Editing Guanyin (section)

==Localization of Guanyin in East Asia==
[[File:Shrine to a statue of the Eleven-Headed Guanyin (十一面觀音 or 十一面观音; Shiyimian Guanyin) in the Drum Tower (鼓樓 or 鼓楼) of Qita Temple (七塔寺) in Yingzhou, Ningbo, China Picture 3.jpg|left|thumb|236x236px|Shrine to a statue of [[Ekādaśamukha]], or the Eleven Headed Guanyin (''Shíyīmiàn Guānyīn'') in the [[Drum tower (Chinese Buddhism)|Drum Tower]] of [[Qita Temple]] (七塔寺) in [[Zhejiang]], China.]]

===Manifestations of Guanyin===
The twenty-fifth chapter of the [[Lotus Sutra]], one of the most popular sacred texts in the Buddhist canon, describes thirty-three specific manifestations that Guanyin can assume to assist other beings seeking salvation. These forms encompass a [[Buddhahood|Buddha]], a [[pratyekabuddha]], an [[arhat]], [[Brahma|King Brahma]], [[Śakra (Buddhism)|Sakra]] ([[Indra]]), [[Ishvara|Isvara]],  [[Maheśvara (Buddhism)|Mahesvara]] ([[Shiva]]), a [[Teen Ta Tseang Keun|great heavenly general]], [[Vaiśravaṇa]], a [[Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|Cakravartin]], a minor king, an [[Elder (administrative title)|elder]], a [[Householder (Buddhism)|householder]], a chief minister, a [[Brahmin]], a [[bhikkhu]], a [[bhikkhunī]], a [[Upāsaka and Upāsikā|Upāsaka]], a [[Upāsaka and Upāsikā|Upāsikā]], a wife, a young boy, a young girl, a [[deva (Hinduism)|deva]], a [[nāga]], a [[yaksha]], a [[gandharva]], an [[asura]], a [[Garuda|garuḍa]], a [[kinnara]], a [[Mahoraga]], a human, a [[non-human]] and [[Vajrapani]].<ref>{{Cite book|author=Watson, Burton |title=The lotus sutra|date=1999|publisher=Sri Satguru Publications|isbn=81-7030-633-7|oclc=247391640}}</ref><ref name="Kieschnick 205">{{Cite journal|last1=Kieschnick|first1=John|last2=Yü|first2=Chün-fang|last3=Yu|first3=Chun-fang|date=June 2002|title=Kuan-yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokiteśvara |journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|volume=62|issue=1|pages=205|doi=10.2307/4126591|jstor=4126591|issn=0073-0548}}</ref> 
<gallery mode="nolines">
File:観音と居士 Avalokitasvara and Householder.jpg|[[Householder (Buddhism)|Householder]]
File:観音と夜叉 Avalokitasvara and Yaksa.jpg|[[Yaksha]]
File:観音と阿修羅 Avalokitasvara and Asura.jpg|[[Asura]]
File:観音と迦楼羅 Avalokitasvara and Garuda.jpg|[[Garuda|Garuḍa]]
</gallery>
The [[Śūraṅgama Sūtra]] also mentions thirty-two manifestations of Guanyin, which follow closely those in the [[Lotus Sutra]], with the omission of [[Vajrapani]], and the substitution of [[Vaiśravaṇa]] (Heavenly King of the North) with the [[Four Heavenly Kings]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Śūraṅgama sūtra : a new translation|date=2009|publisher=Buddhist Text Translation Society|isbn=978-0-88139-962-2|location=Ukiah, CA|oclc=300721049}}</ref><ref name="Kieschnick 205"/> These manifestations of Guanyin have been nativized in China and Japan to form a traditional list of iconographic forms corresponding to each manifestation.<ref name="Kieschnick 205"/>
[[File:隆兴寺千手观音 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Colossal bronze [[Song dynasty]] (960 - 1279) statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin (''Qiānshǒu'' ''Guānyīn'') located at the ''[[Guanyin Dian]]'' of [[Longxing Temple]] in [[Hebei]], [[China]].]]
Guanyin is also venerated in various other forms. In the Chinese [[Tiantai]] and [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism|Tangmi]] and the Japanese [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]] and [[Tendai]] traditions, Guanyin can take on six forms, each corresponding to a particular realm of samsara. This grouping originates from the ''[[Mohe Zhiguan]]'' ({{zh|c=摩訶止観|p=Móhē Zhǐguān}}) written by the [[Tiantai]] patriarch [[Zhiyi]] (538–597) and are attested to in various other textual sources, such as the Essential Record of The Efficacy of The Three Jewels ({{zh|c=三寶感應要略錄|p=Sānbǎo Gǎnyìng Yàolüèlù}}).<ref>{{Cite web|title=智者大师摩诃止观原文_摩诃止观全文在线阅读 - 无量光明佛教网|url=https://m.guang5.com/fojing/yuanwen/39259.html|access-date=2021-05-23|website=m.guang5.com|archive-date=23 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523142855/https://m.guang5.com/fojing/yuanwen/39259.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=NTI Reader|url=http://ntireader.org/taisho/t2084.html|access-date=2021-05-23|website=ntireader.org|archive-date=23 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523142851/http://ntireader.org/taisho/t2084.html|url-status=live}}</ref> They are:

