Guanyin

Lore & Background

Guanyin is a translation from the Sanskrit Avalokitasvara, meaning 'sound perceiver.' The name Avalokitasvara appears in Sanskrit fragments from the fifth century, and was later supplanted by the form Avalokiteśvara, which does not occur in Sanskrit before the seventh century. Some early translators, notably Kumārajīva, used the variant Guanshiyin, literally 'One who perceives the world's lamentations.' The Lotus Sutra is the first text to mention Avalokiteśvara, describing him as a compassionate bodhisattva who hears the cries of sentient beings and can take any form—male, female, adult, child, human, or non-human—to teach the Dharma.

Reader's Guide

Guanyin holds a central place in East Asian Buddhism and beyond. The Lotus Sutra's twenty-fifth chapter describes how those who call upon Guanyin's name will be freed from suffering. Some Buddhists believe that when an adherent dies, Guanyin places them in the heart of a lotus and sends them to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī. Guanyin's abode and bodhimaṇḍa in India is Mount Potalaka; each region adopted its own Potalaka, such as Mount Putuo in China, Naksansa in Korea, Fudarakusan-ji in Japan, the Potala Palace in Tibet, and the Hương Temple in Vietnam. Several major temples are dedicated to Guanyin, including Shaolin Monastery, Sensō-ji, and Kiyomizu-dera. Pilgrimages include the 33-temple Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage in Japan and a 33-temple Guanyin pilgrimage in Korea. Guanyin is also venerated in Tibetan Buddhism as Chenrézik, in Theravada temples such as Gangaramaya Temple in Sri Lanka, and in Thailand's Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Statues of Guanyin are widely depicted in Asian art and appear in museums worldwide.

Did You Know?

• Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, meaning '[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World.'
• Originally regarded as male in Indian Buddhism, Guanyin has been more commonly depicted as female in China and most of East Asia since about the 12th century.
• Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated on the 19th day of the sixth lunar month.
• The name Avalokitasvara appears in Sanskrit fragments from the fifth century, while Avalokiteśvara does not occur in Sanskrit before the seventh century.