Kuan Yin Bust painted by Ginger Strivelli
Kuan Yin is the Chinese and Buddhist Goddess of compassion and mercy.
---"She who hears the cries of the world."---
She is associated with the Ocean...but mainly as a metaphor of the 'sea of Sansara' which is the suffering of life, and reincarnations until one reaches nirvana.
However She is the patroness of fishermen and sailors.
In many artworks depicting Her, She rides a dragon, across the sea...a dragon being a symbol for spirituality and transformation.
Kuan Yin is said to have struggled to hear and comfort all the cries of all the suffering souls on Earth. Her head and arms as well split in Her efforts to hear
and hold everyone, so the Gods, gave her 11 heads and one thousand arms,
So she could better hear and comfort us.
Kuan Yin releases all of Her own good karma to help those suffering.
In Buddhism She is know as a Bodhisattva, or helpmate of the Buddha.
She is worshiped world wide, with amazing temples in places as far-flung as Hawaii, China Town, New York, and of course all over Asia.
She is also widely honored among modern New Agers and Pagans.
An old Sanskrit mantra prayer invoking Kuan Yin goes:
Namo Kuan Shi Yin P’u Sa
(which means in english “I Bow to you, Kuan Yin, magical compassionate mother Goddess.)