# '''Guanyin as Great Mercy''' ({{zh|c=大慈觀音|p=Dàcí Guānyīn}}), also known as '''Noble Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=聖觀音|p=Shèng Guānyīn}}), who corresponds to the [[preta]] realm.
# '''Guanyin as Great Compassion''' ({{zh|c=大悲觀音|p=Dàbēi Guānyīn}}), also known as '''Thousand-Armed Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=千手觀音|p=Qiānshǒu Guānyīn}}), who corresponds to the [[Naraka (Buddhism)|hell]] realm.
# '''Guanyin of the Universally Shining Great Light''' ({{zh|c=大光普照觀音|p=Dàguāng Pǔzhào Guānyīn}}), also known as '''Eleven-Headed Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=十一面觀音|p=Shíyīmiàn Guānyīn}}), who corresponds to the [[asura]] realm.
# '''Guanyin as The Divine Hero''' ({{zh|c=天人丈夫觀音|p=Tiānrén Zhàngfū Guānyīn}}), also known as [[Cundi (Buddhism)|'''Cundī Guanyin''']] ({{zh|c=準提觀音|p=Zhǔntí Guānyīn}}), who corresponds to the [[human]] realm.
# '''Guanyin as Mahābrahmā the Profound''' ({{zh|c=大梵深遠觀音|p=Dàfàn Shēnyuǎn Guānyīn}}), also known as [[Cintāmaṇicakra|'''Cintāmaṇicakra Guanyin''']] ({{zh|c=如意輪觀音|p=Rúyìlún Guānyīn}}), who corresponds to the [[Deva (Hinduism)|deva]] realm.
# '''Fearless Lion-like Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=獅子無畏觀音|p=Shīzǐ Wúwèi Guānyīn}}), also known as [[Hayagriva (Buddhism)|'''Hayagriva Guanyin''']] ({{zh|c=馬頭觀音|p=Mǎtóu Guānyīn}}), who corresponds to the [[animal]] realm.

[[File:Quan Am 1656.jpg|thumb|left|This wooden statue of Quan Âm Nghìn Mắt Nghìn Tay (Quan Âm Bodhisattva with 1000 eyes and 1000 hands) was fashioned in 1656 in [[Bắc Ninh Province]], northern [[Vietnam]].  It is now located in the History Museum in [[Hanoi]].|333x333px]]
In [[China]], the Thousand-Armed manifestation of Guanyin is the most popular among her different esoteric forms.<ref name="Yü 2001">{{Cite book|last=Yü|first=Chün-fang |title=Kuan-yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokitesvara|date=2001|publisher=Columbia University Press|jstor=10.7312/yu--12028}}</ref> In the [[Karandavyuha Sutra]], the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin ({{zh|c=千手千眼觀音|p=Qiānshǒu Qiānyǎn Guānyīn}}) is described as being superior to all gods and buddhas of the Indian pantheon. The Sutra also states that "it is easier to count all the leaves of every tree of every forest and all the grains of sand in the universe than to count the blessings and power of Avalokiteshvara". This version of Guanyin with a thousand arms depicting the power of all gods also shows various buddhas in the crown depicting the wisdom of all buddhas. In temples and monasteries in [[China]], iconographic depictions of this manifestation of Guanyin is often combined with iconographic depiction of her Eleven-Headed manifestation to form statues with a thousand arms as well as eleven heads. The mantra associated with this manifestation, the [[Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī]], is one of the most popular mantras commonly recited in [[East Asian Buddhism]].<ref name="Yü 2001"/> 

In [[Chinese Buddhism]], the popularity of the mantra influenced the creation of an esoteric repentance ceremony known as the ''Ritual of Great Compassion Repentance'' ({{zh|c=大悲懺法會|p=Dàbēi Chànfǎ Huì}} during the [[Song dynasty]] (960–1279) by the Tiantai monk [[Siming Zhili]] ({{zh|c=四明知禮|p=Sìmíng Zhīlǐ}}), which is still regularly performed in modern Chinese Buddhist temples in [[Mainland China]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Taiwan]] and [[Overseas Chinese|overseas Chinese communities]].<ref name="Yü 2001" />
[[File:Guanyin - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Liao dynasty]] (916 - 1125) statue of [[Ekādaśamukha]], or the Eleven Headed Guanyin, in [[Dule Temple]], [[Tianjin]], [[China]]. ]]
One Chinese Buddhist legend from the ''Complete Tale of Guanyin and the Southern Seas'' ({{zh|c=南海觀音全撰|p=Nánhǎi Guānyīn Quánzhuàn}}) recounts how Guanyin almost emptied hell by reforming almost all of its denizens until sent out from there by the [[Diyu#Ten Courts of Yanluo|Ten Kings]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ziliaoku.jxwmw.cn/system/2009/03/31/010121489.shtml |script-title=zh:【明代小说】《南海观音菩萨出身修行传》第十三回 妙善魂游地府 |website=ziliaoku.jxwmw.cn |access-date=5 April 2023 |archive-date=21 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121153715/http://ziliaoku.jxwmw.cn/system/2009/03/31/010121489.shtml |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> Despite strenuous effort, she realised that there were still many unhappy beings yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. The buddha Amitābha, upon seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads to help her hear the cries of those who are suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokiteśvara attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitābha came to her aid and appointed her a thousand arms to let her reach out to those in need. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara skillfully upholds the [[dharma]], each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific versions give varying accounts of this number. In Japan, statues of this nature can be found at the [[Sanjūsangen-dō]] temple of Kyoto.

