守護境界之神。公羊傳註曰：「社者土地之主也。」俗稱里社之神曰土地，本此。孝經緯曰：「社者土地之神，土地闊，不可盡祭，故封土為社以報功也。」通俗編曰：「今凡社神俱呼土地，惟塋旁所祀稱后土。」邱濬家禮儀節曰：「溫公書儀本開元禮，家禮本書儀。其喪禮，開塋域及窆與墓祭，俱祀后土。后土之稱，對皇天也。士庶家有似乎僣，文公集有祀土地文，今擬改后土氏亦為土地之神。」 太平御覽引裴元新言曰：「俗間有土公之神，云土不可動。今元有五歲女孫卒病，詣市卜，云犯土。乃即依方治之，病率愈，然後知天下果有土神矣。」齊民要術曰：「載祝麴文曰：東方青帝土公，南方赤帝土公，西方白帝土公，北方黑帝土公，中央黃帝土公。主人某甲，謹相祈請云云。今祝土者所舉土神名號，尤繁夥焉。」
The local guardian deity of the soil or locality, deus loci; in the classics and government sacrifices known as 社; as guardian deity of the grave 后土. The 土地堂 is the shrine of this deity as ruler of the site of a monastery, and is usually east of the main hall. On the 2nd and 16th of each month a 土地諷經 or reading of a sutra should be done at the shrine.