Page 91 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

cure being an ointment made from the hands and eyes of a ‘Pu

T’ien Jen’, or ‘One Who Is Never Angry’.

Aware of her father’s plight due to her acquired spiritual powers

and out of compassion, Miao Shan freely despatched the heal-

ing parts of her body, which effected the recovery. In gratitude

the King then sent a delegation with his minister to thank the

kind donor only to find, to his great shock, that those precious

gifts came from none other than the daughter that he had killed.

He was so overcome with remorse that he renounced his throne

and accepted the Buddhist faith. us ended the legend of the

‘unfilial’ daughter who became the saviour to her father, and to

all mankind.

iao han uan orms

Miao Shan Kuan Yin is often represented as seated, her hands in

the gesture of meditation, holding a flaming pearl, or with the

hands in the praying gesture. Many famous paintings depict her

as seated on a rock near running water, or on an island in the sea.

Other pictures present her having a scroll of prayers which rep-

resents the Heart Sutra or a willow sprig with which to sprinkle

divine nectar (Amritha) which has the quality of removing suf-

fering, cleansing evil karma and lenghtening life. Other pictures

also show her carrying a rosary of pearls in her hand or it may be

held in the beak of a heavenly bird. She is generally dressed in

a white robe and is represented, standing upon a cloud, a lotus

flower, or even a lotus petal on the sea. Another popular picture

 