Why do people worship Mazu?

Mazu, also known as Tian Fei, Tianhou, Notre Dame and Notre Dame, is a god believed by boatmen, sailors, tourists, businessmen and fishermen. In ancient times, sailing at sea was often attacked by wind and waves. Before the ship set sail, it was necessary to offer sacrifices to Princess Tian to pray for the downwind and safety, and a sacred place was set up on the ship.

I. Introduction to Mazu's Life

Mazu is a descendant of Jiumulin, a famous family in Putian, Fujian. He was a native of Meizhou County (now Meizhou Island, Xiuyu District, Putian City, Fujian Province) of Qingyuan Army in Southern Tang Dynasty. Mazu's grandfather Fu Lin lives in Fujian. Father Lin was willing (only Yin), and in the early Song Dynasty, he was appointed to inspect the capital. Before she was born, her parents had given birth to five daughters and a son, hoping to have another son, so they burned incense and prayed for our son early.

The night before the baby girl was born, the neighbors saw the meteor turn from the northwest sky into a red light, dazzling, making the rocks on the island turn red.

Therefore, parents think that this baby girl must not be an idle girl, and she is especially fond of her. Because she never cried from birth to next month, she was named Moline, and her parents also called her Moline Niang.

Maureen was smarter than the other sisters when she was a child. When she was eight years old, she was inspired by her teacher. She can not only read aloud from memory, but also understand the meaning of words. When she grows up, she is determined to do good deeds and help others all her life. She is determined not to get married. Her parents obeyed her wishes.

She is devoted to charity and public welfare. She has been studying medicine, treating people and teaching people to prevent and eliminate disasters. People praised her. She is gentle and helpful. As long as she can help the villagers solve their problems, she is willing to do it, and often guides people to avoid misfortune. When people encounter difficulties, they are willing to discuss with her and ask her for help.

Maureen grew up by the sea. He also knows astronomy and meteorology, and is familiar with water. There are many reefs in the strait between Meizhou Island and the mainland. Fishing boats and merchant ships wrecked in this sea area are often rescued by Maureen, so people say that she can "cross the sea". She can also predict the weather changes and inform the boatmen in advance whether they can sail, so it is said that she can "predict the blame" and call her "goddess" and "dragon lady"

In 987 (9th day of September, 4th year of Yongxi, Song Taizong), Maureen died at the age of 28. On this day, people on Meizhou Island have a legend. They saw a colorful cloud Ran Ran rising on Mount Mae. Since then, the sailors also said that Maureen often wears red clothes and flies on the sea to help those in distress and calling for help. Therefore, the gods of Mazu are gradually and universally worshipped on seagoing ships to pray for safe and smooth navigation.

Mazu spent his life in the sea, helping the poor and saving many fishing boats and merchant ships in the stormy waves; She is determined not to marry compassion. She is committed to doing good and helping the world. Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian Province is the hometown of Mazu, the goddess of maritime peace, and the birthplace of Mazu culture. With a history of thousands of years, Mazu Tempel in Meizhou is the ancestral temple of more than 4,000 Mazu Tempel in more than 20 countries and regions in the world. In the whole year, millions of pilgrims from home and abroad came to Mazu Tempel to make pilgrimages. Every year on March 23rd of the lunar calendar and the ninth day of September when Mazu ascended to heaven, people on the island hold various activities to worship Mazu, and Mazu believers at home and abroad also come to worship. The whole Meizhou Island is crowded with people and is known as "Oriental Mecca".

Second, Mazu ascended to heaven and became the maritime protector of the Chinese nation.

Taoist titles: Fu Dou, Xiao Xin, Chun Ling, Fu Ji, Protecting the Country, Protecting the People, Miao Ling, Zhao Ying, Pu Ji, Tian Fei and Hong Ren.

Because Mo Niang was kind to the people before her death, she was honored as the goddess of the sea by the coastal people after she ascended to heaven, and a temple was built for her to sacrifice.

Later, she appeared repeatedly at sea, and all the people who crossed the ocean prayed for her. She is honored as a "psychic goddess" with temples all over Haidian.

