Би-гань — бог богатства. At first he was a man and became famous for his great wisdom. He was a relative of the cruel Emperor Zhou Xin and opposed arbitrariness. Having heard a saying that there should be seven holes in the heart of a sage, the emperor, angry at Bi-gan's behavior, ordered his chest to be opened in order to examine his heart.
Subsequently, Bi-gan in the Confucian tradition is recognized as an example of endless devotion to duty and steadfastness in convictions. Bi-gan's transformation into the god of wealth clearly occurred later. This is apparently explained by the fact that he began to be revered by the people together with Guan Di, who also became famous for his loyalty, but only on the battlefield. The solemn meeting of Bi-gan as the god of wealth was held in old China usually on the first days of the New Year, and he was especially revered by merchants.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru