Guanyin: Difference between revisions

| piccap = [[Wood carving]] of Guanyin with [[Amitābha]] on its crown. [[Northern Song Dynasty]], [[China]], {{circa|1025}}.

| tgl = Guanyin (ᜄᜓᜀᜈᜌᜒᜈᜄᜓᜀᜈ͓ᜌᜒᜈ͓)

'''Guanyin''' ({{zh|s=|t=|first=t|p=Guānyīn|c=觀音}}) is a [[Bodhisattva]] associated with [[Karuṇā|compassion]]. Guanyin is a common Chinese name for [[Avalokiteśvara]] ({{lang-sa|अवलोकितेश्वर}}) in [[Chinese Buddhism]] and has been appropriated by other Eastern religions, including [[Taoism]] and [[Chinese folk religion]].{{NoteTag|For Details, see the [[#Role in other Eastern religions]].}} She was first given the appellation "Goddess of Mercy" or "Mercy Goddess" by Jesuit missionaries in China.<ref>{{harvnb|Yu|2001|p=371}}</ref> Guanyin is short for '''Guanshiyin''', which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World.".<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/P/39 |title = Perceiver of the World's Sounds |access-date = 2018-10-31 |archive-date = 14 December 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171214190807/http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/P/39 |url-status = live }}</ref> Due to sociogeographical factors, Guanyin can be historically depicted as genderless or adorning a androgynous apprentice.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Getty |first=Alice |title=The Gods of Northern Buddhism Their History and Iconography |publisher=Dover Publications |year=1988 |isbn=0486255751}}</ref> On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of [[Buddhahood]] is celebrated.<ref>{{cite web |title = Bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin's Attainment of Buddhahood 觀世音菩薩成佛 – Purple Cloud |url = http://purplecloudinstitute.com/bodhisattva-guan-shi-yins-attainment-of-buddhahood-%e8%a7%80%e4%b8%96%e9%9f%b3%e8%8f%a9%e8%96%a9%e6%88%90%e4%bd%9b/ |access-date = 2020-08-11 |language = en-AU |archive-date = 18 November 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201118033714/https://purplecloudinstitute.com/bodhisattva-guan-shi-yins-attainment-of-buddhahood-%E8%A7%80%E4%B8%96%E9%9F%B3%E8%8F%A9%E8%96%A9%E6%88%90%E4%BD%9B/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a [[sacred lotus in religious art|lotus]] and then sent to the western [[pure land]] of [[Sukhāvatī]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Reginald |title = Buddhist China |year=2008 |orig-year=1913 |publisher=Soul Care Publishing |isbn=978-0-9680459-3-0 }}</ref>{{By whom|date=June 2024}} Guanyin is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity"<ref name="global.britannica.com">{{cite web |url = https://global.britannica.com/topic/Avalokiteshvara |title = Avalokiteshvara – bodhisattva |date = 6 October 2023 }}</ref> with miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her, as is mentioned in the ''Pumen chapter'' of the ''[[Lotus Sutra]]'' and the ''[[Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra]]''.

Several large temples in East Asia are dedicated to Guanyin, including [[Shaolin Monastery]], [[Longxing Temple]], [[Puning Temple (Hebei)|Puning Temple]], [[Nanhai Guanyin Temple]], [[Dharma Drum Mountain]], [[Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple]], [[Shitennō-ji]], [[Sensō-ji]], [[Kiyomizu-dera]], [[Sanjūsangen-dō]], and many others. Guanyin's abode and [[bodhimaṇḍa]] in India are recorded as being on [[Mount Potalaka]]. With the localization of the belief in Guanyin, each area adopted its own Potalaka. In [[Chinese Buddhism]], [[Mount Putuo]] is considered the bodhimaṇḍa of Guanyin. [[Naksansa]] is considered to be the Potalaka of Guanyin in Korea. Japan's Potalaka is located at [[Fudarakusan-ji]]. Tibet's Potalaka is the [[Potala Palace]]. Vietnam's Potalaka is the [[Hương Temple]].{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

