Deities and Faith
How did Sheng Zhen Men’s connection with Mazu, statue and service arrangements develop?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
My connection with Mazu began in childhood. Frail and often ill, I was taken by my mother to a red-head ritual specialist’s small altar to worship Mazu and become her spiritual child. The dim altar and the specialist’s appearance remain in memory.
Welcoming a Mazu statue later involved that connection and practical fit. A small three-cun-six statue with Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear suited our space, so we brought it home. A suitable statue came first in this case. Yama, Lord Bao and Guan Sheng Di Jun had repeatedly helped before their statues were welcomed. Processes differed.
I compare divine roles to shifts. Earlier Guan Sheng Di Jun came frequently, followed by Xuantian Shangdi and Zhong Kui, cooperation among the Three Saints, and stages of frequent Yama and Master Ji Gong service. In 2021, Mazu had not yet entered a particularly frequent phase. I wondered whether future processions might bring new experience. This was reflection then, not a permanent roster or certainty about the next deity.