媽祖的慈悲
The Grace of Mazu
作者：康 原
繪者：蔡杏元
出生在芝加哥的梁伊恩，隨著父母回臺灣以後，住在桃園的八德區。
入小學讀書之後，很喜歡看故事書，有一天看到《媽祖的故事》感到非常有趣，但他不了解為什麼有這樣慈悲的神明，從小在美國只有看到教堂，只知道耶穌基督上帝，心想難道臺灣與美國是不同的天嗎？
佇芝加哥出世的梁伊恩，綴爸母轉來臺灣了後，就蹛踮桃園的八德區。
伊自讀小學就真愛看故事冊，有一工看著《媽祖的故事》感覺足趣味；毋過伊無啥了解是按怎有遮爾慈悲的神明？從細漢踮美國干焦有看過教堂，干焦知影耶穌基督、上帝爾，心內想講，敢講臺灣佮美國無仝一片天？
濟濟的憢疑吊佇心肝頭，袂得通解決。
Ian Liang was born in Chicago. His parents took him home to Taiwan. Now he lives in Bade District at Taoyuan City.
Ian loves to read storybooks in grade school. One day, Ian spotted a book about Mazu and felt amazed. He wondered how merciful the deity could be for he knew only Christ when he was in the States. Does Taiwan share a different heavenly domain with the States?
He felt confused with puzzlements in mind.
自細漢愛𨑨迌
冊攏讀無
阿娘叫阮去求媽祖婆
媽祖婆請你予阮考試成績好
牲禮有雞佮有鵝
飯後嘛有荔枝佮葡萄
“Idling around
with no intention to study,
I was sent by my mom to pray to Mazu.
‘Dear Mazu, please endorse me with good grades.
Here are the offerings of the main courses including chicken and duck
along with Lychee and grapes after meals.’”
吳主委用手比媽祖的神尊講：「因老爸佮大兄出海掠魚，去拄著風颱大湧，老爸有救轉來，大兄煞沉落大海，默娘傷心又閣自責，怪家己無法度救大兄的性命，所以伊咒誓一世人毋嫁，欲食菜、拜佛、服侍序大佮庄裡的人。」
佇雍熙4年(西元987)9月初9重陽前一工，默娘開始昏迷不醒，醒來了後稟告爸母佮大姊：「明仔載是重陽，我就欲升天去矣。」
The story continued: “Her father and big brother went fishing and encountered heavy tempest on the sea. Only her father was rescued, but her big brother died instead. The sad girl blamed herself for not being able to bring her big brother alive, so she swore to be a celibatarian as well as a vegetarian to honor Buddha, to serve her parents and fellow villagers.
The day before The Double Ninth Festival in 987, Moniang fell into a coma. However, she reported to her parents and big sister after waking up later that day. She said to them: “I am going to heaven tomorrow morning.”
默娘得道了後，常在出現佇海邊救人。咱臺灣人稱呼伊「媽祖」、「船仔媽」、「天上聖母」等。
After Moniang’s apotheosis, she was revered as a tutelary deity of seafarers. She is incarnated as Mazu and regarded by her believers as a powerful and benevolent Queen of Heaven nowadays.
「青面的是千里眼，伊會當看見天下間所有的代誌；紅面的是順風耳，伊會當聽見天下間所有的聲音，負責探聽世間的善惡代，轉來稟報媽祖。因會當講是媽祖的密探，替媽祖查看世間一切的災難，探聽宇宙的勞苦大眾。」阿公真斟酌咧共伊恩說明。
“The one in greenish-blue is Qianli yan, meaning he can see things for any great distance. The one in bloddy-red is Shunfeng er, meaning he can hear any sound carried upon the wind. Both of them are like elves to Mazu that help her monitor the good and evil on earth.” Grandpa explained to Ian in great details.