In Buddhism, sutras are the scriptures of the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha that were memorized by his disciples and latter recorded in written form in Pali (called suttas) and Sanskrit which are the basic cannons of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. The most significant Theravada suttas are in Tipitaka cannon (“Triple Basket”) with the discourses of the historical Buddha. In Mahayana Buddhism the most famous sutras with important concepts are the Lotus Sutra, Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, Heart Sutra and the Land of Bliss” Sutra. Revered for its beauty, the Lotus Sutra, is in verse and describes how the Buddha became the divine Buddha who attained Enlightenment and taught the Dharma. Chapter 25 – which became its own chapter – focuses on Guanyin “the one who perceives the cries of the world” who protects the world in the time Buddha Shakyamuni’s departure and the appearance of the future Buddha, Maitreya. It describes her 33 manifestations and how she teaches the Dharma to relieve suffering and her miraculous deeds such as granting children to infertile women. As described in the Pure Land Sutras, if upon death a person calls the name of Amitabha with unswerving faith and concentration, Guanyin as the “Bodhisattva Guide of the Souls” will lead him or her to the Western Paradise. She also appears in the Heart Sutras discussing her acolytes Sudhana (Shancai) and Longnü. Lalitavistara Sutra states the significance of the Lotus in Buddhism: “…the spirit of man can be spotless, like the new lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it.”
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This beautiful and touching antique carving of Guanyin the Bodhisattva of Compassion is an extremely rare depiction seldom seen in carved Buddhist statues. According to the Lotus Sutra, Guanyin has 33 manifestations or forms, one of which is Songzi Guanyin or Child Giving Guanyin. This form originated in the 16th century and continued through the…
Guanyin, the most beloved deity in the Mahayana Buddhism, embodies compassion and loving-kindness and hears the cries of all beings. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Guanyin statues were commissioned by provincial artisans for a home altar that were humble and more relatable to the rural devotees as in this statue where she…
Lee Irvin calls Guanyin one of the Great Chinese Goddesses who are imperially sanctioned and epitomize the feminine role of compassionate protectors who grant health, long life and safety to all regardless of their social position. Each has large temples, monasteries and small local shrines dedicated to them. She in the lotus position (padmasana) with…
Of Guanyin’s 33 manifestations, Songzi Guanyin (Bestower of Children or Child-giving) was one of the most favored during the Ming and Qing dynasties when small images were placed on a home altar for veneration by families desirous of having a male child to carry on the family legacy. Songzi Guanyin is a syncretic goddess, embraced…
As one of the most popular Mahayana Pure Land images, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, this antique Chinese wood carving of Nanhai Guanyin of the Southern Seas is seated on a symbolic craggy rock outcrop below an arch of draped moss (some of which is missing ) at the entrance to the Tidal…
This elegant antique-Chinese-carving of Nanhai Guanyin is from the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. She sits on a round pedestal a rock at the entrance to her Cave of Tidal Sound on the island of Mount Putuo, represented by the arched overhead covering and the rough indentations symbolizing the bottom of the cave. She…
This Nanhai Guanyin (Guanyin of the South Sea) sits in her cave on Putuo island in the South China Sea with most of her traditional features. She is portrayed as White Hooded or Clad Guanyin with her hair in a bun covered with a short hood seated in royal ease (lalitsana) with her right hand…
This outstanding delicately antique carving is Nanhai Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, seated on a rocky outcrop covered with a cloth, a reference to her home in a cave on the island of Putuo in the South China Sea. Other than the Buddha, she is the most revered deity in Mahayana Buddhism and one of…
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