Why do people cry when meeting their spiritual patron? What did I feel?

In my experience, tears may come from the soul’s deep emotion at meeting a familiar spiritual patron or spiritual mother, like returning to relatives after wandering a long time. This is one possible feeling. The meaning of such a meeting is not who cries loudest.

Meeting the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady at Xianshan Xieling Temple, I did cry aloud, very loudly. The emotion related to awakening and remembering where I came from. Some know their spiritual mother before visiting; others are unsure and suddenly feel strongly on a first visit. In this method, recognising the patron or mother awakens soul memories and helps understand the eventual place of return.

Emotion still needs understanding and practical work afterwards. Receiving mandates should occur with understanding and spiritual attunement, not simply because someone tells you to. Visits to spiritual mountains also depend on time, money and life. More trips do not guarantee faster awakening.

Later, participating in the reception of deities at Songshan Cihui Hall, I again became very emotional during group worship and wanted to cry. After many years of practice, my spirituality was steadier and such intensity rare, so even I found it unusual. Dao Xuan recalled crying when meeting Marshal Fan Lihua, guardian of the Old Mother of Mount Li. These were our separate experiences.

Why a special feeling on that occasion after many visits? My understanding includes personal awakening and stability, descended divine energy and genuine engagement with an open heart welcoming the Mother. Some things cannot be predicted. Perhaps timing and connection gradually matured so past encounters felt clearer then.

Miao Li had another experience. During the first recitation of the praise preceding the Kṣitigarbha Sutra, only a few lines brought continual tears. It was moving rather than sad, yet hard to define. Through cultivation, I felt this likely involved contact with a connected deity and feelings toward Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva.

I originally suggested dividing the sutra over three days, one third daily, without reciting too much immediately. Miao Li wanted to finish that day and took six and a half hours. That was the personal choice then. My advice remained that gradual sections were possible.