In Chinese buddhist deity worship, various deities are regarded as the protectors of the world. For example, the goddess Guanyin is revered for her compassion. The divine image of hunger, meanwhile, is worshipped by offering rice and tea to the divine image of hunger. Depending on the god’s diet, a chicken is sometimes slaughtered in front of the idol. If the god is a vegetarian, the meat can be replaced with vegetables or vegetable soup.
Guanyin is a bodhisattva
The name Guanyin is derived from a Sanskrit word, which means “observer unimpeded”. The name refers to the power of Guanyin, who can transform into any form to help those who are suffering. This deity is also the deity of compassion and rebirth, and is a common deity in Chinese Buddhism.
Guanyin began as a male bodhisattva in India, and over millennia, she gradually took on a female form in China. Her popularity increased during the Qing and Ming dynasties, making her the most common female deity in China. In her deity worship, Guanyin is often portrayed as a beautiful young woman.
Guanyin’s popularity in Asia was sparked by the Dalai Lama’s patronage of Tibet. In addition to being the patron deity of Tibet, Guanyin is also revered in China. In this context, royal symbolism was naturally born, and her worship became a legitimizing symbol for royalty in Asia.
While Guanyin did not need to become a goddess to be worshiped in China, she did have a connection to royal symbolism and ideology. Chinese emperors received their legitimacy through the Mandate of Heaven, which was first formulated during the Zhou dynasty (1122-256 BCE). Throughout Chinese imperial history, Confucian ideology continued to dominate the understanding of royalty.
The goddess of compassion and mercy, Guanyin underwent a great transformation in the tenth century. She became the most popular “Goddess of Mercy” in China. Jesuit missionaries who arrived in China were struck by the similarity between the image of Guanyin and that of the Madonna. Nevertheless, many Chinese are unaware of her Buddhist origins.
Kuan-yin is a bodhisattva of compassion
The Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kuan-yin, is one of the most important Buddhist deities. She is the embodiment of compassion and is revered throughout Buddhist countries of Asia, including China. In South Asia and Southeast Asia, she is closely associated with royalty. In Tibet, she is considered an incarnation of the Dalai Lama. In China, she is worshiped as the “Goddess of Mercy.”
Kuan-Yin is most often depicted in a white robe, often wearing the necklaces of the Indian and Chinese royal families. She holds a water jar and a willow branch, and is said to be the goddess of fertility and a powerful protector of the earth. In some statues, the image of Amitabha Buddha is carved on her crown.
The figure of Kuan-Yin is often adorned in white robes, and is often depicted with a lotus. She is the ultimate example of womanhood in the East. Her beautiful form is often depicted in white robes, and her hands are laden with a white lotus, which symbolizes purity. Many depictions of Kwan Yin depict her with ornaments, but she may also be shown with no ornaments.
Kuan Yin’s life story has been immortalized in many Chinese folktales. The famous Chinese classic “Journey to the West” tells the adventures of the Monkey King, a Buddhist monk named Xuanzang, and the Monkey King, who is sent by the Bodhisattva Guan Yin to help Buddhism flourish in China.
In Chinese Buddhist deity worship, Kuan-yin is a female counterpart of the male Avalokiteshvara. She has 33 different manifestations, and is described as the savior of mankind. She is believed to hear the cries of humankind and responds to them.
