Guan Yin
Kuan Yin (traditional:觀音; simplified:观音; Pinyin: Guān Yīn) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, almost exclusively as a female. Kuan Yin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara, which is her male form. Commonly known in the West as the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin is also revered by Chinese Taoists as an Immortal. The name Kuan Yin is short for Kuan Shih Yin (Pinyin: Guān Shì Yīn) which means "Observing the Sounds of the World".
In Japanese, Kuan Yin is called Kannon or more formally Kanzeon; the spelling Kwannon, based on a pre-modern pronunciation, is sometimes seen. In Korean, this incarnation of Buddha is called Gwan-eum or Gwanse-eum, and in Vietnamese, the name is Quan Âm or Quan Thế Âm Bồ Tát.
Depiction
Kuan Yin is the Chinese name for the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. However, folk traditions in China and other East Asian countries have added many distinctive characteristics and legends. Avalokiteśvara was originally depicted as Buddha when he was still a prince, and therefore wears chest-revealing clothing and may even sport a moustache. However, in China, Kuan Yin is usually depicted as a woman.
In China, Kuan Yin is usually shown in a white flowing robe, and usually wearing necklaces of Indian/Chinese royalty. In the right hand is a water jar containing pure water, and in the left, a willow branch. With these Kuan Yin is thought to control the weather, heeding the pleas of the desperate and alleviating drought. Her crown usually depicts the image of Amitabha Buddha, Kuan Yin's spiritual teacher before she became a Bodhisattva. Many images of Kuan Yin present her with an extraordinary number of arms, hands, and eyes, representing her role as the observer and protector of the unfortunate.
She is occasionally flanked by her two acolytes, who appeared to her when meditating at Mount Putuo, Long Nü and Shan Tsai. Shan Tsai (Pinyin: Shancai) is especially associated with Kuan Yin's role of granting children and wealth, being thought of as a "God of Wealth" in his own right. A story from the Yuan Dynasty indicates he rejected fifty-three human teachers and was content on being only Kuan Yin's disciple. He is often found on Kuan Yin's left in temple statues and paintings.
History
Along with Buddhism, Kuan Yin's veneration was introduced into China as early as the 1st century CE, and reached Japan by way of Korea soon after Buddhism was first introduced into the country from the mid-7th century.
Representations of the bodhisattva in China prior to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) were masculine in appearance. Images which later displayed attributes of both genders are believed to be in accordance with the Lotus Sutra, where Avalokitesvara has the supernatural power of assuming any form required to relieve suffering and also has the power to grant children. Because this bodhisattva is considered the personification of compassion and kindness, a mother-goddess and patron of mothers and seamen, the representation in China was further interpreted in an all female form around the 12th century. In the modern period, Kuan Yin is most often represented as a beautiful, white-robed woman.
Attributes
Kuan Yin is primarly known as the Goddess of Mercy; compassion is her primary attribute. However, over time other attributes have been linked with this bodhisattva, often related to her role as the compassionate observer of the world. Kuan Yin's role was expanded to granting children and wealth when she was introduced to China, as these were requests made often by her devotees. Due to her symbolising compassion, in East Asia Kuan Yin is associated with vegetarianism. Chinese vegetarian restaurants are generally decorated with her image, and she appears in most Buddhist vegetarian pamphlets and magazines. In China, it is said that fishermen used to pray to her to ensure safe voyages. The titles Kuan Yin of the Southern Ocean (南海觀音) and 'Kuan Yin (of/on) the Island' stem from this tradition.
Legends
Kuan Yin and the Thousand Arms
One Buddhist legend presents Kuan Yin as vowing to never rest until she had freed all sentient beings from samsara. Despite strenuous effort, she realized that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Kuan Yin attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to her aid and gave her a thousand arms with which to aid the many. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Kuan Yin skillfully upholds the Dharma, each holding its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific ones give varying accounts of this number.