In both [[Chinese Buddhism]] and [[Buddhism in Japan|Japanese Buddhism]], Hayagriva Guanyin ({{lit|Horse Headed Guanyin}})<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2017|editor-last=Buswell|editor-first=Robert E.|editor2-last=Lopez|editor2-first=David S.|title=The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism |journal=Oxford Reference|doi=10.1093/acref/9780190681159.001.0001|isbn=9780691157863}}</ref> is venerated as a guardian protector of travel and transportation, especially for cars. His statue is placed at the entrance and exits of some Chinese Buddhist temples to bless visitors. In certain Chinese Buddhist temples, visitors are also allowed to have their license plates enshrined in front of an image of this deity to invoke his protection over their vehicle.<ref>{{Cite web|title=车神殿牌位认捐供奉-白塔寺|url=http://www.baitasi.net/zt/2015-05-19/2225.html|access-date=2021-05-10|website=www.baitasi.net|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419044204/http://www.baitasi.net/zt/2015-05-19/2225.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is also counted as one of the 500 [[Arhat]]s, where he is known as Mǎtóu Zūnzhě 馬頭尊者 ({{lit|The Venerable Horse Head}}). In [[Taoism]], Hayagriva Guanyin was syncretized and incorporated within the [[Chinese gods and immortals|Taoist pantheon]] as the god Mǎ Wáng 馬王 (lit. Horse King), who is associated with fire. In this form, he is usually portrayed with six arms and a third eye on the forehead.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Chinese and Tibetan esoteric Buddhism|date=2017|editor=Yael Bentor |editor2=Meir Shahar|isbn=978-90-04-34050-3|location=Leiden|oclc=967456890}}</ref>
[[File:寶殿 - Lingyin 2.jpg|left|thumb|291x291px|Statue of [[Cundi (Buddhism)|Cundī Guanyin]] (''Zhǔntí Guānyīn'') with 18 arms from the [[Mahavira Hall]] of [[Lingyin Temple]] in [[Hangzhou]], [[Zhejiang]], China.]]
Guanyin's [[Cundi (Buddhism)|Cundī]] manifestation is an esoteric form of Guanyin that is venerated widely in China and Japan. The first textual source of Cundī and the Cundī Dhāraṇī is the ''[[Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra]]'', a sūtra centered around the bodhisattva [[Avalokiteśvara]] that introduced the popular mantra ''[[Om mani padme hum|oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ]]''. This text is first dated to around the late 4th century CE to the early 5th century CE.<ref name="Alexander. 2002">{{Cite book|first=Alexander|last=Studholme|title=The origins of Oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ : a study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha sūtra|date=2002|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=0-7914-5390-1|oclc=1045959191}}</ref> Cundī and the Cundī Dhāraṇī are also featured in the [[Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra]], which was translated three times from Sanskrit into [[Chinese language|Chinese]] in the late 7th century and early 8th century by the Indian esoteric masters [[Divakara|Divākara]] (685 CE), [[Vajrabodhi]] (723 CE), and [[Amoghavajra]] (8th century).<ref name="Alexander. 2002"/> In iconographic form, she is depicted with eighteen arms, all wielding different implements and weaponry that symbolize skillful means of the Dharma, sitting on a [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus flower]]. This manifestation is also referred to as the "Mother of the Seventy Million [Buddhas]" ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 七俱胝佛母; [[pinyin]]: ''Qījùzhī fómǔ''). Her mantra, the Mahācundi Dhāraṇī ({{zh|c=準提神咒|p=Zhǔntí Shénzhòu}}), is one of the [[Mantra|Ten Small Mantras]] ({{zh|c=十小咒|p=Shí xiǎo zhòu}}), which are a collection of dharanis that are commonly recited in Chinese Buddhist temples during morning liturgical services specifically.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Ten Small Mantras|url=http://www.buddhamountain.ca/Ten_Small_Mantras.php|access-date=2021-05-10|website=www.buddhamountain.ca|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427110346/http://www.buddhamountain.ca/Ten_Small_Mantras.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=What is Ten Small Mantras|url=https://www.buddhismtoronto.com/mantra-3.1.php|access-date=2021-05-10|website=www.buddhismtoronto.com|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427110346/https://www.buddhismtoronto.com/mantra-3.1.php|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Cintamanicakra (Ruyilun Guanyin) - Jade Buddha Temple; Shanghai, China.jpg|thumb|Shrine to [[Cintāmaṇicakra|Cintāmaṇicakra Guanyin]] (''Rúyìlún Guānyīn'') in the Hall of Great Compassion in [[Jade Buddha Temple]]; [[Shanghai]], China.|293x293px]]
Guanyin's [[Cintāmaṇicakra]] manifestation is also widely venerated in China and Japan. In iconographic form, this manifestation is often portrayed as having six arms, with his first right hand touches the cheek in a pensive mudra, his second right hand holds a wish granting jewel (cintamani), his third right hand holds prayer beads, his first left hand holds Mount Meru, his second left hand holds a lotus flower and the third left hand holds a Dharma wheel (cakra).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-03-22|title=A Late Tang Dynasty Sculpture Bought at a Missouri Garage Sale for Less Than $100 Just Sold for $2.1 Million|url=https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-buddhist-sculpture-garage-sale-1495570|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Artnet News|language=en-US|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510234756/https://news.artnet.com/market/chinese-buddhist-sculpture-garage-sale-1495570|url-status=live}}</ref> Her mantra, the Cintāmaṇicakra Dharani ({{zh|c=如意寶輪王陀羅尼|p=Rúyì Bǎolún Wáng Tuóluóní}}), is also one of the [[Ten Small Mantras]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

In China, it is said that fishermen used to pray to her to ensure safe voyages. The titles ''Guanyin of the Southern Ocean'' ({{lang|zh|南海觀音}}) and "Guanyin (of/on) the Island" stem from this tradition.

