Believing something or someone is mostly the matter of psychology. Trust is obtained and supported by experience, knowledge, and common sense. Faith or belief among people is formed with personal relationship and experience either. If we see some similar and common phenomena in many other people, we might not say it's a sort of psychology.
Without study of anthropologists, we know religious belief and faith are real in people's mind. Sometimes it's rapid fashion, sometimes habit and culture inherited for many years. And they are inseparable. Therefore, religion, culture, habit, custom and social engagements are all not only mental but also material factor.
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| From 鹿耳門天后宮 |
Maju媽祖 is one of the highest god in Taiwan, who originally came from South-eastern coast of China, the province of 福建Fuzen. Since they had departed to cross the Taiwan strait 400 years ago, they have believed this female god would protect their sailing. Now it is honored and believed by many Taiwanese as their own god who not only cares ship sailing but also other matters of entire human life. It was just a simple god for safe sailing but now became a great god who manages life and health, economy, business. Some part of liturgy is still related to their first place. But it seems to be regarded as different god now.
There are many branch temples in Taiwan such as Anping, Kaohsiung, and Pingdong. The temples send their representing performance team at common ceremony day as this day. They wear different uniforms, caps, and prepared special ceremonies one another. For example, a team performed a Tzgong and monks dancing, one brought a sedan as the vehicle of their god, one came with women who wear Qing dynasty's costume, the other spreaded a lot of crackers on the ground and sky.
Drums, singing, chanting scripture, playing puppet show, declaring liturgy order, exploding fire crackers, burning paper money, offering incenses, praying, eating, smoking, talking, etc... So many people gathered from all across the country when I visited there. And I was excited too.
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| From 鹿耳門天后宮 |
This temple is another landmark of Taiwan to me. And faith of Maju is much interesting phenomena to think much more from now on. I hope I can visit there again.
