Cultural Pieces (Post #3)

Guan Yin is very important to Chinese people. She is one of the most admired or praised, and therefore has many statues of her all over the place. There was also a book written about her origin and other aspects of her life. 

The statue to the left is one of many depicting what she looks like and representing what she does. The willow in her hand conveys that she is able to be 'bent' but never broken like a willow. She stands on a lotus to show the purity and hope she gives people.

Lastly, music has been made about her. They are usually songs that are relaxing or have a calming affect. Most people listen to it when meditating. 

Guanyin and Her Involvement With Rice (Post #2)

One day, Guanyin heard the cries of plea and mercy from some farmers nearby. She went to go investigate what had happened to cause them to cry out. When she arrived, the farmers told her that their rice fields were not growing and they desperately needed it for food to feed themselves and their families. Guanyin didn't need the farmers to tell her what was going on because the fields looked withered and lifeless. She told them that she'd try to help. Later on that evening, Guanyin came back to the rice fields and squeezed some milk out of her breasts onto the plots to give them some nourishment and help them grow. The next day, the farmers say that their fields looked better and healthier than ever before. They thanked Guanyin, and now flourishing rice fields contain the milk from Guanyin.

Guanyin (Post #1)

The goddess Guanyin derives from Chinese mythology and is the goddess of Mercy. Her name is also spelled different ways: Kwan Yin, Kuan Yin or Quan Yin. She has the ability to make the mercy of people fade away and give the person peace. There are different myths saying that Guanyin was once a man, and as time passed, he changed into a female version to accommodate to their powers. In the story of her creation, Guanyin has a few siblings (gender,ages, and how many were not given), a mother and a father who eventually became ill. Guanyin, in her Chinese form, is usually seen in a white dress and head piece. She's depicted as beautiful and can commonly be seen on a lotus. In her Bodhisattva form she has the appearance of a women with a thousand arms. Even though she is originally from Chinese mythology, Guanyin is common in Japan, Korea, Thailand, and other places.