Why do chinese believe in burning incense and paper money to the dead?

Question

Does it really change to real money when the dead gets it? How did it all started?

Answer 1

Burning incense or paper money are just a form of respect for all our chinese. many researchers, lecturers, masters or professors have make this a big issues in commenting that this is a form of joke believes, etc.

In whole, all burning is just a very simple ritual and respect for all chinese, no need to get to bother or think too deep into why they need all these.

In New Age, people believe in natural energy from mother earth and universe, same theory here. Paper money wont turn to real cash in the other world, neither incense will turn to great wealth for the death. All these will turn to a form of energy, a willing power to all the deaths, hoping them can go smoothly, peacefully and in there's a next life, they will be blessed in the next life.

Incense or paper money do not restrict to only Folk's Taoism or Buddhism, if any other Religions are mindful enough, they can import them into the study or teachings. :)

Answer 2

Chinese Burning Incense

Answer 3

Burning paper is chinese culture or etiquette to send message to the death one or god (multigod). The cool thing about this culture is the part of using paper. If you are aware of that, chinese people invented paper long long time ago. At that time, they use paper to write and burn. Since writing is such a civilized manner at that time, religion people use this as a way to communicate with the death one or Gods. To burn the writen paper as a symbol of "contact", the contact will be at the place where death one is.

Answer 4

It is all got to do with folk belief, and the 10 stage of hell court. It is folk Buddhist/ Taoist. Not a pure chinese belief. But widely practised, even in south east asian.

They believe that in hell, you need to have certain amount of money to survived. Thus they burn money to the death.

If you look at the item they burned nowadays, you will be amazed! paper cars is old fashion, they even burn paper handphone, laptop, computers, watches, PDA, etc.

Sometime i wonder if they ever burn the manual to them, else, how they are going to use it, since they died way before those things are in fashion.

Answer 5

It is a form of respect, a way of aiding them to get through their normal underworld route as smoothly as possible.
It is a said tradition pass down through numerous generation and seems to be a believe that that so called burnt paper will help them in any way.

Answer 6

It is simply a form of ancestor worship, or honoring relatives who have passed. They believe that in following this practice, they will gain favor with the deceased, enabling them to call upon them for strength, power, and blessings.

Answer 7

It started if i am not wrong from that great sage,Confuision, errr wrong spelling!!

As a method of showing grief, as it started off with pieces of white paper only! then u knw lah, humans, getting more and more fancier as yrs goes

Answer 8

first of all it's not real money its spiritual money. the belief of helping your ancestors pay the toll to get to heaven. if you go to a chinese market you'll find bundles of spiritual money. i have some due to a class i took in college. all it does is honor their ancestors which isn't a bad thing.

Answer 9

It's just a belief, probably handed down through the generations.
As to whether or not it really works, I don't think I want to find out the definitive answer either personally or have one of "them" tell me.

Answer 10

They would "believe" in it if burning paper was a religion... In capitalism decapitation and collecting heads is a religion!