What kind of Buddha is Mazu? What is this for?

Mazu is the god of the sea, guarding Haian, keeping safe, eliminating disasters and taking refuge. Before going out to sea, people should worship Mazu, pray for peace and wind, and make Mazu a god on board. Mazu is a god believed by modern boatmen, sailors, travelers, businessmen and fishermen.

Mazu, whose real name is Maureen, was born in the Song and Yuan Dynasties (960) on March 23rd. Song Taizong died on September 9th, the 4th year of Yongxi (987), at the age of 28. Mazu is behind Liu Fang in Jiumulin, Putian, Fujian.

In 1980s, relevant UN agencies awarded Mazu the title of "Goddess of Peace". On September 30th, 2009, Mazu's belief in folk customs was officially listed as the intangible cultural heritage of mankind by UNESCO, becoming the first world heritage in China.

Extended data

Every year, March 23rd and September 9th of the lunar calendar are Mazu Festival, which is divided into two festivals: Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. The earliest Mazu Sacrifice refers to the grand ceremony held by local officials and Meizhou Mazu Tempel on a specific date. Since the Song Dynasty, the main manifestations of Mazu's sacrifice can be divided into five types: temple fair sacrifice, suburban sacrifice, sea sacrifice, boat sacrifice and family sacrifice:

1, temple sacrifice

Refers to the ceremony held in Mazu Tempel, which is characterized by standardization and rigor. In the fifty-third year of Emperor Kangxi in Qing Dynasty (17 18), the emperor issued a decree, and Mazu, as a female saint, was listed as one of the three saints, and was included in the national sacrifice ceremony, offering sacrifices in the Spring and Autumn Period, sharing the highest legal etiquette with Confucius and Guan Gong, the martial sage of Wen Sheng: kneeling three times, knocking nine times and offering sacrifices three times.

2. Suburban Sacrifice

It refers to the form of setting up an altar in the suburbs or suburbs to offer sacrifices to the goddess Mazu. Generally presided over by the emperor himself, it is characterized by solemnity. The worship of Mazu in the suburbs was first extended to Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty in the 26th year (A.D. 1 156). After the sacrifice in the suburb of Lin 'an, Song Gaozong named Mazu as Mrs. Hui Ling.

3. Sacrifice at sea

Sacrificing Mazu at the seaside. It is a kind of folk ceremony widely spread in fishing villages by the sea, which is regional, mass and ornamental. The general ceremony of sea sacrifice is: in the face of the vast waves, the blessing flag rises with the sun, conch trombone, eulogize, play music, enter the dance column, sacrifice fruit, sprinkle wine, sacrifice flowers and release them, and at the same time carry out various folk customs displays.

4. Boat Festival

It refers to a form of offering sacrifices to the goddess Mazu on the ship, and fully paying homage to the goddess Mazu at the critical moment of going to sea, returning home or encountering strong winds and waves.

5. Family holidays

It refers to a way that Mazu believers set up Mazu Temple at home to burn incense and worship on the first and fifteenth day of each year, or the anniversary of Mazu's birthday and ascension.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Mazu

Xiamen Municipal People's Government-Mazu Faith

People's Network-Mazu culture has flourished for thousands of years.