Page 89 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

throne. However, to his great disappointment, a girl was born

to him. is was on the 19th day of the 2nd moon and she was

named Miao Shan.

Miao Shan grew up to be a religious and virtuous girl unaffected

by the attractions of worldly matters. What she yearned for was

to have a quiet retreat in the mountains where she could practise

the perfections of her virtues. She longed to be able to bring re-

lief to all the miserable beings on earth.

When his daughters were of marriageable age, the King found

suitable husbands for them. While her sisters accepted their

marriages, Miao Shan steadfastly refused to marry and infu-

riated the father by choosing to retire to a nunnery called the

White Sparrow.

e father made several attempts to make temple-life unbear-

able to his fragile daughter so as to pursuade her to return to her

palace. However, all his attempts failed for a little suffering was

not going to deter one whose mind was set on cultivating the

Buddha’s path. In his anger, the King ordered that the nunnery

be set on fire for such an unfilial daughter deserved to be put to

death. However, the fire was instantly put out by an inundating

shower which saved the lives of the princess and the few hun-

dred nuns. e enraged King then decreed that Miao Shan be

executed but the executioner’s sword, upon contacting the prin-

cess’s neck, broke into smithereens! is so angered the King that

he next ordered that his unfilial daughter be strangled to death

with a silken cord. As she was being strangled, the tutelary god

 