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Flowers are growing miraculously from the statue of Kuan Yin at a temple near Seoul in South Korea.
The miracles have started and Buddhist monks are gathering to wait and pray for the event that will change all of our lives...
"Flowers that bloom only once every
3,000 years are budding on the head of a sacred Buddhist statue."
Buddhist priests in South Korea "say the
legendary flowers blossoming on the forehead of Kuan Yin the Compassionate"
only appear "when the 'Sage King of the Future' (also known as Maitreya,
the future Buddha--J.T.) comes into the world," which one Buddhist leader
called, "a delight that gives joy beyond description."
"The Miracle of the Flowers, as it's now
being called, happened in the Chonggyesa Temple," in a suburb of Seoul, the
capital of South Korea. "Tens of thousands of
pilgrims are flocking to see the white blossoms on the tip of the eyebrow of the
shining, gilded statue of Kuan Yin."
"'Kuan Yin is a gentle Buddhist deity
who refused to enter paradise (Nirvana--J.T.) because she heard the cries of
suffering humanity,' says religious expert Dr. Kenneth
Ireland 'She is acknowledged to save the soul of everyone on Earth, turning her
back on none.'"
'''Many are now saying that the monastery of
Chonggye-sa could become the Buddhist Lourdes because many cures are being
performed there.'"
"According to the monks, 21 threadlike
stems are growing from the statue of Kuan Yin, each with a tiny white flower 'no
bigger than the tip of a ballpoint pen.'"
"This is the first time in the
1,000-year history of the monastery that the flowers have blossomed."
"'Buddhists say sighting the flowers is like witnessing the birth of
Buddha,'" he added.
"Experts say it's unthinkable that the
500-year-old statue of Kuan Yin, gilded every three years over the (original)
woodwork, could produce growing flowers without divine intervention."
"'Botanically, the flower is related to
the ficus,' says botanist William Grant, 'There is just no way it could take
root in the statue.'"
"Dr. Ireland says the flowers are
regarded as divine in India, Japan and China and are believed to bloom only when
a momentous event is about to happen."
"Buddhist monks are currently keeping a prayer vigil at the statue, waiting
for the event that will change mankind's future forever."
Kuan Yin... Legend/History "The Compassionate Saviouress"
Kuan Yin is the compassionate Saviouress of the East. Throughout the
Orient altars dedicated to this Mother of Mercy can be found in temples, homes
and wayside grottoes and prayers to her Presence and her Flame are incessantly
on the lips of devotees as they seek her guidance and succor in every area of
life.
Still very much a part
of Eastern culture. Kuan Yin has awakened interest in her path and teaching
among a growing number of Western devotees who recognize the powerful presence
of "the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion," along with that of the Virgin Mary, as an
illuminator and intercessor of the Seventh Age of Aquarius.
The long history of devotion to Kuan Yin provides insight into the
character and example of this Lightbearer who has not only laid down her life
for her friends but taken it again and again as intercessor and burdenbearer.
For centuries, Kuan Yin has epitomized the great ideal of Mahayana Buddhism in
her role as "bodhisattva (Chinese p'u-sa)--literally a being of bodhi, or enlightenment," who is destined to become a
Buddha but has foregone the bliss of Nirvana with a vow to save all children of
God.
The name Kuan Shih Yin, as she is often called, means literally "the one
who regards, looks on, or hears the sounds of the world." According to
legend, Kuan Yin was about to enter heaven but paused on the threshold as the
cries of the world reached her ears.
There
is still much scholarly debate regarding the origin of devotion to the female
bodhisattva Kuan Yin. Kuan Yin is considered to be the feminine form of
Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit), the bodhisattva of compassion of Indian Buddhism
whose worship was introduced into China in the third century.
Scholars believe
that the Buddhist monk and translator Kumarajiva was the first to refer to the
female form of Kuan Yin in his Chinese translation of the Lotus Sutra in 406
A.D. Of the thirty-three appearances of the bodhisattva referred to in his
translation, seven are female. (Devoted Chinese and Japanese Buddhists have
since come to associate the number thirty-three with Kuan Yin.)
