Sunday, January 14, 2018

Buddhist Goddess of Mercy: Kwan Yin

CC Liu, Amber Larson, A. Wells, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Thubten Chodron

The Chinese origin story of Kwan Yin, the female manifestation of the deva/Indian god Avalokitesvara, "The One Who Looks Down from Above (and Hears the Cries of the World)."
  
The English story of Guan Yin: Great Compassion Bodhi Prajna Temple Canada 加拿大大悲菩提寺 as recounted by a kind Chinese Buddhist nun or bhikshuni.

Kwan Yin Bodhisattva (a being striving for perfect-enlightenment) is also known as Chinese Guanyin Pusa, Sanskrit Avalokitesvara or Avalokita, Tibetan Chenrezig Japanese Kannon, Vietnamese Guan Am, in English Kwan Yin (like the Virg Yin Mary/Maya Devi/Maha Prajapati, Mother Goddess, a manifestation of the Divine Feminine, a kind of stand in for every planetary manifestation of our universal protectoress and nurturer like Mother Earth, Gaia, Tierra, Tara, Bhumi Devi, Sophia/Prajnaparamita...or simply The Goddess.

 
The original "Madonna and Child," the Buddha and mom
Western Buddhist nun explains (Tibetan)
01 Chenrezig Retreat 2014: The Origin Story of Kwan Yin

(Sravasti Abbey) Venerable Thubten Chodron explores the different manifestations of Chenrezig (Kwan Yin) in East Asia and tells the story of the Chinese Princess Miao Shan, who was believed to have taken the form of 1,000-armed Chenrezig upon attaining awakening/enlightenment. For more Buddhist teachings visit sravasti.org.
 
Who is the Goddess of Mercy Kwan Yin?
Editors, Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit
 
The deva Avalokistesvara
Kwan Yin or Guanyin is an East Asian bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by Mahayana Buddhists.

She is commonly known as the "Goddess of Mercy" in English. The Chinese name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, meaning "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World."
 
Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Kwan Yin in the heart of a lotus and then sent to the western Pure Land of Sukhāvatī.

The blessed saint Mother Mary
Kwan Yin is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist divinity" [almost exactly like the beloved and world renown Catholic Goddess of Mercy Mother Mary/Miriam/Muire] with miraculous powers to intercede and assist all those who pray to her, as is said in the apocryphal Lotus Sutra and Karandavyuha Sutra.
 
Several large temples in East Asia are dedicated to Kwan Yin including Shitennō-ji, Sensō-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, and Sanjūsangen-dō as well as Shaolin Temple.

Kwan Yin as Prajnaparamita
Kwan Yin is beloved by all Buddhist traditions in a non-denominational way and can be found in most Tibetan Vajrayana temples under the name Chenrezig. Furthermore, Kwan Yin can also be found in some influential Theravada temples such as Gangaramaya and Kelaniya of Sri Lanka. Statues can also be found in the Asian art sections of most museums in the world as a widely depicted subject of Asian art and sculpture.

I'm the most popular female figure
It is generally accepted among East Asian adherents that Guanyin originated as the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.

Commonly known in English as the Mercy Goddess or Goddess of Mercy but often depicted as both male and female to show this figure's limitless transcendence beyond gender Guanyin is also revered by Taoists as an immortal. In Chinese folk religion, there are mythical accounts about Guanyin's origins that are not associated with the Avalokiteśvara described in Buddhist sutras. More

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