KUAN YIN
Avalokitesvara Boddhisattva
By Lin Sen-shou
Often seen alone or next to a statue of Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara
Bodhisattva--in Chinese also known as 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."
Why is this bodhisattva popular in so many Chinese families? It may be
because Kuan Yin is represented as a female with an appearance that embraces
the qualities of compassion and motherly love. In addition, because many
Buddhist scriptures state that one can invoke Kuan Yin's assistance by
simply calling out her name, people feel that this bodhisattva is very
approachable.
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.
"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."
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).
In other words, 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.