There are several pilgrimage centers for Guanyin in East Asia. Putuoshan (Mount Putuo) is the main pilgrimage site in China. There is a 33-temple Guanyin pilgrimage in Korea, which includes Naksansa. In Japan, there are several pilgrimages associated with Guanyin. The oldest one of them is the [[Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage]], a pilgrimage through 33 temples with Guanyin shrines. Guanyin is beloved by most Buddhist traditions in a nondenominational way and is found in most [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan temples]] under the name ''Chenrézik'' ({{bo|w=Spyan ras gzigs}}). Guanyin is also beloved and worshipped in the temples in Nepal. The [[Hiranya Varna Mahavihar]], located in [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]], is one example. Guanyin is also found in some influential [[Theravada]] temples, such as [[Gangaramaya Temple]], [[Kelaniya]], and [[Natha Devale, Kandy|Natha Devale]], near the [[Temple of the Tooth]] in [[Sri Lanka]]. Guanyin can also be found in Thailand's [[Wat Phra Kaew|Temple of the Emerald Buddha]], Wat Huay Pla Kang (where the huge statue of her is often mistakenly called the "Big Buddha"), and BurmaMyanmar's [[Shwedagon Pagoda]]. Statues of Guanyin are a widely depicted subject of [[Asian art]] and are found in the Asian art sections of most museums in the world.

''Guānyīn'' is a translation from the Sanskrit ''Avalokitasvara'', the name of the Mahāyāna bodhisattva. Another name for this bodhisattva is ''Guānzìzài'' ({{zh|s=观自在|t=觀自在|first=t|p=Guānzìzài}}), from Sanskrit ''[[Avalokiteśvara]]''. It was initially thought that early translators mistook ''Avalokiteśvara'' as ''Avalokitasvara'' and thus mistranslated ''Avalokiteśvara'' as ''Guānyīn'', which explained why [[Xuanzang]] translated ''Avalokiteśvara'' as ''Guānzìzài''. However, the original form was indeed ''Avalokitasvara'' which contained [[morpheme]] ''svara'' ("sound, noise") and was a compound meaning "sound perceiver", literally "he who looks down upon sound" (i.e., the cries of sentient beings who need his help).<ref>{{cite journal |author=Lokesh Chandra |author-link=Lokesh Chandra |date=1984 |title=The Origin of Avalokitesvara |url=http://www.indologica.com/volumes/vol13/vol13_art13_CHANDRA.pdf |journal=Indologica Taurinensia |volume=XIII (1985–1986) |pages=189–190 |access-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606205922/http://www.indologica.com/volumes/vol13/vol13_art13_CHANDRA.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2014}}</ref><ref name=Mironov>{{cite journal |last1=Mironov |first1=N. D. |title=Buddhist Miscellanea |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland |date=1927 |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=241–252 |doi=10.1017/S0035869X00057440 |jstor=25221116|s2cid=250344585 }}</ref><ref name="Red Pine 2004 pg 44-45">{{cite book |author-link=Red Pine (author)|last=Pine |first=Red |title=The Heart Sutra: The Womb of the Buddhas |year=2004 |publisher=Shoemaker & Hoard |isbn=1-59376-009-4}} pg 44–45</ref> This is the exact equivalent of the Chinese translation ''Guānyīn''. This etymology was furthered in the Chinese by the tendency of some Chinese translators, notably [[Kumārajīva]], to use the variant ''Guānshìyīn'', literally " One who perceives the world's lamentations"—wherein ''lok'' was read as simultaneously meaning both "to look" and "world" (Skt. ''loka''; Ch. 世, ''shì'').<ref name="Red Pine 2004 pg 44-45"/>

* {{bo|t=སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག།|s=ChenrézikChenrézig Wangchuk}}

Representations of the bodhisattva in China prior to the [[Song dynasty]] (960–1279) were masculine in appearance. Images which later displayed attributes of both genders are believed to be in accordance with the Lotus Sutra, where Avalokitesvara has the supernatural power of assuming any form required to relieve suffering, and also has the power to grant children. Because this bodhisattva is considered the personification of compassion and kindness, a mother goddess and patron of mothers and seamen, the representation in China was further interpreted in an all-female form around the 12th century. On occasion, Guanyin is also depicted holding an infant in order to further stress the relationship between the bodhisattva, maternity, and birth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/SS36617_36617_32424610;prevRouteTS=1543257931615|title=Artstor|last=Artstor|website=library.artstor.org|language=en|access-date=2018-11-26|archive-date=12 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012055906/http://hcap.artstor.org/cgi-bin/library?a=d&d=p535#/asset/SS36617_36617_32424610;prevRouteTS=1543257931615|url-status=live}}</ref> In the modern period, Guanyin is most often represented as a beautiful, white-robed woman, a depiction which derives from the earlier ''Pandaravasini'' form.