[[File:Yuan porcelain buddha.JPG|thumb|upright|left|Chinese porcelain statue depicting Guanyin, [[Yuan dynasty]] (1271–1368 AD).]]

===Miaoshan===
Another story from the ''Precious Scroll of Fragrant Mountain'' ({{lang|zh|香山寶卷}}) describes an incarnation of Guanyin as the daughter of a cruel king [[Miaozhuang Wang]] who wanted her to marry a wealthy but uncaring man. The story is usually ascribed to the research of the Buddhist monk Jiang Zhiqi during the 11th century. The story is likely to have its origin in Taoism. When Jiang penned the work, he believed that the Guanyin we know today was actually a princess called Miaoshan ({{lang|zh|妙善}}), who had a religious following on Fragrant Mountain.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chinese Cultural Studies:The Legend of Miao-shan |url=http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/miao-sha.html |access-date=11 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113032056/http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/miao-sha.html |archive-date=13 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite this there are many variants of the story in [[Chinese mythology]].

According to the story, after the king asked his daughter Miaoshan to marry the wealthy man, she told him that she would obey his command, so long as the marriage eased three misfortunes.

The king asked his daughter what were the three misfortunes that the marriage should ease. Miaoshan explained that the first misfortune the marriage should ease was the suffering people endure as they age. The second misfortune it should ease was the suffering people endure when they fall ill. The third misfortune it should ease was the suffering caused by death. If the marriage could not ease any of the above, then she would rather retire to a life of religion forever.[[Image:Daienin Kannon.JPG|thumb|Kannon statue in Daien'i, [[Mount Kōya]], Japan.|260x260px]]

When her father asked who could ease all the above, Miaoshan pointed out that a doctor was able to do all of these. Her father grew angry as he wanted her to marry a person of power and wealth, not a healer. He forced her into hard labour and reduced her food and drink but this did not cause her to yield.

Every day she begged to be able to enter a temple and become a [[bhikkhuni|nun]] instead of marrying. Her father eventually allowed her to work in the temple, but asked the [[bhikkhu|monks]] to give her the toughest chores in order to discourage her. The monks forced Miaoshan to work all day and all night while others slept in order to finish her work. However, she was such a good person that the animals living around the temple began to help her with her chores. Her father, seeing this, became so frustrated that he attempted to burn down the temple. Miaoshan put out the fire with her bare hands and suffered no burns. Now struck with fear, her father ordered her to be put to death.

[[File:Gangaramaya Temple SL2.png|thumb|Guanyin statue at [[Seema Malaka]] in [[Colombo]], Sri Lanka.|left|257x257px]]In one version of this legend, when Guanyin was executed, a supernatural tiger took her to one of the more hell-like realms of the dead.  However, instead of being punished like the other spirits of the dead, Guanyin played music, and flowers blossomed around her. This completely surprised the hell guardian. The story says that Guanyin, by merely being in that [[Naraka (Buddhism)|Naraka]] (hell), turned it into a paradise.

A variant of the legend says that Miaoshan allowed herself to die at the hand of the executioner. According to this legend, as the executioner tried to carry out her father's orders, his axe shattered into a thousand pieces. He then tried a sword which likewise shattered. He tried to shoot Miaoshan down with arrows but they all veered off.[[File:Small shrine to Guanyin or Kannon. Ashikaga, Japan.jpg|thumb|Small shrine to Guanyin or [[Kannon]]. [[Ashikaga, Tochigi]], Japan.|279x279px]]

Finally in desperation he used his hands. Miaoshan, realising the fate that the executioner would meet at her father's hand should she fail to let herself die, forgave the executioner for attempting to kill her. It is said that she voluntarily took on the massive karmic guilt the executioner generated for killing her, thus leaving him guiltless. It is because of this that she descended into the Hell-like realms. While there, she witnessed first-hand the suffering and horrors that the beings there must endure, and was overwhelmed with grief. Filled with compassion, she released all the good karma she had accumulated through her many lifetimes, thus freeing many suffering souls back into Heaven and Earth. In the process, that Hell-like realm became a paradise. It is said that [[Yama (East Asia)|Yama]], the ruler of hell, sent her back to Earth to prevent the utter destruction of his realm, and that upon her return she appeared on Fragrant Mountain.