Although Kuan Yin was still being portrayed as a male as late as the tenth
century, with the introduction of Tantric Buddhism into China in the eighth
century during the T'ang dynasty, the image of the celestial bodhisattva as a
beautiful white-robed goddess was predominant and the devotional cult
surrounding her became increasingly popular. By the ninth century there was a
statue of Kuan Yin in every Buddhist monastery in China.
Despite the
controversy over the origins of Kuan Yin as a feminine being, the depiction of a
bodhisattva as both 'god' and 'goddess' is not inconsistent with Buddhist
doctrine. The scriptures explain that a bodhisattva has the power to embody in
any form--male, female, child, even animal—depending on the type of being he
is seeking to save. As the Lotus Sutra relates, the bodhisattva Kuan Shih Yin,
"by resort to a variety of shapes, travels in the world, conveying the
beings to salvation."
The twelfth-century legend of the Buddhist saint Miao Shan, the
Chinese princess who lived in about 700 B.C. and is widely believed to have been
Kuan Yin, reinforced the image of the bodhisattva as a female. During the
twelfth century Buddhist monks settled on P'u-t'o Shan--the sacred
island-mountain in the Chusan Archipelago off the coast of Chekiang where Miao
Shan is said to have lived for nine years, healing and saving sailors from
shipwreck--and devotion to Kuan Yin spread throughout northern China.
In Buddhist theology Kuan Yin is sometimes depicted as the captain of the
"Bark of Salvation," guiding souls to Amitabha's Western Paradise, or
Pure Land--the land of bliss where souls may be reborn to receive continued
instruction toward the goal of enlightenment and perfection. The journey to Pure
Land is frequently represented in woodcuts showing boats full of Amitabha's
followers under Kuan Yin's captainship.
Amitabha, a beloved figure in the eyes of Buddhists desiring to be reborn in his
Western Paradise and to obtain freedom from the wheel of rebirth, is said to be,
in a mystical or spiritual sense, the father of Kuan Yin. Legends of the
Mahayana School recount that Avalokitesvara was 'born' from a ray of white light
which Amitabha emitted from his right eye as he was lost in ecstasy.
Thus Avalokitesvara, or Kuan Yin, is regarded as the "reflex" of
Amitabha—a further emanation or embodiment of "maha karuna (great
compassion), the quality which Amitabha himself embodies in the highest sense.
Many figures of Kuan Yin can be identified by the presence of a small image of
Amitabha in her crown. It is believed that as the merciful redemptress Kuan Yin
expresses Amitabha's compassion in a more direct and personal way and prayers to
her are answered more quickly.
The iconography of Kuan Yin depicts her in many forms, each one revealing a
unique aspect of her merciful presence. As the sublime Goddess of Mercy whose
beauty, grace and compassion have come to represent the ideal of womanhood in
the East, she is frequently portrayed as a slender woman in flowing white robes
who carries in her left hand a white lotus, symbol of purity. Ornaments may
adorn her form, symbolizing her attainment as a bodhisattva, or she may be
pictured without them as a sign of her great virtue.
Kuan Yin's presence is widespread through her images as the "bestower
of children" which are found in homes and temples. A great white veil
covers her entire form and she may be seated on a lotus. She is often portrayed
with a child in her arms, near her feet, or on her knees, or with several
children about her. In this role, she is also referred to as the
"white-robed honored one." Sometimes to her right and left are her two
attendants, Shan-ts’ai Tung-tsi, the "young man of excellent
capacities," and Lung-wang Nu, the "daughter of the Dragon-king."
Kuan Yin is also known as patron bodhisattva of P'u-t'o Shan, mistress of the
Southern Sea and patroness of fishermen. As such she is shown crossing the sea
seated or standing on a lotus or with her feet on the head of a dragon.
Like Avalokitesvara she is also depicted with a thousand arms and varying
numbers of eyes, hands and heads, sometimes with an eye in the palm of each
hand, and is commonly called "the thousand-arms, thousand-eyes"
bodhisattva. In this form she represents the omnipresent mother, looking in all
directions simultaneously, sensing the afflictions of humanity and extending her
many arms to alleviate them with infinite expressions of her mercy.
