Beyond the Sea: A Testimony from Mazu

This is a record of an interview with Mazu, the revered sea goddess who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon her life as Lin Moniang approximately 1,000 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on March 9, 2026.

Mazu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mazu, a celestial deity of the first level of the Heavenly Realm. Across the world—in China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan—there are countless people who hold faith in me and share a deep karmic affinity with me."

The Life of Lin Moniang

"My given name was Lin Moniang, and I was born during the Northern Song Dynasty. As the legends say, I did not cry like a normal infant when I was born. My spirit was naturally very clear and awakened. I was born with special abilities, which felt entirely natural to me. I could communicate with all things, especially the spirits of the sea, with whom I shared a unique connection. My affinity with water was profound; I could navigate ships to places where even the most experienced sailors dared not go. I could observe the subtle changes in the weather and the heavens to make accurate predictions. From a young age, I possessed the ability to foresee the fortunes and misfortunes of others, and I used this gift to help people. Many who heard of my abilities came to seek my assistance, and some even offered me great wealth in return.

I never accepted any money for this. I knew instinctively from birth that this gift was meant to be used to save people. If I had accepted material wealth, my abilities would have been tainted and would have eventually faded away. Therefore, I helped those who sought me out without charge. However, this ability was not without its limits; only those with a truly sincere heart could receive my help."

The Truth Behind the Miracles

"I eventually sacrificed my life at sea while trying to save others, and my spirit entered the Heavenly Realm. Many people revere me as a sea goddess because they believe that when they face crises on the ocean, they can receive my help to turn danger into safety. There are so many temples dedicated to Mazu in the world, but this is not because I possess some unique superiority among the celestial deities. It is simply because the karmic affinities I cultivated in the past have matured in this lifetime. As a celestial deity, one cannot arbitrarily change the universal principles—what we call the laws of karma and cause and effect. Now, I have come to understand these as the Universal Principles, the Truth, and the Righteous Path.

Contrary to what people believe, Mazu did not actually 'do' much. While I did indeed help those in danger on the sea, it was all operating within the laws of karma. In truth, the ones who saved themselves or helped themselves overcome their calamities were the people themselves. When they encountered disaster, their sincerity, their genuine heart, and their desperate desire for salvation emitted a ripple of thought, which resulted in the fruit of their deliverance."

The Essence of Sincerity

"Today, many people make the worship of Mazu a part of their daily lives, and some even make it the centre of their existence. This shows their faith and sincerity, but as I observe this from the Heavenly Realm, I see that people have forgotten that 'sincerity is the key to spiritual response.' Faith should be simple and pure, returning to one's own heart. If one does not change their own personal ego and habits, they cannot truly resolve their calamities. This is the truth I wish for the world to know.

I am full of praise for the Buddhist education at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. They teach the Universal Principles and the Righteous Path. These are simple truths, but their value lies in the genuine adjustment of oneself and the actual practice of the teachings. This is clearly seen in Practitioner Su, who has realised his true nature and attained Buddhahood while in a human body, and who is now saving immeasurable and boundless sentient beings. The ego of the human body leads to the manifestation of spiritual obstacles, as the fluctuations of one's personality awaken the karmic creditors within, leading to suffering and evil consequences. This truth can only be clearly understood through the education at Hsiang Kuang. The situation of the spirits within the human body and the state of the spiritual realms outside can be learned through the sutras and spiritual interviews provided by Practitioner Su."

A Golden Path to Deliverance

"The interview I am currently undergoing is one such opportunity. Because Practitioner Su made a vow to perform Chao Du for China's five thousand years of history, he opened up the space and saved countless spirits. It was through this act of deliverance that I found the karmic opportunity to be saved. At that time, in the first level of the Heavenly Realm, I saw countless manifestations of Practitioner Su, like endless points of golden light, entering mainland China to rescue spirits one by one. For a time, the Buddha-light filled every space in China. Seeing this, I entered the golden light and arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

My thousand years in the Heavenly Realm were very peaceful and serene; enjoying heavenly blessings was indeed tranquil. When I ascended to heaven, I already knew that before I was reincarnated as Lin Moniang, I was a celestial deity who had entered the human world because my heavenly lifespan had ended. Because I was a celestial deity reincarnated as a human, my spirit remained in a very pure state, retaining many natural instincts. My ability to foresee the fortunes of others was what the Buddha’s teachings call the 'knowing past lives.' Unexpectedly, after that human life ended, I returned to the Heavenly Realm, which was a great blessing. Many celestial deities, once they leave the heavens, often fall into the evil realms and must suffer the evil consequences. I was fortunate enough to be a celestial deity in two out of three lifetimes, which is why I had the opportunity to be saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su and undergo a complete transformation. After becoming a celestial deity this time, I had been waiting and searching for an opportunity to elevate my spirit further. Finally, during Practitioner Su's great deliverance of mainland China, I felt a deep resonance and entered the golden light."

The Importance of Rebirth in the West

"People in the world today have all kinds of beliefs, which may satisfy some of their needs, but they often ignore their spiritual needs. They pay too little attention to the final destination of their souls after death. It is essential for people to understand and take seriously the importance of rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Once one enters the cycle of rebirth, a spirit without a body cannot be the master of its own fate; it is swept away by the flow of karma, making it difficult to avoid entering the evil realms and eventually suffering the consequences.

From my current vantage point in the Dharma-Nature Land, I can see many higher-level celestial deities and immortals coming to the temple to seek Chao Du, hoping to break free from the shackles of karmic rebirth and allow their spiritual life to continue and ascend. This would be impossible without Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su in the world. That is why so many spirits from the heavenly realms are rushing to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to seek deliverance.

If even the celestial deities and immortals of the heavens are doing this, how much more so for those in the human world? Therefore, those who have the karmic affinity to know the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are truly blessed, and they have the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Sacred Sanctuary

"From the perspective of practice, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is truly a sacred place. I see Namo Amituofo emitting massive golden light here 24/7. The fourfold assembly of disciples here is purified and practices within the Buddha-light every day; such an environment is truly unprecedented. For those born with natural spiritual sensitivity who are currently seeking help from various religions or beliefs, this is a precious opportunity to come to Hsiang Kuang, receive the guidance of Namo Amituofo, develop deeper abilities, and use them to save the world and benefit beings.

Although the Lin Moniang of the past knew that her natural spiritual powers could not be tainted by personal gain, she did not have the guidance of an enlightened teacher. Now, the enlightened teachers are here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre: Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su. This opportunity is truly difficult to encounter in millions of years.

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su! Now that I am a spirit without a human body, I do not have the possibility of practicing to realise my true nature, but I have vowed to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and in the future, I will return to the human world to save sentient beings. I hope that at that time, I will be able to study the Buddha’s teachings throughout my many lives and truly use this body to help sentient beings, just as the compassionate Practitioner Su does.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo. Gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Mazu"