Seated Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

This gilt bronze statue of Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. Sitting in the posture of “royal ease” with the right hand resting on a bent right knee and the left leg hanging over the seat.

The image is dressed as an Indian prince in long and fluid garments with sashes, scarves, and jewels.

Bodhisattvas are a favorite subject in Buddhist art and are variably depicted, described, and portrayed in different cultures as either female or male. In Chinese Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara has become a somewhat different female figure Guanyin.

Guanyin is an East Asian bodhisattva commonly known as the “Goddess of Mercy” in English. The Chinese name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, meaning “[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World.”

The bodhisattva’s full Chinese name Guanshiyin, as translated from the Sanskrit by a Chinese monk in the mid 600’s.

Guanyin

Guanyin or Guan Yin is the most commonly used Chinese translation of the bodhisattva known as Avalokiteśvara. Guanyin refers to the Buddhist bodhisattva associated with compassion.

The name also applies to the bodhisattva as adopted by other Eastern religions such as Daoism, where she is revered as an immortal.

Guanyin is highly respected as the principle of compassion, mercy, and love. The act thought, and feeling of compassion and love is viewed as Guanyin.

A merciful, compassionate, loving individual is said to be Guanyin. A meditative or contemplative state of being at peace with oneself and others is seen as Guanyin.

Several large temples in East Asia are dedicated to Guanyin. Statues of Guanyin are a widely depicted subject of Asian art and found in the Asian art sections of most museums in the world.

The reference to Guanyin as the “Goddess of Mercy” stems from early Jesuit interpretations of the deity’s function.

Due to Guanyin’s interpretation as compassion, in East Asia, she is associated with vegetarianism.

Buddhist cuisine is generally decorated with her image, and she appears in most Buddhist vegetarian pamphlets and magazines.

Bodhisattva

In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is anyone who has generated an Enlightened and Compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Bodhisattvas are a popular subject in Buddhist art.