In traditional funeral rituals, the erection of a tombstone is a way to show respect for the deceased and to make the deceased's grave more visible. In ancient times, people did not use the sign of "mound" when they were buried, but directly filled the tomb with earth, and the location of the original tomb became difficult to find over time. In order to solve this problem, the concept of "grave mound" emerged. People compacted the soil on the mounds of the graves, and the graves were also made of stones, which passed every yearQingming FestivalThe renovation allows the deceased to feel at ease in another world, and there is no need to worry about no one coming to pay their respects during the festival. The ancient book "The Book of Rites: Tan Gong Shang" mentions: "The ancients have tombs but not graves", that is, there are cemeteries first, and then there are grave piles, which is the result of historical evolution. Then came the tombstones, which were commemorative signs made of stone or wood, which stood in front of or behind the grave, and engraved with the names and deeds of the deceased. However, not everyone is suitable for erecting a monument, otherwise family members may be abandoned and life becomes difficult. What are the three kinds of people who can't erect a monument? Let's dive in.
1. Those under the age of 60 should not erect a monument. In ancient books, it is known as ".Sexagenary branchesAnd the "Five Elements Theory" explains, saying that "sixty years is a jiazi", which represents a reincarnation, if you do not live to sixty years, it is regarded as a short life, and you cannot complete the entire reincarnation, so you are not qualified to erect a monument. The ancestors believed that they were too old to pray for future generations, and when the descendants came to pay tribute and pray, the deceased could not be satisfied and seemed embarrassed.
2. It is not advisable to erect a monument for those who die unnaturally. For example, accidental deaths such as hanging, falling, and drowning have caused people around them to speculate for a long time. When the neighbors see the inscription, they inevitably feel resentment in their hearts, is this blaming the descendants of the deceased, or is it promoting the disgraceful cause of death? In any case, it is a taboo thing.
3. It is not appropriate to erect a monument if there is no successor. The purpose of erecting a monument is that future generations can quickly find the grave of the ancestors, and because the deceased has no descendants, even if the monument is erected in front of the grave, it loses its practical significance. Qingming FestivalThere is still no one to sweep the grave and repair it, making the deceased even more lonely in another world. Therefore, there will be no successor in the future, and it is not suitable to erect a monument.
The "tombstone is not erected three times, and the family abandons it after it is established" mentioned in the epilogue is the originAutobiographysystemCultural practices, lacking scientific basis, should be treated rationally. The purpose of erecting the monument is to better express the feelings of remembrance, and also to facilitate future generations to show their feelings to the deceasedFilial piety”。The best way to understand these sayings is to take their essence and eliminate the dross. It can be seen that the act of erecting a monument contains a wealth of thingsCultureThe connotation is not only the nostalgia for the deceased, but also the inheritance of the emotions of future generations.
In today's social development, we may not be able to fully apply the ancient rules, but this is containedFilial pietyThe spirit and family emotions are worth inheriting and inheriting. Although the deceased is gone, what is left behind is hope and care for us. Through the erection of the monument, it is not only the memory of the deceased, but also the inheritance of family feelings. May we be able to move from traditionCultureDraw strength, cherish family feelings, inherit family virtues, so that every deceased can find a home in another world, and let us miss and inherit each other in the world. Each tombstone carries the responsibility and emotion of the family, and this spirit is the precious wealth that we continue to inherit.