Another tale says that Miaoshan never died, but was in fact transported by a supernatural tiger,<ref>{{cite web |title=Legend of Miao Shan |url=http://www.purifymind.com/MiaoShan.htm |access-date=11 November 2014 |archive-date=5 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905223005/http://www.purifymind.com/MiaoShan.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> believed to be the Deity of the Mountain,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fivepeaks.org/english/canon/guanyin.htm |title=Biography of Great Compassionate Bodhisattva of Mount Xiang |access-date=5 April 2023 |quote=When Miao Shan appeared before the executioner, her time of death had finally arrived.  The mountain deity of Mount Long intervened at the precise moment when the sword blade was about to behead Miao Shan.  The deity knew Miao Shan was a Bodhisattva of Great Power[63] fated to be enlightened, save, and deliver all sentient beings.  He also knew the unjust King was wrong in wanting to behead her.  The mountain deity then used his divine powers to blacken the sky; let loose violent winds accompanied with thunderous lightning.  Simultaneously, he suddenly snatched Miao Shan away and placed her at the foot of the mountain.  The envoy no longer knew the location of Miao Shan, rushed to submit his update report to the King.  The royal father was again shocked and enraged.  He ordered five hundred soldiers to behead the nuns and set fire to their monastery.  The wife and the royal family all wept bitterly for Miao Shan, saying it was now too late to rescue her as she had already died. [This is in fact the earliest extant version of the Miaoshan Story] |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405180625/https://www.fivepeaks.org/english/canon/guanyin.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> to Fragrant Mountain.
[[File:普陀山.不肯去观音院 - panoramio.jpg|left|thumb|271x271px|Statue of Ekādaśamukha or the Eleven-Headed Guanyin (''Shíyīmiàn Guānyīn'') in {{ill|Bukenqu Guanyin Temple|zh|不肯去观音院|vertical-align=sup}} (不肯去觀音院) in [[Mount Putuo|Putuoshan]], [[Zhoushan]], [[Zhejiang|Zhejiang Province]], China.]]
The legend of Miaoshan usually ends with Miaozhuang Wang, Miaoshan's father, falling ill with [[jaundice]]. No physician was able to cure him. Then a monk appeared saying that the jaundice could be cured by making a medicine out of the arm and eye of one without anger. The monk further suggested that such a person could be found on Fragrant Mountain. When asked, Miaoshan willingly offered up her eyes and arms. Miaozhuang Wang was cured of his illness and went to the Fragrant Mountain to give thanks to the person. When he discovered that his own daughter had made the sacrifice, he begged for forgiveness. The story concludes with Miaoshan being transformed into the Thousand Armed Guanyin, and the king, queen and her two sisters building a temple on the mountain for her.  She began her journey to a [[pure land]] and was about to cross over into heaven when she heard a cry of suffering from the world below.  She turned around and saw the massive suffering endured by the people of the world. Filled with compassion, she returned to Earth, vowing never to leave till such time as all suffering has ended.

After her return to Earth, Guanyin was said to have stayed for a few years on the island of [[Mount Putuo]] where she practised meditation and helped the sailors and fishermen who got stranded. Guanyin is frequently worshipped as patron of sailors and fishermen due to this. She is said to frequently becalm the sea when boats are threatened with rocks.<ref>{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Charles Alfred Speed |title=Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |year=2006 |pages=234–235 |isbn=978-0-8048-3704-0}}</ref> After some decades Guanyin returned to Fragrant Mountain to continue her meditation.

===Guanyin and Shancai===
{{Main|Sudhana}}
[[File:An Altar of Guanyin Worship.jpg|300px|thumb|An Altar of Guanyin Worship.]]

Legend has it that Shancai (also called ''[[Sudhana]]'' in [[Sanskrit]]) was a disabled boy from India who was very interested in studying the [[dharma]]. When he heard that there was a Buddhist teacher on the rocky island of Putuo, he quickly journeyed there to learn. Upon arriving at the island, he managed to find Guanyin despite his severe disability.

Guanyin, after having a discussion with Shancai, decided to test the boy's resolve to fully study the Buddhist teachings. She conjured the illusion of three sword-wielding pirates running up the hill to attack her. Guanyin took off and dashed to the edge of a cliff, the three illusions still chasing her. Shancai, seeing that his teacher was in danger, hobbled uphill. Guanyin then jumped over the edge of the cliff, and soon after this the three bandits followed. Shancai, still wanting to save his teacher, managed to crawl his way over the cliff edge.

Shancai fell down the cliff but was halted in midair by Guanyin, who now asked him to walk. Shancai found that he could walk normally and that he was no longer crippled. When he looked into a pool of water he also discovered that he now had a very handsome face. From that day forth, Guanyin taught Shancai the entire dharma.[[File:Guan She Yin statue of Sanggar Agung Temple, Surabaya-Indonesia.jpg|thumb|196x196px|20-meter-high Guanyin Bodhisattva statue flanked by Nagakanya and Sudhana (top) Lower level shows 4 Heavenly Kings at [[Sanggar Agung]], [[Surabaya]], Indonesia.]]

===Guanyin and Longnü===
{{Main|Longnü}}Many years after Shancai became a disciple of Guanyin, a distressing event happened in the [[South China Sea]]. The third son of one of the [[Dragon King]]s was caught by a fisherman while swimming in the form of a fish. Being stuck on land, he was unable to transform back into his dragon form. His father, despite being a mighty Dragon King, was unable to do anything while his son was on land. Distressed, the son called out to all of Heaven and Earth.

