Goddess of Compassion

Did you ever wish there was someone listening to you? That is me, the Goddess of Compassion.

In Sanskrit, my name Avalokiteshvara means "The one who looks down".

The Chinese name Kuan Yin and Japanese Kannon or Kanzeon means "Observing the cries of the world"

I am a Boddhisattva, one who attained a high level of sprirituality but made a vow to help others.I will not go on to Nirvana without helping all others attain enlightenment.

So why in some art am I a man and in some art am I a woman?
I started off as a male.By the time the Jesuits arrived in China, I was widely worshipped there.Do you know what Marketing is? That's when you try to find out what people want so you can sell them something.The Jesuits wanted everyone to like the Virgin Mary. The Chinese responded by making a female version of Kuan Yin.Buddhism is very accepting that way. So now I'm a female.

You can find statues of me with 1,000 arms. Well, sometimes there are only a few hundred symbolic arms.The picture above from Toshodaiji has more than 900 arms. And I am holding the following charms: lotus, sword, wheel of karma, bell, rosary, jewel, mirror, axe, vajra, trident, lasso, bow, arrow, and other things I can use to help people.

In Tibet I am called Chenrezig. Tradition there has evolved. I have severl forms, such as the "horse head" form. I am the protector of animals (and humans reborn as animals). I look mad because I attack ignorance and evil passion.