Symbols characteristically associated with Kuan Yin are a willow branch,
with which she sprinkles the divine nectar of life; a precious vase symbolizing
the nectar of compassion and wisdom, the hallmarks of a bodhisattva; a dove,
representing fecundity; a book or scroll of prayers which she holds in her hand,
representing the dharma (teaching) of the Buddha or the sutra (Buddhist text)
which Miao Shan is said to have constantly recited; and a rosary adorning her
neck with which she calls upon the Buddhas for succor.
Images of Avalokitesvara often show him holding a rosary; descriptions of his
birth say he was born with a white crystal rosary in his right hand and a white
lotus in his left. It is taught that the beads represent all living beings and
the turning of the beads symbolizes that Avalokitesvara is leading them out of
their state of misery and repeated rounds of rebirth into nirvana.
Today Kuan Yin is worshipped
by Taoists as well as Mahayana Buddhists--especially in Taiwan, Japan, Korea and
once again in her homeland of China, where the practice of Buddhism had been
suppressed by the Communists during the Cultural Revolution (1966-69). She is
the protectress of women, sailors, merchants, craftsmen, and those under
criminal prosecution, and is invoked particularly by those desiring progeny.
Beloved as a mother figure and divine mediatrix who is very close to the daily
affairs of her devotees, Kuan Yin's role as Buddhist Madonna has been compared
to that of Mary the mother of Jesus in the West.
There is an implicit trust in Kuan
Yin's saving grace and healing powers. Many believe that even the simple
recitation of her name will bring her instantly to the scene. One of the most
famous texts associated with the bodhisattva, the ancient Lotus Sutra whose
twenty-fifth chapter, dedicated to Kuan Yin, is known as the "Kuan Yin
sutra," describes thirteen cases of impending disaster--from shipwreck to
fire, imprisonment, robbers, demons, fatal poisons and karmic woes--in which the
devotee will be rescued if his thoughts dwell on the power of Kuan Yin. The text
is recited many times daily by those who wish to receive the benefits it
promises.
Devotees also invoke the bodhisattva's power and merciful intercession
with the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM-- "Hail to the jewel in the lotus!"
or, as it has also been interpreted, "Hail to Avalokitesvara, who is the
jewel in the heart of the lotus of the devotee's heart!" Throughout Tibet
and Ladakh, Buddhists have inscribed OM MANI PADME HUM on flat prayer stones
called "mani-stones" as votive offerings in praise of Avalokitesvara.
Thousands of these stones have been used to build mani-walls that line the roads
entering villages and monasteries.
It is believed that Kuan Yin frequently appears in the sky or on
the waves to save those who call upon her when in danger. Personal stories can
be heard in Taiwan, for instance, from those who report that during World War II
when the United States bombed the Japanese-occupied Taiwan, she appeared in the
sky as a young maiden, catching the bombs and covering them with her white
garments so they would not explode.
Thus altars dedicated to the
Goddess of Mercy are found everywhere--shops, restaurants, even taxicab
dashboards. In the home she is worshipped with the traditional "pai pai,"
a prayer ritual using incense, as well as the use of prayer charts--sheets of
paper designed with pictures of Kuan Yin, lotus flowers, or pagodas and outlined
with hundreds of little circles. With each set of prayers recited or sutras read
in a novena for a relative, friend, or oneself, another circle is filled in.
This chart has been described as a "Ship of Salvation" whereby
departed souls are saved from the dangers of hell and the faithful safely
conveyed to Amitabha's heaven. In addition to elaborate services with litanies
and prayers, devotion to Kuan Yin is expressed in the popular literature of the
people in poems and hymns of praise.
Devout followers of Kuan Yin may frequent local temples and make pilgrimages to
larger temples on important occasions or when they are burdened with a special
problem. The three yearly festivals held in her honor are on the nineteenth day
of the second month (celebrated as her birthday), of the sixth month, and of the
ninth month based on the Chinese lunar calendar.
In the tradition of the Great White Brotherhood Kuan Yin is known as the
Ascended Lady Master who bears the office and title of "Goddess of
Mercy" because she ensouls the God qualities of the law of mercy,
compassion and forgiveness. She had numerous embodiments prior to her ascension
thousands of years ago and has taken the vow of the bodhisattva to teach the
unascended children of God how to balance their karma and fulfill their divine
plan by loving service to life and the application of the violet flame through
the science of the spoken Word.