In Chinese mythology, Guanyin (觀音) is the goddess of mercy and considered to be the physical embodiment of compassion. She is an all-seeing, all-hearing being who is called upon by worshipers in times of uncertainty, despair, and fear. Guanyin is originally based on the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Avalokiteśvara's myth spread throughout China during the advent of Buddhism and mixed with local folklore in a process known as [[syncretism]] to become the modern day understanding of Guanyin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mythopedia.com/chinese-mythology/gods/guanyin/|title=Guanyin|access-date=1 May 2021|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118062521/https://mythopedia.com/chinese-mythology/gods/guanyin/|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the twenty-fifth chapter of the [[Lotus Sutra]], one of the most popular sacred texts in the Buddhist canon, describes thirty-three specific manifestations that Guanyin can assume to assist other beings seeking salvation. These forms encompass a [[Buddhahood|Buddha]], a [[pratyekabuddha]], an [[arhat]], [[Brahma|King Brahma]], [[Śakra (Buddhism)|Sakra]] ([[Indra]]), [[Ishvara|Isvara]], [[Maheśvara (Buddhism)|Mahesvara]] ([[Shiva]]), a [[Teen Ta Tseang Keun|great heavenly general]], [[Vaiśravaṇa]], a [[Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|Cakravartin]], a [[King|minor king]], an [[Elder (administrative title)|elder]], a [[Householder (Buddhism)|householder]], a [[chief minister]], a [[Brahmin]], a [[bhikkhu]], a [[bhikkhunī]], a [[Upāsaka and Upāsikā|Upāsaka]], a [[Upāsaka and Upāsikā|Upāsikā]], a [[wife]], a [[Boy|young boy]], a [[Girl|young girl]], a [[deva (Hinduism)|deva]], a [[nāga]], a [[yaksha]], a [[gandharva]], an [[asura]], a [[Garuda|garuḍa]], a [[kinnara]], a [[Mahoraga]], a [[human]], a [[non-human]] and [[Vajrapani]].<ref>{{Cite book|author=Watson, Burton |title=The lotus sutra|date=1999|publisher=Sri Satguru Publications|isbn=81-7030-633-7|oclc=247391640}}</ref><ref name="Kieschnick 205">{{Cite journal|last1=Kieschnick|first1=John|last2=Yü|first2=Chün-fang|last3=Yu|first3=Chun-fang|date=June 2002|title=Kuan-yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokiteśvara |journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|volume=62|issue=1|pages=205|doi=10.2307/4126591|jstor=4126591|issn=0073-0548}}</ref>

Guanyin is also venerated in various other forms. In the Chinese [[Tiantai]] and [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism|Tangmi]] and the Japanese [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]] and [[Tendai]] traditions, Guanyin can take on six forms, each corresponding to a particular realm of samsara. This grouping originates from the ''[[Mohe Zhiguan]]'' ({{zh|c=摩訶止観|p=Móhē Zhǐguān}}) written by the [[Tiantai]] patriarch [[Zhiyi]] (538–597) and are attested to in various other textual sources, such as the Essential Record of The Efficacy of The Three Jewels ({{zh|c=三寶感應要略錄|p=Sānbǎo Gǎnyìng Yàolüèlù}}).<ref>{{Cite web|title=智者大师摩诃止观原文_摩诃止观全文在线阅读 - 无量光明佛教网|url=https://m.guang5.com/fojing/yuanwen/39259.html|access-date=2021-05-23|website=m.guang5.com|archive-date=23 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523142855/https://m.guang5.com/fojing/yuanwen/39259.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=NTI Reader|url=http://ntireader.org/taisho/t2084.html|access-date=2021-05-23|website=ntireader.org|archive-date=23 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523142851/http://ntireader.org/taisho/t2084.html|url-status=live}}</ref> They are:

