Ming's head, "Of course not." In fact, the incense breakage may simply be caused by the uneven mixing of the spices during the making process, or the wind blowing when burning. It has nothing to do with luck. ”
Grandma, can you explain in detail, what is a guillotine incense?Xiao Ming asked.
The grandmother smiled slightly and began to explain in detail: "The severed head incense, as the name suggests, means that in the process of burning the incense, the incense head does not burn out naturally, but breaks unexpectedly. In our traditional culture, incense is usually burned to pray and pay respect. Thus, the complete burning of incense is considered a complete prayer to the deity. ”
After hearing this, Xiao Ming asked again: "Then why is the broken incense considered unlucky?"”
The grandmother patiently replied: "This is mainly because it is believed that the complete burning of incense symbolizes the smooth transmission of prayers and wishes to the gods. If the incense breaks during burning, it is as if the prayer has been interrupted and is therefore considered a bad omen. ”
Choose good incense.
Xiao Ming's curiosity was aroused by his grandmother's words, and he asked, "So, how did the guillotine incense form?"”
The grandmother pondered for a moment, then began to explain: "This is actually caused by the material of the incense and the burning process. You know, incense sticks are made from a mixture of various spices and wood powder. If these materials are impure or the production process is rough, it will cause the incense to be unstable when burned and prone to breakage. ”
Xiao Ming still didn't seem to understand, and he asked again: "Then why are some incense of bad quality?"”
Grandmother smiled slightly and said, "This has a lot to do with the manufacturer who produces incense." In order to reduce costs, some manufacturers may use inferior raw materials or shorten the process of making incense. Although this can save costs, it will greatly reduce the quality of the incense. ”
Xiao Ming thought for a moment, and then asked, "Then how can we buy good incense sticks?"”
Grandmother nodded and continued to teach Xiao Ming: "When buying incense, you must pay attention to its material and production process. A good incense stick not only does not break off easily, but also has a natural smoke taste and a light aroma. You can take a look at the ingredients and manufacturer on the packaging, or ask the seller about the production process and raw materials**.
Xiao Ming was intrigued by his grandmother's words, and he asked curiously, "Grandma, what kind of materials and production techniques are good?"”
Grandmother smiled and replied, "A good incense stick, first of all, the material must be pure." For example, high-quality sandalwood powder, natural flavors and herbs. These natural ingredients not only have a pure fragrance, but also burn more smoothly and are less prone to breakage. ”
Xiao Ming continued to ask: "What about the production process?"How does it affect the quality of incense?”
The grandmother slowly explained: "The production process has a great impact on the quality of the incense sticks. Good incense sticks usually need to go through a careful proportioning and production process. For example, it is necessary to mix spices evenly and to ensure the proper density when pressing the powder. The incense made in this way can remain stable when burned and is not easy to break. ”
Xiao Ming nodded in understanding, and he asked again: "Then how do we judge the quality of incense sticks from the appearance?"”
My grandmother taught, "In appearance, a good incense stick is usually uniform in color and free of obvious impurities. And you can smell the fragrance, the fragrance of a good incense stick should be natural and tranquil, and there will be no pungent chemical smell. ”
Xiao Ming pondered for a moment, and then said: "When I buy incense sticks in the future, I will definitely pay more attention to these details." ”
Grandmother nodded with satisfaction, and she continued: "When buying incense, you can also ask the merchant for detailed information about the incense, such as raw materials**, production process, etc. Sometimes, knowing the stories behind these can also make us more respectful and cherish these traditional crafts. ”
Xiao Ming felt very taught, and he understood that buying incense sticks is not only a simple matter, but also involves understanding and respecting traditional culture.
Transcend superstition and pursue truth.
After Xiao Ming's doubts about the guillotine incense were alleviated, he had a new curiosity: "That grandma, if we really burn the guillotine incense, will there be any special consequences?"”
Grandmother put down the work in her hand and looked at Xiao Ming seriously: "Actually, burning the severed head incense itself will not lead to any special consequences. It is just a stick of incense, and its break is more of a physical cause than the will of the gods. ”
Xiao Ming pondered, and then asked, "But if someone really believes that it will bring misfortune, will this belief affect them?"”
Grandmother nodded and explained, "It's psychological. If a person has a strong belief that something will bring misfortune, their psychology and behavior may be influenced by this belief and thus affect their daily life to some extent. ”
Xiao Ming pondered for a while, and then said, "Isn't this a self-fulfilling prophecy?"People are afraid of misfortune, but instead they may inadvertently trigger something negative. ”
The grandmother smiled and replied, "That's right, kid." That's why we need to look at these superstitions with a rational eye. Don't worry too much about the guillotine, it's more important to stay positive and optimistic. ”
Xiao Ming asked again: "Then what should we do if our family accidentally burns the incense of the severed head?"”
"If this really happens, we just need to calmly light another stick of incense and continue our prayers and lives," the grandmother said gently. Remember, the breaking of incense is nothing but a small physical phenomenon that should not affect our mood and life. ”
Xiao Ming nodded, as if he understood what his grandmother meant. He stood up, returned to the shrine, and rekindled a stick of incense. Although he no longer believes in the misfortune that the severed head incense brings, he still respects the tradition because it is his cultural heritage.
Grandmother looked at Xiao Ming from behind, a satisfied smile on her face. She knows that Xiao Ming has not only learned how to deal with superstition, but more importantly, he has learned how to look at the world with a scientific eye while respecting tradition.
As night fell, the lights in Xiao Ming's home were warm and bright. In this old town, yet another young mind has learned to understand and balance tradition and modernity.
From the point of view of modern science, the phenomenon of severed incense is usually related to the material and production process of incense. Inferior incense or poorly crafted incense is more likely to break, irrelevant to any supernatural explanation.
In modern society, more people tend to look at this phenomenon from a scientific perspective. Although some superstitious elements in traditional culture should be understood and respected, they also need to be analyzed and judged with a rational attitude. The phenomenon of guillotine incense should not be seen as an ominous omen, but more as a manifestation of a physical phenomenon.
While respecting tradition, adopting scientific methods to understand and deal with various phenomena in life is an important trend in the development of today's society.
Reference: Yiwu Songs and Sayings