Kuan Yin preceded the Ascended Master Saint Germain as Chohan
(Lord) of the Seventh Ray of Freedom, Transmutation, Mercy and Justice and she
is one of seven Ascended Masters who serve on the Karmic Board, a council of
justice that mediates the karma of earth's evolutions--dispensing opportunity,
mercy and the true and righteous judgments of the Lord to each lifestream on
earth. She is hierarch of the etheric Temple of Mercy over Peking, China, where
she focuses the light of the Divine Mother on behalf of the children of the
ancient land of China, the souls of humanity, and the sons and daughters of God.
More Story and Legend of Kuan Yin / Quan Yin.........
Often seen alone or next to a statue of Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara
Bodhisattva--in Chinese also known as Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy--is the
most popular and most venerated Buddhist figure besides Amitabha Buddha and
Sakyamuni Buddha. A popular Chinese saying illustrates this aspect:
"Everyone knows how to chant Amitabha Buddha, and every household worships
Kuan Yin."
Why is this bodhisattva popular in so many Chinese families? It may be
because Kuan Yin is represented as a female with an appearance that embraces the
qualities of compassion and motherly love. In addition, because many Buddhist
scriptures state that one can invoke Kuan Yin's assistance by simply calling out
her name, people feel that this bodhisattva is very approachable.
According to the Huayen Sutra (Buddha-vatamsaka-mahavaipulya Sutra), Kuan Yin
uses all kinds of ways to attract people: she makes gifts, uses words of love,
and transforms herself into persons like those that she deals with. The
"Universal Gateway" chapter in the Lotus Sutra lists thirty-two
typical forms in which Kuan Yin may appear. For instance, if a boy or girl is
about to gain some enlightenment, Kuan Yin transforms herself into a boy or a
girl to teach the child. If a monk is about to attain some enlightenment, Kuan
Yin transforms herself into a monk. In short, she can appear as a monk, a nun, a
king, a minister, a celestial being, or a normal person like you and me. The
purpose of such transformations is to make people feel close to her and willing
to listen to her words.
"I am cultivating this method of great compassion and hope to save all
living beings," Kuan Yin said. "Any living being who calls my name or
sees me will be free from all fear and danger. I will activate that being's
spiritual awareness and maintain it forever."
Sakyamuni Buddha confirmed Kuan Yin's vow: "If a suffering being hears
the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and earnestly calls out to the
bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara will hear the call and redeem that being from his
suffering" ("Universal Gateway," Lotus Sutra).
In other words, this bodhisattva's main attraction for people lies in her
efforts to eliminate suffering and to make people live in peace and harmony.
This kind of immediate benefit and the ability to receive protection or help
simply by calling the bodhisattva's name, similar to children receiving an
instant reply when calling their mother, have contributed to Kuan Yin's great
popularity.
Male or female?
Probably because of Kuan Yin's great compassion, a quality which is
traditionally considered feminine, most of the bodhisattva's statues in China
since the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618?07) have appeared as female figures. In India,
however, the bodhisattva is generally represented as a male figure.
In Chinese art before the Tang dynasty, Kuan Yin was also usually perceived
as masculine, though literary and anecdotal evidence from as early as the fifth
century points to a sexual transformation of this bodhisattva. By the tenth
century, Kuan Yin's statues were becoming increasingly feminine, and by the Ming
Dynasty (1368?644), the transformation into a female deity was complete.
In the end, what is Kuan Yin, male or female? In Buddhism, the universe is
divided into many realms. For instance, there is the Realm of Desire, the Realm
of Form, and the Realm of Formlessness. The Realm of Desire includes the human
realm with all living beings on earth. Above it is the Realm of Form, and above
that the Realm of Formlessness. The beings in these latter two realms are
considered celestial beings. The beings in the Realm of Form have outward
appearances but no desires, and the beings in the Realm of Formlessness, have,
as the name implies, no outward appearances. Without physical forms, the beings
in the Realm of Formlessness have no gender distinctions. However, the beings in
all three realms still undergo reincarnation. Arhats, bodhisattvas and Buddhas
(beings who have reached three progressive stages toward enlightenment), on the
other hand, have jumped out of the cycle of reincarnation and no longer have
true physical forms. A bodhisattva like Kuan Yin may therefore appear in either
male or female form. Statues of these beings merely help us feel their presence.