Guanyin's [[Cundi (Buddhism)|Cundī]] manifestation is an esoteric form of Guanyin that is venerated widely in China and Japan. The first textual source of Cundī and the Cundī Dhāraṇī is the ''[[Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra]]'', a sūtra centered around the bodhisattva [[Avalokiteśvara]] that introduced the popular mantra ''[[Om mani padme hum|oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ]]''. This text is first dated to around the late 4th century CE to the early 5th century CE.<ref name="Alexander. 2002">{{Cite book|last=Alexander.|first=Studholme |title=The origins of Oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ : a study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha sūtra|date=2002|publisher=State university of New York press|isbn=0-7914-5390-1|oclc=1045959191}}</ref> Cundī and the Cundī Dhāraṇī are also featured in the [[Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra]], which was translated three times from Sanskrit into [[Chinese language|Chinese]] in the late 7th century and early 8th century by the Indian esoteric masters [[Divakara|Divākara]] (685 CE), [[Vajrabodhi]] (723 CE), and [[Amoghavajra]] (8th century).<ref name="Alexander. 2002"/> In iconographic form, she is depicted with eighteen arms, all wielding different implements and weaponry that symbolize skillful means of the Dharma, sitting on a [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus flower]]. This manifestation is also referred to as the "Mother of the Seventy Million [Buddhas]" ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 七俱胝佛母; [[pinyin]]: ''Qījùzhī fómǔ''). Her mantra, the Mahācundi Dhāraṇī ({{zh|c=準提神咒|p=Zhǔntí Shénzhòu}}), is one of the [[Mantra|Ten Small Mantras]] ({{zh|c=十小咒|p=Shí xiǎo zhòu}}), which are a collection of dharanis that are commonly recited in Chinese Buddhist temples during morning liturgical services specifically.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Ten Small Mantras|url=http://www.buddhamountain.ca/Ten_Small_Mantras.php|access-date=2021-05-10|website=www.buddhamountain.ca|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427110346/http://www.buddhamountain.ca/Ten_Small_Mantras.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=What is Ten Small Mantras|url=https://www.buddhismtoronto.com/mantra-3.1.php|access-date=2021-05-10|website=www.buddhismtoronto.com|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427110346/https://www.buddhismtoronto.com/mantra-3.1.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

Guanyin's [[Cintāmaṇicakra]] manifestation is also widely venerated in China and Japan. In iconographic form, this manifestation is often portrayed as having six arms, with his first right hand touches the cheek in a pensive mudra, his second right hand holds a wish granting jewel (cintamani), his third right hand holds prayer beads, his first left hand holds Mount Meru, his second left hand holds a lotus flower and the third left hand holds a Dharma wheel (cakra).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-22|title=A Late Tang Dynasty Sculpture Bought at a Missouri Garage Sale for Less Than $100 Just Sold for $2.1 Million|url=https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-buddhist-sculpture-garage-sale-1495570|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Artnet News|language=en-US|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510234756/https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-buddhist-sculpture-garage-sale-1495570|url-status=live}}</ref> Her mantra, the Cintāmaṇicakra Dharani ({{zh|c=如意寶輪王陀羅尼|p=Rúyì Bǎolún Wáng Tuóluóní}}), is also one of the [[Mantra|Ten Small Mantras]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

Another tale says that Miaoshan never died, but was in fact transported by a supernatural tiger,<ref>{{cite web |title=Legend of Miao Shan |url=http://www.purifymind.com/MiaoShan.htm |access-date=11 November 2014 |archive-date=5 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905223005/http://www.purifymind.com/MiaoShan.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> believed to be the Deity of the Mountain,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fivepeaks.org/english/canon/guanyin.htm |title=Biography of Great Compassionate Bodhisattva of Mount Xiang |access-date= 5 April 2023 |quote=When Miao Shan appeared before the executioner, her time of death had finally arrived. The mountain deity of Mount Long intervened at the precise moment when the sword blade was about to behead Miao Shan. The deity knew Miao Shan was a Bodhisattva of Great Power[63] fated to be enlightened, save, and deliver all sentient beings. He also knew the unjust King was wrong in wanting to behead her. The mountain deity then used his divine powers to blacken the sky; let loose violent winds accompanied with thunderous lightning. Simultaneously, he suddenly snatched Miao Shan away and placed her at the foot of the mountain. The envoy no longer knew the location of Miao Shan, rushed to submit his update report to the King. The royal father was again shocked and enraged. He ordered five hundred soldiers to behead the nuns and set fire to their monastery. The wife and the royal family all wept bitterly for Miao Shan, saying it was now too late to rescue her as she had already died. [This is in fact the earliest extant version of the Miaoshan Story] |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405180625/https://www.fivepeaks.org/english/canon/guanyin.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> to Fragrant Mountain.

