Avalokitesvara, Amaterasu, Miah-shan, Guanyin, Ryozen Kannon, Kuan-yin, The Goddess of Mercy, She who hearkens to the cries of the world (Mascetti 13). Although Her roots lie in the far east where she has been widely celebrated for centuries--- her influence has been far reaching.
She who hearkens to the cries of the world
There are many stories associated with Kwan-yin. Some believe that she is the Amitabha Buddha himself, Siddhartha, who was immaculately conceived by Mahamaya, and born in the full moon of May. Others believe that she is a servant to the Buddha, a humble attendant, a companion to, or a female extension of Siddhartha (Smart 58).
In one of her more popular incarnations, Kuan-yin is the princess Miah-shan, whose refusal to marry and dedication to the Buddhist faith evoked the wrath of her father, the King Miao-chuang. As punishment, he ordered her to do hard physical labor in the gardens of their palace. With aid from the gods, she was able to complete all of her chores. Next she was sent away to the White Sparrow Nunnery, where her father hoped the austere and difficult lifestyle would persuade Miah-shan to return to the palace and marry a man of his choosing. The princess persisted and her father, enraged, set fire to the nunnery, killed the 500 nuns residing at White Sparrow, and had his daughter executed for refusing to obey his wishes. Her soul descended into hell so that she might bring salvation to the damned. Then she returned to the earthly plane and went to Hsiang-shan, where she meditated and achieved enlightenment. Her father meanwhile, had become gravely ill and was told that the only remedy that could save him was a medicine made from the eyes and hands of someone who had never felt anger. His messengers were directed to none other than Miah-shan, who without hesitation cut out her own eyes and severed her hands so that her father might be saved. When King Miao-chuang was cured, and found that his own daughter had saved him, he repented and converted to Buddhism. In some versions, Miah-shan is then transformed into the Thousand-eyed and Thousand-armed Goddess Kuan Yin (Mascetti 38). In other versions of the tale, her father erects a statue in Miah-shan's honor, but because of a miscommunication with the artist, the statue is made with a thousand eyes and arms (Shambala 187).
Prince Shotoku (574-622 AD) is credited with introducing Buddhism to Japan. In Japan, Buddhist ideas cross-fertilized with Confucian and Shinto traditions. The kami are the traditional nature spirits, and it is said that Kuan-Yin represents in herself all female kami (Shambala 137). It is no surprise then that Amaterasu, one of the kami, is often associated with Kuan-yin. In Japanese lore, Amaterasu is the Sun Goddess, and offspring of the God Izangi. Amaterasu weaved garments for the deities of heaven, and clothing for the priestesses of the imperial sun cult on earth. Her brother Susano once reigned supreme over the earth, but was banished to the underworld by their father Izangi. Before he descended into the underworld, he got into a bitter argument with his sister Amaterasu, and in a blind rage destroyed the hall where heavenly harvest celebrations were held. The sun goddess's heavenly looms and attendants were also beseiged. The goddess, terrified, ran and hid in a cave. Without her life-sustaining gift of the sun, the world began to perish. Her father and the other Gods coaxed her from the cave with a mirror that reflected Amaterasu's splendor (Littleton 460).
P'u-t'o Island is located in Chekiang, China. Here, it is said, Kuan Yin made her vow to become a bodhisattva, to postpone her reward for the sake of those yet to be enlightened (Mascetti 55). Other places which are sacred to the Goddess include Kyoto and Mount Fuji in Japan, where the cherry blossoms and a variety of shrines and temples dot the landscape.
postpone her reward for the sake of those yet to be enlightened (Mascetti 55).
Symbols which are sacred to Kuan-yin include the moon, the sun, mirrors, pearls, dragons, bamboo, parrots, caves, vases or vessels suggestive of female reproductive organs, and the lotus flower. Just at the lotus flower floats on the water and remains dry, so should the spiritual aspirant live in the world without being affected by it (Shambala 206). This is the significance of the lotus flower. The vase which Kuan-yin is often pictured carrying is filled with a dew of compassion (Mascetti 52). She is also often depicted with a dragon and a pearl. This is because one of her personal attendants is Shan-ts'ai, granddaughter of the Dragon King. The pearl is a gift from the Dragon King, bestowed upon Kuan Yin after she taught him a dharani (protective spell) from the Lotus Sutra. It gives off light so that in the darkness of night Kuan Yin might be able to continue reading her sutras (Mascetti 51). Caves are sacred to the goddess in part because of their womb-like qualities, but caves also have their ties with the Amaterasu legend. Women belonging to the White Lotus movement constructed caves as sanctuaries to Kuan Yin (Mascetti 35). They were buried in these caves and at their death took the name Miah-shan.
Just at the lotus flower floats on the water and remains dry, so should the spiritual aspirant live in the world without being affected by it (Shambala 206).
dew of compassion (Mascetti 52).
Women belonging to the White Lotus movement constructed caves as sanctuaries to Kuan Yin (Mascetti 35).
Littleton, Scott. C. Mythology: The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling. London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 2002.
Mascetti, Manuela Dunn. Kuan Yin: Divine Giver of Compassion San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLC, 2004.
Smart, Ninain. The World's Religions 2nd Edition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.