Page 167 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 160

Guan-di (in foreground)

Guan-yin

Guan-yin, the goddess of mercy, was originally the male Buddhist saint Avalokitesvara
(the patron saint of Tibetan Buddhism, who is incarnated in the person of the Dalai
Lama). The name ‘Avalokitesvara’ was translated into Chinese as ‘he who listens to the
sounds (of the world)’ (guan yin). In Indian and Tibetan art, Avalokitesvara was
portrayed according to Indian concepts of beauty – i.e. with feminine softness of curve
and well-developed breasts. It is probably for these reasons that people took Guan-yin for
a goddess (as attested from the 9th century onwards). However, pictures of men with the
upper part of the body uncovered usually show them with rather more in the way of
bosom than females of the same social background have to offer.