[[Image:Guan Yin in white robe, by Mu-ch'i.jpg|thumb|left|14th-century [[Song dynasty]] painting of ''Baiyi Guanyin'' ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 白衣觀音, [[Sanskrit]]: ''Pāṇḍaravāsinī Avalokiteśvara'', lit: "White-Robed Guanyin") by the Chinese painter [[Muqi]]. |274x274px]]Hearing this cry, Guanyin quickly sent Shancai to recover the fish and gave him all the money she had. The fish at this point was about to be sold in the market. It was causing quite a stir as it was alive hours after being caught. This drew a much larger crowd than usual at the market. Many people decided that this prodigious situation meant that eating the fish would grant them immortality, and so all present wanted to buy the fish. Soon a bidding war started, and Shancai was easily outbid.

Shancai begged the fish seller to spare the life of the fish. The crowd, now angry at someone so daring, was about to pry him away from the fish when Guanyin projected her voice from far away, saying "A life should definitely belong to one who tries to save it, not one who tries to take it."

The crowd, realising their shameful actions and desire, dispersed. Shancai brought the fish back to Guanyin, who promptly returned it to the sea. There the fish transformed back to a dragon and returned home. Paintings of Guanyin today sometimes portray her holding a fish basket, which represents the aforementioned tale.

As a reward for Guanyin saving his son, the Dragon King sent his granddaughter, a girl called [[Longnü]] ("dragon girl"), to present Guanyin with the Pearl of Light. The Pearl of Light was a precious jewel owned by the Dragon King that constantly shone. Longnü, overwhelmed by the presence of Guanyin, asked to be her disciple so that she might study the dharma. Guanyin accepted her offer with just one request: that Longnü be the new owner of the Pearl of Light.

In popular iconography, Longnü and Shancai are often seen alongside Guanyin as two children. Longnü is seen either holding a bowl or an [[ingot]], which represents the Pearl of Light, whereas Shancai is seen with palms joined and knees slightly bent to show that he was once crippled.

===Guanyin and the Filial Parrot===
In a story first dating to the Ming dynasty, a parrot becomes a disciple of Guanyin. Set during the prosperous Tang dynasty, the story focuses on a family of white parrots who nest in a tree. One young parrot in the family is especially intelligent, and can recite sutras, chant the name of Amitābha, and in some versions is even able to compose poetry. One day, the father parrot is killed by hunters. When the mother parrot goes to see what happened, she is blinded by the hunters. When the intelligent young parrot goes to find cherries (sometimes specified as lychees) to feed its mother, it is captured by the same hunters. By the time it escapes, its mother has died. After it has mourned the death of its mother and provided her with a proper funeral, the [[Earth God]] suggests that the parrot worship Guanyin. Guanyin, moved by the filial piety of the parrot, allows its parents to be reborn in the Pure Land.<ref>{{harvnb|Yu|2001|pp=444–447}}</ref> This story was told in the ''Tale of the Filial Parrot'' ({{zh|c=鶯哥孝義傳|p=Yīnggē xiàoyì zhuàn}}) and then retold in the later ''Precious Scroll of the Parrot'' ({{zh|c=鸚哥寶卷|p=Yīnggē bǎojuàn}}).

In popular iconography, the parrot is coloured white and usually seen hovering to the right side of Guanyin with either a pearl or a prayer bead clasped in its beak.  The parrot became a symbol of [[filial piety in Buddhism|filial piety]].<ref name="parrot">{{cite book |title=Personal salvation and filial piety: two precious scroll narratives of Guanyin and her acolytes |author=[[Wilt L. Idema]] |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=2008 |isbn= 9780824832155 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nKimqfLnB1IC&q=Guan+Yin+Golden+youth+Jade+dragon |page=33}}</ref>

===Guanyin and Chen Jinggu===
Chen Jinggu is said to be related to Guanyin via the following story.<ref name=":4">{{Harvnb|Pregadio|2008|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=MioRmEq2xHUC&pg=PA682 682]}}</ref> One day in [[Quanzhou]], [[Fujian]], the people needed money to build a bridge. Guanyin turned into an attractive lady and said she would marry any man who could hit her with silver. Many tried, and Guanyin was able to accumulate a lot of silver ingots through this process. Eventually one of the [[Eight Immortals]], [[Lü Dongbin]], helped a merchant hit her hair with some silver.

* Guanyin's hair then floated away and became a white demon female snake. The snake would seduce men and kill other women.
* Guanyin then disappeared, but she let some of her blood from her finger flow down the river. A woman named Ge Furen (葛妇人 Lady Ge), whose husband was from the Chen family, then drank some of Guanyin's blood from the water and became pregnant, giving birth to Chen Jinggu. Later Chen Jinggu would fight and kill the white demon snake.
* As for the merchant, he later reincarnated as Liu Qi (劉杞) and would marry Chen Jinggu.<ref name=":4" />
The story continues with how Chen Jinggu grew up, studied at Lüshan, and eventually saved Northern Fujian from drought while defeating the white demon snake, but at the cost of sacrificing her own child. It is said that she died of either [[miscarriage]] or [[hemorrhage]] from the self-abortion.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Clark, Hugh R. 2016. pp. 97-98">Clark, Hugh R. ''The Sinitic encounter in Southeast China through the first millennium CE''. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press. 2016. pp. 97-98. {{ISBN|978-0-8248-5160-6}}</ref><ref name="books.google.com">''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Oeg7DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Journey+of+a+Goddess%22+gan+bao&pg=PA31 Journey of a Goddess: Chen Jinggu Subdues the Snake Demon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412013154/https://books.google.com/books?id=Oeg7DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Journey+of+a+Goddess%22+gan+bao&pg=PA31 |date=12 April 2023 }}''. Translated, edited, and with an introduction by Fan Pen Li Chen. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 2017. pp. 30-31. {{ISBN|978-14384-6-7078}}</ref>

