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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Thiên Thủ Quan Âm (Thousand Hand Guan Yin)


Guanyin or Kwanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.

~ China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe, "Thousand-hand Guan Yin" Guan Yin is a Chinese goddess.Feeling music through speakers and guided by hand gestures, a troupe of deaf dancers in Beijing take steps to champion the rights of disabled people across the world ~

" Being deaf and mute, these disabled female performers endure pain and suffering in vigorous training, simply to deliver a message of love to mankind. "
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Guanyin or Kwanyin (aka), the Goddess of Mercy also known by Westerners as the Chinese Goddess of love and compassion has long occupied a unique place not only in Buddhism, but also in Chinese culture. The Chinese word "Guanyin is an abbreviation of "Guan shi yin" which denotes" seeing the voice of the world if rendered literally. Such a deity can be called as the deity who looks in every direction or the "Regarder of the cries of suffering beings".

According to legend, Guanyin, the youngest daughter of a king, defied her father when he sought a husband for her. The angry king sent her away to a monastery with instructions that she should be compelled to obey. This only strengthened her resolve. So the king set fire to the monastery and ordered her execution when she was caught sitting erect reciting sutras. As she was about to be beheaded, the sword broke into two and a tiger from nowhere carried her away to a forest.

One day from afar she saw the king was sick and not responding to treatment, so she severed her arms and eyes to sacrifice them for him. The grieved king besought heaven and earth to make his daughter whole again. Soon, Guanyin had arms and eyes by the thousand, and bowing before her father, she urged him to practise good deeds to which the king readily agreed.

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