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Kwan Yin

For centuries Eastern Cultures have been worshipping Kuan Yin or Quan Yin as the Compassionate Saviouress of the East

Kuan Yin is one of the most beloved deities in Oreintal Communities and is known by many names and in many forms

Many tales are told about her and the ways in which she provides help and protection
She is often represented nursing a child but she may also be shown as a fierce demon, the form she adopts to travel unmolested through the Afterworld

Her full name Kuan Shih Yin literally means "The one who regards, looks on or hears the cries of the world"

Kuan Yin is the compassionate mediatrix of the East

Throughout the Orient altars dedicated to this Mother of Mercy can be found in temples, homes and wayside grotto's and prayers to her Presence and her Flame are incessantly on the lips of devotees as they seek her guidance and succor in every area of life

SHE IS the Goddess of Compassion,


A motherly figure said to bestow children on the faithful, protect all children and be there for anyone in need of compassion and love

Quan Yin is certainly one of the most adored of Goddesses, not only among her own people, the Chinese, but the world Many who worship her believe she is still, and always, looking after those in need of her care

Quan Yin; Likened to the worship of Mary in the West, is the Holy Mother of Compassion and Mercy

She is the personification of Karuna - the principle of boundless Compassion and loving kindness

She is the patron of all mothers, and is often pictured with a child seated next to her

To invoke her name will bring protection and help to those in need
It is said to have a Kuan Yin picture or statue in your house brings good luck and protection to the household and family

She was, and is, a Buddhist Bodhisattva (a mortal who has achieved enligtenement and earned the right to enter Heaven or Nirvana), who, when at the gates of Heaven, heard someone on Earth cry and so turned back, vowing that she would stay on Earth to do all she could to ease our suffering
She vowed not enter Heaven until everyone could go there with her

This bodhisattva's main attraction for people lies in her efforts to eliminate suffering and to make people live in peace and harmony
This kind of immediate benefit and the ability to receive protection or help simply by calling the bodhisattva's name, similar to children receiving an instant reply when calling their mother, have contributed to Kuan Yin's great popularity

"I am cultivating this method of great compassion and hope to save all living beings," Kuan Yin said.
"Any living being who calls my name or sees me will be free from all fear and danger".
"I will activate that being's spiritual awareness and maintain it forever".

" In the Pure Land sect of Buddhism, (which is very similar to christianity) Kuan Yin forms part of the ruling triad, (Trinity); that is often depicted in temples and is a popular theme in Buddhist art
In the center is the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha (Chinese, A-mi-t'o Fo; Japanese, Amida)
To his right is the bodhisattva of strength or power, Mahasthamaprapta, and to his left is Kuan Yin, personifying his endless mercy

In Buddhist theology Kuan Yin is sometimes depicted as the captain of the "Bark of Salvation," guiding souls to Amitabha's Western Paradise, or Pure Land--the land of bliss where souls may be reborn to receive continued instruction toward the goal of enlightenment and perfection
The journey to Pure Land is frequently represented in woodcuts showing boats full of Amitabha's followers under Kuan Yin's captainship

Thus Avalokitesvara, or Kuan Yin, is regarded as the "reflex" of Amitabha—a further emanation or embodiment of "maha karuna (great compassion), the quality which Amitabha himself embodies in the highest sense

Many figures of Kuan Yin can be identified by the presence of a small image of Amitabha in her crown
It is believed that as the merciful redemptress Kuan Yin expresses Amitabha's compassion in a more direct and personal way and prayers to her are answered more quickly

According to the Huayen Sutra (Buddha-vatamsaka-mahavaipulya Sutra), Kuan Yin uses all kinds of ways to attract people: she makes gifts, uses words of love, and transforms herself into persons like those that she deals with
The "Universal Gateway" chapter in the Lotus Sutra lists thirty-two typical forms in which Kuan Yin may appear

For instance, if a boy or girl is about to gain some enlightenment, Kuan Yin transforms herself into a boy or a girl to teach the child
If a monk is about to attain some enlightenment, Kuan Yin transforms herself into a monk

In short, she can appear as a monk, a nun, a king, a minister, a celestial being, or a normal person like you and me
The purpose of such transformations is to make people feel close to her and willing to listen to her words

The iconography of Kuan Yin depicts her in many forms, each one revealing a unique aspect of her merciful presence

As the sublime Goddess of Mercy whose beauty, grace and compassion have come to represent the ideal of womanhood in the East, she is frequently portrayed as a slender woman in flowing white robes who carries in her left hand a white lotus, symbol of purity
Ornaments may adorn her form, symbolizing her attainment as a bodhisattva, or she may be pictured without them as a sign of her great virtue

Symbols characteristically associated with Kuan Yin are a willow branch, with which she sprinkles the divine nectar of life; a precious vase symbolizing the nectar of compassion and wisdom, the hallmarks of a bodhisattva; a dove, representing peace and fecundity; a book or scroll of prayers which she holds in her hand, representing the dharma (teaching) of the Buddha or the sutra (Buddhist text) which Miao Shan is said to have constantly recited; and a rosary adorning her neck with which she calls upon the Buddhas for succor

Often seen alone or next to a statue of Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, ie.. Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy; is the most popular and most venerated Buddhist figure besides Amitabha Buddha and Sakyamuni Buddha

A popular Chinese saying illustrates this aspect: "Everyone knows how to chant Amitabha Buddha, and every household worships Kuan Yin

" Kuan Yin embraces the qualities of compassion and motherly love
Many Buddhist scriptures state that one can invoke Kuan Yin's assistance by simply calling out her name.

Sakyamuni Buddha confirmed Kuan Yin's vow: "If a suffering being hears the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and earnestly calls out to the bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara will hear the call and redeem that being from his suffering" ("Universal Gateway," Lotus Sutra)

Beloved as a mother figure and divine mediatrix who is very close to the daily affairs of her devotees, Kuan Yin's role as Buddhist Madonna has been compared to that of Mary the mother of Jesus in the West

There is an implicit trust in Kuan Yin's saving grace and healing powers
Many believe that even the simple recitation of her name will bring her instantly to the scene The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin made a great vow to release all sentient beings in the universe from suffering

 

Numerous miraculous events have been attributed to Kuan-yin all over the world



Because of the intimate relation that she has with us, it is taught that by undertaking adoration of her as a path of cultivating realization, one will obtain swift success

Still very much a part of Eastern culture, Kuan Yin has awakened interest in her path and teaching among a growing number of Western devotees who recognize the powerful presence of "the Goddess of Mercy," along with that of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, ( Also Bodhisattvas and Goddesses of Mercy and Compassion) as an illuminators and intercessors of the Seventh Age.(Heavenly Kingdom on Earth)

Her mind is virtue, perfected. Her body is wisdom, perfected. Her face is bathed in holy light; She is compassion itself.

---ancient Chinese sutra to Kuan Yin