Legend of Miao Shan
Another story, set in the Spring and Autumn period, describes Kuan Yin as the daughter of a cruel father who wanted her to marry a wealthy but uncaring man. She is known as Miao Shan (妙善), and her father is identified as Prince Zhuang of Chu. Miao Shan was shown to be a Buddhist adept at a young age, chanting sutras when old enough to speak. She begged to be able to enter a temple and become a nun rather than enter into a meaningless marriage. Her father allowed her to work in the temple, but asked the monks to give her very hard chores in order to discourage her. The monks forced Miao Shan to work all day and all night, while others slept, in order to finish her work. However, she was such a good person that the animals living around the temple began to help her with her chores. Her father, seeing this, became so frustrated that he attempted to burn down the temple. Miao Shan put out the fire with her bare hands and suffered no burns. Now struck with fear, her father ordered her to be put to death. An attempt to kill her with a sword ended in the blade being shattered and not harming Miao Shan. After she died she was made into the goddess Kuan Yin for all of her kindness and began her journey to heaven. She was about to cross over into heaven when she heard a cry of suffering back on earth. She asked to be sent back and vowed to stay until all suffering had ended.
One version of this legend states that, at the point of Miao Shan's father's execution of her, a supernatural tiger took her to one of the hell realms of the dead. However, instead of being punished by demons like the other inmates, Kuan Yin played music and flowers blossomed around her. This managed to completely surprise the head demon. The story says that Kuan Yin, by being in that hell, turned it into a paradise.
Another version of the same legend goes that upon entering hell Kuan Yin was overwhelmed with grief at the suffering souls must endure in hell. Out of compassion, she freed many of the souls from hell before being stopped by Yanluo, King of Hell. She then returned back alive on Earth and resided at Mount Putuo.
The Legend of Miao Shan usually ends with Prince Zhuang, the father of Miao Shan, falling ill with jaundice. It is said that no physician could cure him. Then a monk appeared saying that the jaundice can be cured by making a medicine out of the arm and eye of one without malice. The monk further suggested that such a person could be found on Fragrant Mountain. Miao Shan, having been released from Hell, offered up her eyes and arms willingly. Prince Zhuang was given her eye and arm as a pill, cured of the illness and went to the Fragrant Mountain to give thanks to the one who lovingly provided a cure for him. When he discovered that his own daughter gave up her arm and eyes for him, he begged for forgiveness. The story concludes with Miao Shan being transformed into the Thousand Armed Kuan Yin.
This story has connections with the depiction and attention Kuan Yin receives in religious practice. The tradition date for Kuan Yin's birthday, celebrated on the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, is also believed to be Miao Shan's birthday. As well, upon learning of the source of his cure, Prince Zhuang requested his artisans to make a statue with "intact eyes and intact hands" to honor his daughter. However, the artisans misheard the request as "one thousand eyes and one thousand hands" (a not unlikely mistake, in Mandarin Chinese) and thus the popular depiction of Kuan Yin came to be.
Cultural Impact
Kuan Yin shows her impact in her numerous references in literature. Though popular and afforded great powers in the Lotus Sutra, she is equally revered in popular (that is, not entirely religious) literature. An outstanding example is the Chinese classic Journey to the West, which relates the adventures of the Monkey King, the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, and an others to retrieve Buddhist scriptures from India. They are sent and subsequently aided by the bodhisattva Kuan Yin, working towards the goal of the flourishnig of Buddhims in China.
Kuan Yin's importance is also evident in the proliferation of her image in temples throughout Asia, especially in Buddhist temples but also, occasionally, in Taoist temples. Depictions of Kuan Yin can become focal points for temples; for example, the temple ???? in Tianjin is renowned for it's multi-armed Kuan Yin whose eyes appear to follow the onlooker. Another famous well crafted Kuan Yin statue is found at Dule temple near Tianjin.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Cheng, Manchao, The Origin of Chinese Deities. Foreign Language Press, Beijing, 1995 ISBN 7-119-00030-6
- Martin Palmer, Jay Ramsay, Man-Ho Kwok, Kuan Yin. Myths and Prophecies of the Chinese Goddess of Compassion. Thorsons, San Francisco 1995, ISBN 1855384175
External links
- Kuan Yin, The Compassionate Rebel has a detailed anthropological analysis of the evolution of Kuan Yin, as well as a full explanation of the legend of Miao Shan.
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