Legend has it that Shancai (also called ''[[Sudhana]]'' in [[Sanskrit]]) was a disabled boy from India who was very interested in studying the [[dharma]]. When he heard that there was a Buddhist teacher on the rocky island of Putuo, he quickly journeyed there to learn. Upon arriving at the island, he managed to find Guanyin despite his severe disability.

Guanyin, after having a discussion with Shancai, decided to test the boy's resolve to fully study the Buddhist teachings. She conjured the illusion of three sword-wielding pirates running up the hill to attack her. Guanyin took off and dashed to the edge of a cliff, the three illusions still chasing her. Shancai, seeing that his teacher was in danger, hobbled uphill. Guanyin then jumped over the edge of the cliff, and soon after this the three bandits followed. Shancai, still wanting to save his teacher, managed to crawl his way over the cliff edge.

The story continues with how Chen Jinggu grew up, studied at Lüshan, and eventually saved Northern Fujian from drought while defeating the white demon snake, but at the cost of sacrificing her own child. It is said that she died of either [[miscarriage]] or [[hemorrhage]] from the self-abortion.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Clark, Hugh R. 2016. pp. 97-98">Clark, Hugh R. ''The Sinitic encounter in Southeast China through the first millennium CE''. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press. 2016. pp. 97-98. {{ISBN|978-0-8248-5160-6}}</ref><ref name="books.google.com">''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Oeg7DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Journey+of+a+Goddess%22+gan+bao&pg=PA31 Journey of a Goddess: Chen Jinggu Subdues the Snake Demon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412013154/https://books.google.com/books?id=Oeg7DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Journey+of+a+Goddess%22+gan+bao&pg=PA31 |date=12 April 2023 }}''. Translated, edited, and with an introduction by Fan Pen Li Chen. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 2017. pp. 30-31. {{ISBN|978-14384-6-7078}}</ref>

''Quan Âm Thị Kính'' ({{lang|vi-hani|觀音氏敬}}) is a Vietnamese verse recounting the life of a woman, Thị Kính. She was accused falsely of having intended to kill her husband, and when she disguised herself as a man to lead a religious life in a Buddhist temple, she was again falsely blamed for having committed sexual intercourse with a girl named Thị Mầu. She was accused of impregnating her, which was strictly forbidden by Buddhist law. However, thanks to her endurance of all indignities and her spirit of self-sacrifice, she could enter into Nirvana and became Goddess of Mercy (Phật Bà Quan Âm).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truyenviet.com/component/content/article/133-co-tich-viet-nam/9205-quan-am-thi-kinh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326164544/http://www.truyenviet.com/component/content/article/133-co-tich-viet-nam/9205-quan-am-thi-kinh|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 March 2014|title=Truyện Việt|date=26 March 2014}}</ref> [[P. Q. Phan]]'s 2014 [[opera]] ''{{ill|The Tale of Lady Thị Kính|de}}'' is based on this story.<ref>[http://music.indiana.edu/events/program.php?eid=57594 ''The Tale of Lady Thị Kính''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304154218/http://music.indiana.edu/events/program.php?eid=57594 |date=4 March 2015 }}, program booklet, February 2014</ref>

*'''Shuiyue Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=水月觀音|p=Shuǐyuè Guānyīn}}) – '''"Water-Moon Guanyin"'''. A traditionally masculine form of Guanyin who is closely linked to and sometimes regarded as a further manifestation of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin. Traditionally invoked for good rebirth, safe childbirth as well as enlightenment, he is usually portrayed in statues and paintings as a young man or woman in a relaxed [[lalitasana]] pose beside a pond or lake with the moon reflected in the water, with the moon in the water being a metaphor for the Buddhist tenet of [[Śūnyatā]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Yü|first=Chün-fang|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/yu--12028|title=Kuan-yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokitesvara|date=2001|publisher=Columbia University Press|jstor=10.7312/yu--12028|access-date=11 May 2021|archive-date=11 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511025808/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/yu--12028|url-status=live}}</ref>

