Kwan Yin

Kwan Yin

Kwan Yin stands or sits on a lotus flower. Sometimes she is seen holding out one hand, and sometimes she is many-armed, the hands holding the different gifts she brings to us. The origins of this Asian goddess are somewhat tangled and obscure. It is probable that she is an amalgam of an orginal Chinese goddess and the feminisation of the Buddhist male saviour or spreader of compassion, Avelokitishvara, who is known as Chenreizig in Tibet. She may also incorporate aspects of the Tibetan Tara, a female deity also concerned with compassion. Deities are related to on two levels in Buddhist culture, one in a literal sense by people who wish to appeal to them for help or advice, and the other in a symbolic sense within monastic practice, where the basic concept of theism is not accepted and gods and goddesses are perceived as symbols for qualities practioners may wish to incorporate into their lives. It is in the former sense that she is beloved of many thousands of people throughout the Far East, including in Bali, Vietnam, and Japan.

There seems little doubt that Kwan Yin is an aspect of the Great Goddess. She is sometimes seen carrying a sheaf of rice, like the Western sheaf of corn, or pouring out the waters of life and healing. She is also deeply involved with fertility and childbirth, and is appealed to by women wishing to conceive. She represents serenity, healing, mercy, and peace, and manifests many of the qualities of the Virgin Mary or Isis. It is said that Kwan Yin hears the cries of all beings. Having a picture of Kwan Yin in your home or a statue of her on a shrine or altar will bring a tangible sense of peace and hope into the environment.

Light a candle for Kwan Yin during the first quarter phase of the moon and open yourself to the concept of love for all of creation. Concentrate on feelings of serenity and compassion. Ask Kwan Yin to bring those qualities into your own life. Try to spend a little time visualizing love spreading out from your heart into the world, so that it can be sent to where it is needed most. See the loving energy like rays of light radiating from your heart chakra; actually feel the caring, healing power. Buddhists have a concept that they call "Metta", and this is loving kindness toward all beings...even those people whom we dislike or with whom we have had experiences of conflict. Attempting to send loving kindness to everyone, regardless of whether we like them or hate them, can bring peace, acceptance, and a love and understanding of ourselves and everything else. Don't specify individuals to whom this healing power is to be directed, but instead send it out widely and universally so that your thoughts encompass the whole world--every person, creature, rock, and blade of grass.

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