The Goddess of Compassion

The first time I went for a silent meditation retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts, I discovered a beautiful old statue of a goddess just outside the meditation hall (see her below in the royal ease pose). Curious, I learned she was Guan Yin, the Buddhist archetype of compassion, mercy and kindness. Universally recognized as the Goddess of Compassion, she is the Eastern equivalent of the Divine Feminine, sharing deep resonance with the Christian archetype of the Divine Feminine, the Virgin Mary.*

Her name, Guan Yin (also spelled Kuan Yin), means “The one who hears the cries of the world”.  Legend says that after achieving enlightenment, while standing before the gates of Nirvana she heard a cry of anguish from the earth below and turned back to earth to offer solace, guidance and protection to those in need, renouncing her opportunity for eternal bliss. Guan Yin reminds us to have compassion and kindness for others and for ourselves, especially in troubling, transformative times.

Guan Yin is typically portrayed as a graceful, serene woman dressed in flowing white robes that symbolize her pure and peaceful heart and the motherly nature of her form.  When you see statues and images of Guan Yin, she is accompanied by various attributes that symbolize her divine qualities and powers:

• Lotus Flower: Represents spiritual purity, enlightenment, and divinity. 
  
• Water Vase: Contains the "divine nectar of compassion". It symbolizes her ability to purify and heal the soul, and to relieve the suffering of all beings. 
  
• Willow Branch: Used to sprinkle the healing nectar. The willow symbolizes flexibility—the ability to bend with life's hardships without breaking. 
  
• Mala Beads: Often draped around her neck or held in her hand, these beads represent all living beings. 
  
• Peacock: Representing omnipresent protection and the transformation of suffering. 
  
• Thousand eyes and arms: She is sometimes represented this way to symbolize that she can see and reach out in all directions to those who suffer.

Interestingly, the idea of Guan Yin was originally imported from India to China in the 1st century as the male bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara who evolved into a female figure around the 12th century.  Because of this fluid history, male to female, Guan Yin is sometimes portrayed as an androgynous form, symbolizing the idea that true compassion transcends gender.

By the way, I found the goddess of compassion again when I visited Bhutan. There, she is still called Avalokiteśvara and she is present in every Buddhist temple, represented in various ways, as part of their daily practice to cultivate compassion. We could learn a thing or two from the Bhutanese about living a life based on compassion.

This week, I invite you to call on divine help and inspiration, as you continue cultivating compassion, by invoking beautiful Guan Yin.  Here are three simple but respectful ways you can do that.

1. Keep a small statue or an image of Guan Yinwhere you can see it everyday (for example on your meditation altar).  Light a candle, burn some incense, place flowers or a vase of water as an act of reverence. She will remind you of the power and importance of living with compassion. 

2. Invoke Guan Yin with a simple ritual. Chant the beautiful and powerful Sanskrit mantra of compassion — OM MANI PADME HUM (pronounced OM-MAH-NEE-PAD-MAY-HUM).  Try crossing your hands over your heart and chanting it three times.  Or if you wish, it is traditional to chant the mantra 108 times, using a mala to keep track. I’ve written about The Mantra of Compassion and Love, learn more HERE.

3. Invite Guan Yin into your heart when you need some divine support to cultivate compassion for others and also for yourself.  Try this: “Guan Yin, help me remember the tenderness in my own heart. Guide me to speak, act, and live with greater compassion and kindness.”  

And most importantly, you can live her values of compassion everyday. Move through the world with with open eyes and a soft heart, with more awareness of the suffering of others and a genuine willingness to meet that suffering with a kind, skillful presence. Help relieve that suffering through the actions and gestures that feel authentic and possible in the moment.  In this way, we can live the simple truth that none of us are separate.

*NOTE: Compassion is woven into the heart of all spiritual traditions. If there is an archetype of compassion in your own tradition or another that speaks to your heart more than Guan Yin, please do call upon them for inspiration and guidance as you cultivate compassion. I think we can use all the divine help we can get!