*'''Songzi Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=送子觀音|p=Sòngzi Guānyīn}}) – '''"Child-giving Guanyin"'''. An aspect of Guanyin which is closely linked to another manifestation, Baiyi Guanyin. She is primarily venerated as a fertility goddess and frequently invoked in prayers for children; usually portrayed in statues and paintings as a reclining white-robed young woman with a child sitting on her lap. Iconographic forms of this manifestation were noted by European travelers during the [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing dynasties]] to bear a striking resemblance to depictions of the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] as the [[Madonna (art)|Madonna with Child]].<ref name=":0"/><ref name="Chuu 2001">{{Cite thesis|title=The cult of Guanyin who brings sons in China|url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0090103|publisher=University of British Columbia|date=2001|doi=10.14288/1.0090103|first=Ling-in Lilian|last=Chuu|access-date=17 May 2021|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517094926/https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0090103|url-status=live}}</ref> This manifestation is also syncretized into [[Taoism]] and [[Chinese folk religion]] as [[Songzi Niangniang]].<ref name="Chuu 2001"/>

* '''Nanhai Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=南海觀音|p=Nánhǎi Guānyīn}}) – '''"Guanyin Of The Southern Seas"'''. A form of Guanyin that became popularized after the establishment of [[Mount Putuo]] as Guanyin's [[bodhimaṇḍa]] and a major Chinese Buddhist pilgrimage center. Usually portrayed in statues and paintings as a young woman in a relaxed [https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/rajalilasana rājalīlā] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523181745/https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/rajalilasana |date=23 May 2021 }} pose meditating on [[Mount Putuo]], or [[Mount Potalaka|Potalaka]]. Certain iconographic details vary from depiction to depiction, with some including a stand of bamboo before the bodhisattva, or a vase with willow branches, or [[Sudhana|Shancai]] and [[Longnü]] standing beside her as attendants.<ref name=":0"/>

Similarly in Japan, several local manifestations of Guanyin, known there primarily as Kannon or, reflecting an older pronunciation, Kwannon, have also been developed natively, supplanting some Japanese deities, with some having been developed as late as the 20th century. Some local forms include:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml|title=KANNON BODHISATTVA|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=17 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117234223/http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

In Tibet, Guanyin is revered under the name Chenrezig. Unlike much of other East Asia Buddhism where Guanyin is usually portrayed as female or androgynous, Chenrezig is revered in male form. While similarities of the female form of Guanyin with the female buddha or boddhisattva [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tara]] are noted—particularly the aspect of Tara called Green Tara—Guanyin is rarely identified with Tara.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/A%20-%20Tibetan%20Buddhism/Subjects/Tantra/Practices-%20(Sadhanas%28Sadhanas%20and%20commentaries)%29/Tara/Kuan%20Yin%20and%20Tara/KUAN%20YIN%20&%26%20TARA.htm|title=Buddhist Library - Kuan Yin and Tara|website=A Buddhist Library|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=24 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124020926/http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/A%20-%20Tibetan%20Buddhism/Subjects/Tantra/Practices-%20%28Sadhanas%20and%20commentaries%29/Tara/Kuan%20Yin%20and%20Tara/KUAN%20YIN%20%26%20TARA.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://buddhaweekly.com/guan-yin-ten-great-protections-goddess-mercy-avalokiteshvara-bodhisattva-compassion/|title=Guan Yin and the ten great protections of the Goddess of Mercy|website=Buddha Weekly|date=December 2018 |access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401213445/https://buddhaweekly.com/guan-yin-ten-great-protections-goddess-mercy-avalokiteshvara-bodhisattva-compassion/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Due to her symbolization of compassion, in [[East Asia]], Guanyin is associated with [[vegetarianism]]. [[Buddhist cuisine]] is generally decorated with her image and she appears in most Buddhist vegetarian pamphlets and magazines.<ref>{{cite book | title=A Brief History of the Immortals of Non-Hindu Civilizations | publisher=Notion Press | author=Shri Bhagavatananda Guru | year=2015 | pages=76}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fivepeaks.org/english/calendar/guanyin%20vegetarian.pdf|title= 2020 Buddhist Calendar |access-date=2020-01-04 |quote=shows the list of Guanyin Vegetarian Days Observed by Lay Practitioners in 2020.|archive-date=18 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918222245/https://www.fivepeaks.org/english/calendar/guanyin%20vegetarian.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Also, there is a type of soil named after her that is known for its beneficial properties, such as preventing nausea and diarrhea. [[Chaoqi]] (Chinese: 炒祺/炒粸) is a traditional Chinese snack, consisting of dough pieces cooked in Guanyin Soil. The ingredients for Chaoqi dough are flour, eggs, sugar, and salt. Traditionally, it is flavored with five-spice powder, pepper leaf, and sesame, but it can also be flavored with brown sugar and jujube. The snack was traditionally taken on long journeys, as the soil helps preserve the dough.

