Every year, on the 26th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the annual “Guanyin Borrowing Day” is celebrated, and in 2023, the day of Guanyin’s opening is Thursday, February 16.
It is said that on this day, the Goddess of Mercy opens her treasury, and the faithful can “borrow” from the Goddess to pray for a year of good fortune. Many temples in China will hold related activities, so that the faithful can go to the day the Bodhisattva opened the treasury to receive red envelopes.
In addition, the borrowed money is not limited to money and wealth, but also can be a wish, praying for success, or health and so on. Generally, the “red envelopes” are not opened, but hidden in a purse, under a pillow or in an appropriate corner of the home or office.
The Bodhisattva will not refuse anyone, but we must remember that “there is a loan and a return”, after borrowing the treasury, you must return it at the end of the year, otherwise, the next time you borrow the treasury will no longer be spiritual, and only after returning the treasury can you borrow a new one. Every year, on the 19th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, the traditional “Guanyin Return Day” is held, and the prescribed offerings are prepared to thank Guanyin for his blessings and great justice. There are also those who wait until the next year’s “Guanyin Return Day” to return the money.
Guanyin Bodhisattva’s opening day source1.
According to the legend, when Guanyin was a monk, there were 500 guardians of the Dharma who, in order to evaluate the practice of Guanyin, turned into monks and came to Guanyin temple to ask for food and hunger. When the five hundred monks filled their bellies, the rest of the food was left for the worshippers to enjoy.
From then on, on the 26th day of the first month, it became the day of “Guanyin Open Storehouse”.
Source 2: Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s opening day
It is said that during the Southern Song Dynasty, the sacred site of “Eighteen Luohan Pilgrimage to Guanyin” was found in the mountains, and people were so happy that they actively cooperated and donated money to quickly build a Guanyin Hall. The hall is unique in that it has a large, wide and open area of 156.2 square meters. It is facing the sea, surrounded by mountains on three sides, magnificent and solemn, a rare and good place.
In order to repay the people’s devotion and shelter all beings, Guanyin Bodhisattva entrusted a dream to tell the local folks to open the treasury on the 26th day of the first month every year, and welcome everyone to borrow money to ensure that every family has a prosperous future.
Guanyin open the library of the precautions
1, the basic requirements when borrowing the library. Fasting and bathing, grooming and cleanliness; sincerity is the spirit, seeking positive wealth, not greedy; incineration of yuan treasure, paper money, pray for blessings and wealth.
2, promote the release of prayers to welcome wealth. This is more familiar, many friends redeem the arrested fish or birds and other animals, put them in the mountains or rivers and lakes; release this day, can get the blessing of Goddess of Mercy, prosperity and happiness in life.
3, good borrowing, good repayment, borrowing again is not difficult.
Folklore: borrowing money to pay back the money, the sky is the right thing to do. This point should be noted, last year’s borrowing library, this year to return the library. Good borrowing and good return, or the next time you borrow the library will no longer be spiritual.