Parallels have also been argued between the tale of [[Chen Jinggu]] and another Fujian legend, the tale of ''[[Li Ji slays the Giant Serpent]]''.<ref name="Clark, Hugh R. 2016. pp. 97-98"/><ref name="books.google.com"/>

===Quan Âm Thị Kính===
''Quan Âm Thị Kính'' ({{lang|vi-hani|觀音氏敬}}) is a Vietnamese verse recounting the life of a woman, Thị Kính. She was accused falsely of having intended to kill her husband, and when she disguised herself as a man to lead a religious life in a Buddhist temple, she was again falsely blamed for having committed sexual intercourse with a girl named Thị Mầu. She was accused of impregnating her, which was strictly forbidden by Buddhist law. However, thanks to her endurance of all indignities and her spirit of self-sacrifice, she could enter into Nirvana and became Goddess of Mercy (Phật Bà Quan Âm).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truyenviet.com/component/content/article/133-co-tich-viet-nam/9205-quan-am-thi-kinh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326164544/http://www.truyenviet.com/component/content/article/133-co-tich-viet-nam/9205-quan-am-thi-kinh|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 March 2014|title=Truyện Việt|date=26 March 2014}}</ref> [[P. Q. Phan]]'s 2014 [[opera]] ''{{ill|The Tale of Lady Thị Kính|de}}'' is based on this story.<ref>[http://music.indiana.edu/events/program.php?eid=57594 ''The Tale of Lady Thị Kính''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304154218/http://music.indiana.edu/events/program.php?eid=57594 |date=4 March 2015 }}, program booklet, February 2014</ref>
=== Other manifestations of Guanyin ===
[[File:Quan Âm Diệu Thiện.jpg|thumb|281x281px|Quan Âm Tống Tử ([[Chữ Hán]]: 觀音送子, Statue of the Child-giving Quan Âm) in [[Tây Phương Temple]]  in [[Thạch Thất]], [[Hanoi]], Vietnam.]]In China, various native indigenous forms and aspects of Guanyin have been developed, along with associated legends, and portrayed in religious iconography. Aside from religious veneration, many of these manifestations also tended to appear in medieval and modern Chinese Buddhist miracle tales, fantasy fiction novels and plays.<ref name=":0"/> Some local forms include:

*'''Shuiyue Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=水月觀音|p=Shuǐyuè Guānyīn}}) – '''"Water-Moon Guanyin"'''. A traditionally masculine form of Guanyin who is closely linked to and sometimes regarded as a further manifestation of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin. Traditionally invoked for good rebirth, safe childbirth as well as enlightenment, he is usually portrayed in statues and paintings as a young man or woman in a relaxed [[lalitasana]] pose beside a pond or lake with the moon reflected in the water, with the moon in the water being a metaphor for the Buddhist tenet of [[Śūnyatā]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Yü|first=Chün-fang|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/yu--12028|title=Kuan-yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokitesvara|date=2001|publisher=Columbia University Press|jstor=10.7312/yu--12028|access-date=11 May 2021|archive-date=11 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511025808/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/yu--12028|url-status=live}}</ref>
*'''Songzi Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=送子觀音|p=Sòngzi Guānyīn}}) – '''"Child-giving Guanyin"'''. An aspect of Guanyin which is closely linked to another manifestation, Baiyi Guanyin. She is primarily venerated as a fertility goddess and frequently invoked in prayers for children; usually portrayed in statues and paintings as a reclining white-robed young woman with a child sitting on her lap. Iconographic forms of this manifestation were noted by European travelers during the [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing dynasties]] to bear a striking resemblance to depictions of the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] as the [[Madonna (art)|Madonna with Child]].<ref name=":0"/><ref name="Chuu 2001">{{Cite thesis|title=The cult of Guanyin who brings sons in China|url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0090103|publisher=University of British Columbia|date=2001|doi=10.14288/1.0090103|first=Ling-in Lilian|last=Chuu|access-date=17 May 2021|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517094926/https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0090103|url-status=live}}</ref> This manifestation is also syncretized into [[Taoism]] and [[Chinese folk religion]] as [[Songzi Niangniang]].<ref name="Chuu 2001"/>
*'''Baiyi Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=白衣觀音|p=Báiyī Guānyīn}}) – '''"White Robed Guanyin"'''. A traditionally feminine form of Guanyin who is closely linked to another manifestation, Songzi Guanyin. Like that manifestation, Baiyi Guanyin is usually venerated as a fertility goddess and invoked in prayers for children. She is usually portrayed in statues and painting as a young woman dressed in a white robe which sometimes covers the head, acting as a veil. The significance of the color white in this manifestation was influenced by tantric sutras as well as mandalas such as the [[Mandala of the Two Realms]] which frequently depict Guanyin as being clad in white.<ref name=":0" />
*'''Yulan Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=魚籃觀音|p=Yúlán Guānyīn}}) – '''"Fish Basket Guanyin"'''. A form of Guanyin that originates from a legend about Guanyin descending as an avatar in the form of a beautiful young fisherwoman in order to convert a town of vicious, evil men into Buddhists. Usually portrayed in statues and paintings as a young woman holding a fish-basket,<ref name=":0"/> this manifestation also appears in the popular [[Ming dynasty]] novel [[Journey to the West|Journey To The West]], one of the [[Classic Chinese Novels|Four Classic Chinese Novels]], where she uses the fish basket to capture a sea demon.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wu|first=Cheng'en, approximatelyapproximately 1582|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/774147887|title=The journey to the West|date=2012|others=Anthony C. Yu|isbn=978-0-226-97131-5|edition=Revised|location=Chicago|oclc=774147887}}</ref>
* '''Nanhai Guanyin''' ({{zh|c=南海觀音|p=Nánhǎi Guānyīn}}) – '''"Guanyin Of The Southern Seas"'''. A form of Guanyin that became popularized after the establishment of [[Mount Putuo]] as Guanyin's [[bodhimaṇḍa]] and a major Chinese Buddhist pilgrimage center. Usually portrayed in statues and paintings as a young woman in a relaxed [https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/rajalilasana rājalīlā] pose meditating on [[Mount Putuo]], or [[Mount Potalaka|Potalaka]]. Certain iconographic details vary from depiction to depiction, with some including a stand of bamboo before the bodhisattva, or a vase with willow branches, or [[Sudhana|Shancai]] and [[Longnü]] standing beside her as attendants.<ref name=":0"/>

