The "Currency" Between The Sacred And The Secular

The coin plays an important role in the practice of folk beliefs in China and is a ’must’ for all kinds of folk rituals.As a ’lowly object’ in secular life,the coins are ’sacred’ through the rituals of the masters and thus function as’ money’ in the sacred world.The coins are a bridge between the sacred world and the secular world,and are used to "exchange" with the gods and goddesses of the sacred world.The Dong Bo Yao people are a mountain-dependent ethnic group whose way of life is closely linked to their natural environment.Traditionally,the local people in Dongbo Village have mainly been engaged in mountain farming,growing sugar cane,rice and maize,leading a simple and ordinary life.In the folk ritual activities of the Dong Bo village Yao people-such as in the rituals of the Daoist precepts,soul calling and funerals-meditation coins are an essential item.The local Yao believe that the coins are the money used by the gods in the sacred world,and are transformed into gold and silver treasures after incineration to please the gods and gain their blessings.The variety of coins has evolved with the development of society.Today,the Dongbo Yao people mainly use paper coins,but in exceptional cases,other items such as leaves and newspapers are also used as coins.In Dongbo Yao society,medallions are used to worship the gods or to pay homage to ancestors,and they are also essential materials for the drawing of talismans by the Shigong.Research suggests that the use of coins as a medium of ’exchange’ with the sacred world arose from the development of people’s beliefs and their contemplation of all things in heaven and earth.As society developed,people’s beliefs were gradually refined,eventually forming a complete system of beliefs.The ’exchange’ between the local people and the sacred world is a deep-rooted presence in Yao society,reflecting the local people’s reverence for and pursuit of supernatural powers,and through the burning of coins,the Yao people realise their ’debt’ to supernatural forces(ancestors,heaven and earth,spirits)"By burning coins,the Yao people are able to’repay’ their debts to the supernatural forces(ancestors,heaven and earth,gods),and in exchange for peace of mind and village relations.