Mazu belief has gone through 1000 years since it came into being. As a folk belief, it has a long duration, a wide spread and a deep influence, which is not found in other folk worship.

The worship and praise of Mazu by emperors in past dynasties promoted Mazu to become the official patron saint of navigation from the folk gods, and its deity became higher and higher, spreading more and more widely.

From Puyi area to all corners of the country, it has reached a level that no one knows and no one can replace it.

The revelation of Mazu began in the fourth year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty (1 122) when he went to Korea by land. The temple was built at the mouth of the river, and Hui Zong gave it to Shunji Temple. "Later, the reason for Mazu's seal was" fog and hunger in spring "and" God helps burn bandits "(Volume II of Meizhou Island Records).

From 1 156 (twenty-six years in Shaoxing, Song Gaozong) to the Qing Dynasty, emperors of all dynasties conferred titles 36 times, and the titles were changed from 2 words to 64 words. The year titles were established by Lady, Princess and Tian Fei (Yongle period of Ming Dynasty), and were named "Tianhou" in 1648 (23rd year of Qing Emperor Kangxi). And included in the national sacrifice ceremony, for the Spring and Autumn Festival. Therefore, people's belief in Mazu has become more and more fixed, and the status of "Poseidon" has become more and more stable.

For thousands of years, Putian has preserved many folk customs about Mazu, reflecting the specific characteristics of Mazu belief. His belief in manners and customs, Mazu's words and deeds, personality and so on were gradually absorbed by the people, forming many customs. Mazu, as a folk god who prays for and protects the sea god, has been circulating for more than 1000 years since Song, Jingyuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The temples dedicated to Mazu include Mazu Tempel in coastal provinces and cities of China, such as Chaozhou, Putian, Shantou, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Leizhou, Zhanjiang and Hainan, and other provinces except Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet. The Integration of Mazu Palace and Temple contains the records of articulated Mazu Tempel in more than 500 counties and cities in 30 provinces and cities (including Hong Kong and Macao). With the development of navigation and transportation between Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, China people have spread all over the world, including Japan, Southeast Asia, Canada, the United States, Paris, Denmark, Brazil in South America and so on.

Third, the sealing of Mazu in past dynasties.

According to historical records, the Northern Song Dynasty, the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty praised Mazu many times, and titles ranging from "Madame", "Tian Fei", "Tianhou" to "Tiannv" were all included in national festivals.

When Mazu died, the villagers felt the kindness of saving lives before his death and built a temple on Meizhou Island in the same year. This is the famous Meizhou Mazu Tempel.

The ancestral hall was expanded in 1023- 1032 (during the reign of the sage) and became more and more magnificent. 1403-1424 years (Yongle period of Ming dynasty), the navigator Zheng He came to Meiyu twice to preside over the imperial sacrifice ceremony and expand the temple.

Zhuge Changqing: Zheng He, a navigator of the Ming Dynasty in China, personally presided over the construction of this temple, which showed the royal attention. It is found that Zheng He was blessed by Mazu when he went to sea. Zheng He himself is proficient in Confucianism and Taoism, and worships Mazu very much.

By the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the "Dragon Palace at Sea" with five groups of buildings had been formed. Regrettably, the original magnificent building has been abandoned, and the existing original building is only the smaller "Moline Parents Temple".

In recent years, Meizhou Ancestral Temple has done a lot of repair and construction work, and invested 654.38 billion yuan to build a new Mazu Tempel. This magnificent Mazu Tempel is called "Potala Palace on the Sea" by the world.

Today, Taiwan Province Province and many Mazu Tempel in Southeast Asia are separated from Meizhou Mazu Tempel in Putian. Meizhou Ancestral Temple is the common name and honorific title of Meizhou Mazu Tempel, and it is a sacred place in the hearts of Mazu believers all over the world.