[[File:Kwan Im statue Pematangsiantar.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Guanyin statue as pose of The Guanyin of the Southern Seas in [[Avalokitesvara]] Buddhist temple at [[Pematangsiantar]], [[North Sumatra]], Indonesia.]]
Similarly in Japan, several local manifestations of Guanyin, known there primarily as Kannon or, reflecting an older pronunciation, Kwannon, have also been developed natively, supplanting some Japanese deities, with some having been developed as late as the 20th century.  Some local forms include:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml|title=KANNON BODHISATTVA|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=17 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117234223/http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

* Bokefuji Kannon – "Senility-healing Kannon". A 20th century invention by a religious goods manufacturer due to rising concern about senility and dementia. Depicted as a woman with small figures of an elderly man and woman at her feet.
* Jibo Kannon – "Compassionate-mother Kannon". Kannon as a woman holding an infant. Became especially popular in Japan when suppressed Christians used the image to represent the Virgin Mary and Christ Child.
* Koyasu Kannon – "Safe-childbirth Kannon". Kannon as a woman, holding or often nursing an infant. Predates Jibo Kannon by several centuries. Similarly used by Christians.
* Mizuko Kuyō Kannon – "New-born Memorial-service Kannon". (Mizuko Kuyō is a memorial service held for children who are born dead or die shortly after birth.) A woman surrounded by or holding several children. A 20th century development in response to aborted pregnancies as well as stillbirths and spontaneous pregnancy terminations.
* Maria Kannon – "Mary Kannon". A statue of the Virgin Mary disguised to look like a statue of Kannon. Often contains a Christian symbol, either obscured on the surface or hidden within the statue. Arose during a time when Christianity was proscribed during the Tokugawa shogunate.
* Yōkihi Kannon – "Yang Guifei Kannon" ([[Yang Guifei]] is read as "Yōkihi" in Japan). [[Yang Guifei]] was a famed Chinese [[Tang dynasty]] era beauty. Despite being depicted as an epitome of feminine beauty Yōkihi Kannon usually sport a moustache designed to desexualise the icon and demonstrate how the capacity for enlightenment does not depend upon a person's sex.
In Tibet, Guanyin is revered under the name Chenrezig. Unlike much of other East Asia Buddhism where Guanyin is usually portrayed as female or androgynous, Chenrezig is revered in male form. While similarities of the female form of Guanyin with the female buddha or boddhisattva [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tara]] are noted—particularly the aspect of Tara called Green Tara—Guanyin is rarely identified with Tara.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/A%20-%20Tibetan%20Buddhism/Subjects/Tantra/Practices-%20%28Sadhanas%20and%20commentaries%29/Tara/Kuan%20Yin%20and%20Tara/KUAN%20YIN%20%26%20TARA.htm|title=Buddhist Library - Kuan Yin and Tara|website=A Buddhist Library|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=24 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124020926/http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/A%20-%20Tibetan%20Buddhism/Subjects/Tantra/Practices-%20%28Sadhanas%20and%20commentaries%29/Tara/Kuan%20Yin%20and%20Tara/KUAN%20YIN%20%26%20TARA.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://buddhaweekly.com/guan-yin-ten-great-protections-goddess-mercy-avalokiteshvara-bodhisattva-compassion/|title=Guan Yin and the ten great protections of the Goddess of Mercy|website=Buddha Weekly|date=December 2018|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401213445/https://buddhaweekly.com/guan-yin-ten-great-protections-goddess-mercy-avalokiteshvara-bodhisattva-compassion/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Through Guanyin's identity as Avalokitesvara, she is a part of the ''padmakula'' (Lotus family) of buddhas. The buddha of the Lotus family is Amitābha, whose consort is Pāṇḍaravāsinī. Guanyin's female form is sometimes said to have been inspired by Pāṇḍaravāsinī.