Page 77 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

the enormity of such an undertaking. Amitabha, the Buddha

of Limitless Light, his Spiritual Father, quickly came to the

rescue and restored Kuan Yin to life and also gave him this

form. e thousand eyes symbolise the all-seeing nature of

Kuan Yin’s compassion while the thousand arms represent the

ever-present and all-compassing nature of his help. All Kuan

Yin images, male or female, with one or multiple heads, two

or multiple arms, gentle or fierce facial expressions, have their

own symbolic and religious meanings and therefore should not

be looked upon as peculiar and uninviting. However, all Kuan

Yin images always feature a loving, kind and compassionate

expression and even a statue with eleven heads and a thousand

arms does not lose the harmony of the whole body but radiates

peace.

In the Lotus Sutra, an entire chapter is devoted to Kuan Yin in

which the Buddha describes the Bodhisattva as one who has her

face turned in every direction in order to see all things and to

save all beings and that there is no form or shape that Kuan Yin

will not assume to preach the Dharma to sentient beings:

“In some worlds… the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitesvara

preaches the law to creatures in the shape of a Buddha; in others

she does so in the shape of a Bodhisattva. To some beings she

shows the law in the shape of a Pratyekabuddha; to others she

does so in the shape of a disciple… to those who are to be con-

verted by assuming Brahman, she preaches in the shape of a

Brahman; to those who are to be converted by Vajrapani, she

preaches in the shape of Vajrapani.”

 