Kwan Win Buddhist Bodhisattva Essays - 880 Words

Kwan Win: Buddhist Bodhisattva Compassion and Peace as a Spiritual Guide The path to spiritual freedom is sought by many people in this world. Relief from suffering is sought by many more. In these times, in all times past, and probably in times to come, the need for a spiritual guide is apparent. Kwan Yin (Guan Shih Yin in China, Kannon in Japan) is a Buddhist goddess of compassion who provides this guidance and direction for countless people. Kwan Yin reflects the Mahayana Buddhist concept of bodhisattva, a being of pure compassion. â€Å"A ‘bodhisattva’ is a person who delays his or her full enlightenment in order to aid in the liberation of all beings.† Bodhisattva literally translates to â€Å"Buddha to be†, and it is only when all†¦show more content†¦The person was Miao Shan, but the king did not know. When she heard of her father’s sickness, â€Å"she smiled upon the messenger, gouged out her eyes and cut off both arms.† After being cured, the king and queen went to thank the donor, and were horrified to find out it was Miao Shan. The king begged her forgiveness, and with that â€Å"Miao Shan rose into the air and assumed the form of the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guan Shih Yin.† The above is a traditional story that has been told over and over for hundreds of years. The transformation into a bodhisattva of compassion is clear, and one can see the absolute selflessness of Kwan Yin through it. The Pledge of Kwan Yin exemplifies both the Mahayana ideal of a bodhisattva, and Kwan Yin’s own devotion to being a Goddess of Compassion: â€Å"Never will I seek nor receive private, individual salvation; never will I enter into final peace alone; but forever and everywhere will I live and strive for the redemption of every creature throughout the world from the bonds of conditioned existence.† People all over the world experience suffering in all forms. Because of this suffering, and because of the lack of knowledge about what is to come, many people feel the need for guidance in this life. That one religion could be a better path of spiritual guidance than another