TAILIEUCHUNG - Kubera - The origin and changes in the culture of Vietnam

In the context of the economy in Vietnam at present, the material life of people is improving. However, many people are possibly poorer or they totally lose their wealth. A group of people is rapidly richer caused by the opportunity given by the God. These people think that they are receiving the help of the Lower world and the secular world. To thank for the invisible forces that lead to the luck, people need to find out the Divine who supports them. The name of the Divine is Kubera or the God of Wealth or the Lord of Wealth. There are the riches or the poors who are praying for wealth, they immediately pick up Kubera’s statues for worshiping. Therefore, the cult of Kubera extends. Although the cult of Kubera has existed in Vietnamese culture, the actual extension of this cult is a new social phenomenon. Everyone thinks that the cult of Kubera for praying the wealth but the origin of this Divine is obscure. Thus, it needs to indicate the antecedents and the cult of Kubera. | ĐINH HỒNG HẢI ReJ Studies Vol. 9 N . 01 02 2015 117-136 KUBERA - THE ORIGIN AND CHANGES IN THE CULTURE OF VIETNAM Abstract In the context of the economy in Vietnam at present the material life of people is improving. However many people are possibly poorer or they totally lose their wealth. A group of people is rapidly richer caused by the opportunity given by the God. These people think that they are receiving the help of the Lower world and the secular world. To thank for the invisible forces that lead to the luck people need to find out the Divine who supports them. The name of the Divine is Kubera or the God of Wealth or the Lord of Wealth. There are the riches or the poors who are praying for wealth they immediately pick up Kubera s statues for worshiping. Therefore the cult of Kubera extends. Although the cult of Kubera has existed in Vietnamese culture the actual extension of this cult is a new social phenomenon. Everyone thinks that the cult of Kubera for praying the wealth but the origin of this Divine is obscure. Thus it needs to indicate the antecedents and the cult of Kubera. Keywords Kubera culture China India Vietnam worship. 1. The name of Kubera Kubera in Vietnamese is Thần Tài and it was originated from the word Tài 1 simplification M ancient Sino M and it means that the God has brought the wealth for people2. According to the Chinese -Vietnamese Dictionary Hán - Việt từ điển trích dẫn Tài M was composed of two words such as Bối bèi means clamshell which was used to exchange like a kind of money in Chinese ancient culture and Tài cai means talent wisdom . The word Tài also has meaning riches wealth or something related to money as finance M property M M fortune M etc. The word Thần tt has meaning as follows Firstly the sky and the earth which created creatures the PhD. Institute for Cultural Studies Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. 118 Religious Studies. N .01 02 - 2015 Lord of the mountain ù thần núi the Lord of Sea thần biển Secondly the .

• Lịch sử - Văn hoá
• Kubera the origin
• Changes in the culture
• Culture of Vietnam
• The wealth but the origin
• This Divine is obscure