The statue of Guanyin (Gwanse-eum) in Gilsangsa in [[Seoul]], South Korea was sculpted by Catholic sculptor Choi Jong-tae, who modeled the statue after the Virgin Mary in hopes of fostering religious reconciliation in Korean society.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seoul Tour Plus |url=http://www.visitseoul.net/file_save/ebook/Seoul_tour_plus/EN/Seoul_tour_plus_healing_eng.pdf |website=visitseoul.net/ |publisher=Seoul Tourism Organization |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204234527/http://www.visitseoul.net/file_save/ebook/Seoul_tour_plus/EN/Seoul_tour_plus_healing_eng.pdf |archive-date=4 December 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Koehler |first1=Robert |title=Bodhisattva of Mercy, Gilsangsa Temple |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/68558939@N00/5707195482/ |website=Flickr.com |access-date=27 November 2014 |date=2011-05-10 |archive-date=5 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205172458/https://www.flickr.com/photos/68558939@N00/5707195482/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

* {{cite book |last1=Leidy |first1=Denise Patry |last2=Strahan |first2=Donna |url = http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/62659 |title = Wisdom embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art |location = New York, NY |publisher = [[The Metropolitan Museum of Art]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1588393999 |access-date=10 March 2014 |archive-date=8 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108094604/http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/62659 |url-status=live }}

* {{cite book |last1=Palmer |first1=Martin |last2=Ramsay |first2=Jay |last3=Kwok |first3=Man-Ho |title = Kuan Yin. Myths and Prophecies of the Chinese Goddess of Compassion |publisher=Thorsons |location = San Francisco, CA |year=1995 |isbn=1-85538-417-5 |url-access=registration |url = https://archive.org/details/kuanyinmythsreve00palm }}

* {{cite book |last=Pregadio |first=Fabrizio |title = The encyclopedia of Taoism, Volume 1 |year=2008 |location=Princeton, NJ |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-7007-1200-7 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=MioRmEq2xHUC }}

* {{cite book |last = Studholme |first = A. |title = Origins of Om Manipadme Hum, The: A Study of the Karandavyuha Sutra |publisher = State University of New York Press |series = UPCC book collections on Project MUSE |year = 2012 |isbn = 978-0-7914-8848-5 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sxJWgldrIHoC }}

* [http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/kuanyin-txt.htm Buddhanet: Kuan Yin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184414/http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/kuanyin-txt.htm |date=3 March 2016 }} Description on Kuan Yin

* [http://www.buddhismforkids.net/guanyin.html#features11-3z Guan Yin – the Buddha's Helper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221044557/http://www.buddhismforkids.net/guanyin.html#features11-3z |date=21 February 2020 }} Book on Guan Yin for children

* [[Lotus Sutra]]: [http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus25.htm Chapter 25. The universal door of Guanshi Yin Bodhisattva (The bodhisattva who contemplates the sounds of the world)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122152925/http://buddhistdoor.com/oldweb/resources/sutras/lotus/sources/lotus25.htm |date=22 January 2009 }} (Translated by The Buddhist Text Translation Society in USA)

* [http://www.cttbusa.org/shurangama5/shurangama5_12.asp Surangama Sutra] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214085246/http://www.cttbusa.org/shurangama5/shurangama5_12.asp |date=14 February 2015 }} English translation of Chapter 5 "The Ear Organ" which mentions Guan Yin.