Guanyin

Bodhisattva of compassion, the East Asian goddess of mercy.

Domains

• compassion
• mercy

Powers

• Perceive all cries of the suffering
• Take any form to save beings
• Manifest a thousand arms and eyes

Epithets

• 觀世音 chinese · Guānshìyīn · sutraPerceiver of the World's Sounds (of suffering); bodhisattva of compassionLotus Sūtra (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka), ch. 25 (Universal Gate / 觀世音菩薩普門品) (primary)
• 觀自在 chinese · Guānzìzài · sutraThe Sovereign Beholder; Xuanzang's rendering of AvalokiteśvaraHeart Sūtra (般若波羅蜜多心經), Xuanzang's translation (primary)
• 大慈大悲 chinese · Dàcí Dàbēi · sutraOf Great Kindness and Great Compassion; standard liturgical epithetLotus Sūtra ch. 25; Chinese Buddhist devotional liturgy (primary)
• 南海觀音 chinese · Nánhǎi Guānyīn · cultGuanyin of the South Sea; the Putuoshan island cult formMount Putuo (普陀山) pilgrimage tradition; C. Yü, Kuan-yin (2001) (secondary)

Sources

• existence: Lotus Sutra (Miaofa Lianhua Jing), 406 CE (primary)