Its the Start of the Dog Days! Today is "Shou Ri", Learn About Our Ancestors' WisdomJuly 15, 2024, marks the official beginning of the San Fu, also known as the "Dog Days". This day, the sun blazes fiercely, the heat suffocating, as if the entire world is enveloped in a wave of heat
Its the Start of the Dog Days! Today is "Shou Ri", Learn About Our Ancestors' Wisdom
July 15, 2024, marks the official beginning of the San Fu, also known as the "Dog Days". This day, the sun blazes fiercely, the heat suffocating, as if the entire world is enveloped in a wave of heat. The ancients referred to these sweltering Dog Days as Chu Fu, Zhong Fu, and Mo Fu, meticulously linking them to the lunar calendar dates, the Twelve Jian Chu, and summarizing many life wisdoms that have been passed down to this day.
Entering the Dog Days Today, Coinciding with "Shou Ri"
Todays entry into the Dog Days isn't just any ordinary day. According to the ancient calendar, today is Jiachen year, Xinwei month, Gengchen day, the tenth day of the sixth lunar month, and also the tenth day after Xiaoshu (the Minor Heat). Most importantly, today coincides with "Shou Ri" in the Twelve Jian Chu.
What are the Twelve Jian Chu?
The Twelve Jian Chu is a method for choosing auspicious days derived by the ancients, dividing the days of each lunar month into twelve stages, each corresponding to a specific Jian Chu god, carrying different auspicious and inauspicious meanings. The Twelve Jian Chu are: Jian, Chu, Man, Ping, Ding, Zhi, Po, Wei, Cheng, Shou, Kai, Bi.
The Meaning of "Shou Ri"
"Shou Ri", literally "Receiving Day", signifies taking in and gathering. The ancients believed this day was suitable for concluding and wrapping up matters, not for starting new ventures.
Entering the Dog Days on Shou Ri, Good or Bad?
The ancients used the choosing auspicious days proverbs of the Twelve Jian Chu to judge good fortune, the proverb being: "Jian, Man, Ping, Shou are black, Chu, Wei, Ding, Zhi are yellow; Cheng, Kai are both for all purposes, Bi, Po are not suitable."
This proverb means that Jian, Man, Ping, Shou are four black days of ill fortune, Chu, Wei, Ding, Zhi are four yellow days of good fortune, Cheng, Kai are two days suitable for all, while Bi, Po are two days for no good fortune.
Therefore, today's entry into the Dog Days coinciding with Shou Ri, a black day of ill fortune, implies it's not a good day to embark on major endeavors, as it could lead to disharmony.
Entering the Dog Days on Shou Ri, the Wisdom of Our Ancestors
Today's entry into the Dog Days coinciding with Shou Ri serves as a reminder for us in this scorching summer to pay attention to the following:
1. Don't Start Construction: Await Opportunity, Tranquilly Spend the Summer
The ancients believed that "Shou Ri" is for stillness, not action, hence not suitable for breaking ground, construction, or major undertakings. This is not superstition, but the ancients' profound understanding of natural laws.
After entering the Dog Days, the weather becomes even more stifling and humid, making people prone to fatigue, and construction progress is also affected. Simultaneously, high temperatures can lead to material deterioration and increased safety risks. Therefore, this taboo from our ancestors actually carries rich considerations for safety and efficiency.
Today, entering the Dog Days on "Shou Ri" reminds us to remain as tranquil as possible, "hiding" ourselves for the summer, peacefully enduring this sweltering season.
2. Don't Wear Wet Clothes: Maintain Dryness, Stay Away from Illness
The Dog Days, with their high temperatures and humidity, are dubbed "sauna days", making it easy for people to sweat. Through observation and practice, the ancients concluded that "wet clothes and sweat-soaked clothes should not be worn for long".
Damp clothes hinder the body's heat dissipation, increasing body temperature, making it easier for bacteria to breed, leading to illness. Therefore, during the Dog Days, maintain dry clothing, change sweat-soaked clothes promptly, and avoid weakening one's vital energy.
Furthermore, after sweating, don't immediately enter an air-conditioned room, nor immediately use cold water to wash or blow cool air, as this causes the body to expand in heat and contract in cold, making it susceptible to colds and rheumatism.
3. Eat Ginger: Expel Cold, Relieve Heat, Strengthen Physique
The folk proverb "eat radishes in winter, eat ginger in summer" reflects the wisdom of aligning with natural laws in diet.
In the Dog Days, people tend to favor coolness, eating cold food and drinking icy beverages, resulting in "external heat and internal cold" in their bodies. To dispel inner coldness and strengthen physique, the ancients would eat ginger during the Dog Days.
Ginger is warm in nature, with effects of expelling cold and relieving heat, invigorating the mind, aiding digestion, and preventing colds. Therefore, eating ginger during the Dog Days helps alleviate discomfort brought by the summer heat, strengthens immunity, and allows for a smooth passage through the Dog Days.
4. Don't Borrow Money: Remember the Meaning of "Shou Ri", Don't Scatter Wealth
"Shou Ri" means taking in and gathering, so the ancients forbade lending money to others on this day, believing it would scatter wealth.
While this belief lacks scientific basis, in real life, lending money to friends often leads to awkwardness, especially for those who lack ambition and are ungrateful, lending money poses even greater risks.
Today, entering the Dog Days on "Shou Ri" reminds us to heed the old adage, not to easily lend money to others, especially not to unreliable individuals. If you want to help others, you should "teach a man to fish, not give him a fish", helping them improve their abilities is the lasting solution.
Entering the Dog Days Today, Remember "Four Don'ts"
This year's entry into the Dog Days, be it the special timing of "Shou Ri" or the wise reminders of traditional customs, all remind us that during the sweltering Dog Days, we should maintain a peaceful mindset, plan our lives rationally, and endure this special period in a healthy and safe manner.
Entering the Dog Days today, remember:
1. Don't start construction: Await opportunity, tranquilly spend the summer
2. Don't wear wet clothes: Maintain dryness, stay away from illness
3. Eat ginger: Expel cold, relieve heat, strengthen physique
4. Don't borrow money: Remember the meaning of "Shou Ri", don't scatter wealth
May everyone have a safe passage through the Dog Days, with good fortune and well-being!
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