The Kuan Yin statue
Kuan Yin may be shown either in a standing or in a sitting position, but on
top of her crown there is always an image of a Buddha, which is generally
thought to be Amitabha Buddha. In her hands, Kuan Yin may hold a willow branch,
a vase with water, or occasionally a lotus flower. The willow branch is used to
either heal people's illnesses or bring fulfillment to their requests. The water
symbolizes the cleansing of people's sins or illnesses. Kuan Yin's right hand
often points downward, with the palm facing outward, the posture of granting a
wish. This is the typical image of Kuan Yin in China and Taiwan.
Many other forms also exist. The expression "thirty-three forms of Kuan
Yin" in Sino-Japanese Buddhist art refers to thirty-three different
appearances of the bodhisattva. For example, besides holding a willow branch,
Kuan Yin may also be depicted as standing on a dragon's head in a cloud.
However, these other forms have no basis in Buddhist scriptures.
Former existences
Like Manjusri, Kuan Yin may have once been a Buddha with the name of
"Brightness of True Dharma." However, there is little information on
this topic.
Although most scriptures refer to Kuan Yin as a bodhisattva, some entries
reflect a different view. The Peihua Sutra tells a story about a father-son
relationship between Amitabha and Avalokitesvara. When Amitabha was a ruler in a
previous incarnation, he had a thousand sons, and the eldest was named Pu-hsun.
Pu-hsun vowed before the Buddha of his time that if suffering people would call
his name, he would hear them or see their suffering, and he would try to
eliminate their misery. When the Buddha heard Pu-hsun's vow, he praised him by
saying that he would be named "Avalokitesvara." He also said that when
Amitabha Buddha entered into nirvana in the future, Avalokitesvara would succeed
him and become a Buddha who would be known as "Universal Light-Issuing
Tathagata King of Merit Mountain."
Since people can simply call Kuan Yin's name for help without having to go
through any ritual or ceremony, this bodhisattva is the most popular figure in
China and other East Asian countries. One of the most well-known forms of the
bodhisattva is the one with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands. The thousand
eyes allow the bodhisattva to see the suffering creatures in this world, and the
thousand hands allow her to reach out to help them. Thus, this depiction is a
popular symbol for the Tzu Chi Foundation, which tries to relieve the suffering
in this world through the "thousand eyes and hands" of its volunteers.
Actually, everyone can be a Kuan Yin. You may say that you don't have a
thousand eyes or a thousand hands or that you lack magic powers, but it is your
compassion that can transform you into a Kuan Yin. With your eyes and hands you
can help others, and with your compassion you can bring peace and tranquility to
this planet.
A sacred island, a place I plan to visit in the
future...
Kuan Yin also has a
sacred place in China: Potala Mountain. This mountain is located near the city
of Ningpo, in Chechiang Province on the East China Sea. It is actually an island
with a radius of about thirty miles. Nowadays the island is full of temples. It
is said that during the Liang Dynasty (A.D. 520?57), a Japanese monk by the name
of Hui Erh stole a Kuan Yin statue from Wutai Mountain in central China, hoping
to take it back to Japan. But when his boat approached the island of Potala, it
simply stopped moving. Feeling that it was the bodhisattva's will, Hui Erh
presented the statue to the islanders. Later, more and more Buddhist temples
were built, and more and more stories of Kuan Yin's miraculous interventions
circulated among the people, making Potala Mountain the sacred ground for this
bodhisattva.
We have an extensive inventory of Kuan Yin Statuary
We
invite you to visit us at: 12041 66th St. N. #E., Largo, Fl. 33773
Store
Hours: M -F 11:00 am - 9:00 pm Sat. 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Closed Sunday
For information or
ordering, Call: (727) 530-9994
or please email us at: mgoddess@tampabay.rr.com
Judith (Judie) DiMilta Proprietor
Items at this on-line store are shown as curios. We make no claims nor guarantee any magical or supernatural powers for any item. The names and assumed powers are derived from books, folklore and various other sources. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