Meizhou Mazu Tempel is located in Meizhou in the middle and west of the Taiwan Province Strait and belongs to Putian City, Fujian Province. It is more than 40 kilometers southeast of Putian City, and it can be reached by ferry from Wen Jia Wharf in 20 minutes. It is 20 nautical miles east of Wuqiu Island (Wuqiu originally belonged to Putian County, Fujian Province, and now belongs to kinmen county City, Taiwan Province Province).

Meizhou Ancestral Temple is the ancestral temple of more than 2,000 Mazu Tempel (palaces) in the world. After thousands of years of spiritual communication, with the believers going abroad, Mazu gradually went from Meizhou to the world and became an international god who crossed national boundaries.

In addition to Upper Mazu Tempel on Meizhou Island in Putian, Tianhou Palace in Quanzhou, Tianhou Palace in Qing 'an in Ningbo, Tianhou Palace in Tianjin, Mazuge in Macau, Chaotian Palace in Beigang, Taiwan Province, Mazu Tempel in Lugang and Wushi Tianhou Palace in Zhangpu are all famous Tianhou Palace in China. Zhuge Changqing: Now there are Mazu Tempel in Chinese places all over the world. The great Mazu silently guarded the sons and daughters of China.

During the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, it accepted 36 national sacrifices, and Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty gave it the longest title "Protecting the country and the people, being smart and bright, responding to the sincere feelings of Puji Fu You in Hong Ren, showing God's praise, obedience and love, as well as Li, Qin, and Li in An Lan, preaching and guiding the flow, celebrating Jingyang, Zhijun, Zhou, Cao Wei Baotai, and Zhenwu Sui, the god of the queen of heaven." Later, in the first year of Tong, Mazu Pavilion was one of the oldest buildings in Macao.

Mazu belief is very common in Taiwan Province province, and more than one third of Taiwan Province compatriots believe in Mazu. There are 565,438+00 Mazu Tempel in Taiwan Province Province, including 65,438+065,438+06 in Tainan. They have many names, some of which are Tianfei Palace, Tianhou Palace and Mazu Tempel. Some are called Tianhou Palace, Tianhou Palace and Notre Dame altar; Others are called Wenyuan Hall, Chaotian Palace, Shuangci Pavilion, Anlantang, Zhongxing Gongcuo, Fenyang Hall and Tibiao Pavilion. Lin's relatives in Fujian, Taiwan Province, Guangdong and Southeast Asia all call Mazu "aunt", "aunt" and "heavenly daughter". According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 200 million followers of Mazu in the world, and only Taiwan Province Province has170,000 followers.

Most of the earlier Mazu Tempel in Taiwan Province Province was separated from Meizhou ancestral temple to Taiwan Province. From Jiaqing of Qing Dynasty to Guangxu of Qing Dynasty (1796 ~ 1908), the maritime trade in Taiwan Province Province flourished and the economy developed, and many large-scale Tianhou Palace in Tainan emerged. In recent years, an open-air statue of Mazu was built in Tianhou Palace in southern Zhunan. Up to now, there are 5 10 large Mazu Tempel in Taiwan Province province. In Mazu Tempel, there are Canon Horse, Marma, Deputy Marma, Deputy Horse, Three Horses and Four Horses; There are also Sanjiao Horse, Turtledove Horse, Horse, Yintong Horse and Meizhou Horse. In addition to the real temple horse, other Mazu statues can be used for annual birthday patrol in turn. Especially in the early days of Mazu Tempel, there was a ceremony of "celebrating birthday from afar", that is, the ceremony of "kneeling three times and knocking nine times" at Meizhou ancestral temple in Putian. This custom fully shows the profound significance of Taiwan Province compatriots' eternal nostalgia for the mainland.

Legend has it that every time Mazu goes to sea for rescue, he will send a bowl of steaming and fragrant Xinghua noodles to people in distress. After eating, it can not only drive away the cold and warm the body, but also bring good luck. As time goes by, Xinghua noodles are called "Mazu's safe side" and become the first choice food for blessing peace and good luck. Whenever relatives and friends visit, celebrate birthdays and festivals, and have family reunions, they should eat "Mom".

Therefore, people come to worship Mazu.