The Guanyin : The Bodhisattva Of Compassion

The Jataka tales are an integral part of Buddhist literature as they illustrate the “great deeds, in past lives of the being that was to become the Buddha Gautama.” (Harvey 99)In such tales, the Bodhisattva character “…does some inspiring deed of generosity, kindness or wisdom… identified with the Buddha or his key disciples…” (99) In the story of the Hungry Tigress, a human, brahmin Bodhisattva stumbles across a starving tigress with her cubs while out meditating in nearby caves. Shocked and saddened upon seeing the dying creature; attempting to eat her own kin, the Bodhisattva deliberates how he can save this beautiful creature. He decides in a moment of passion and emptiness to hurl himself off the mountainside to where the tigress is so she can be saved by eating his body. His disciples become aware of this awe-inspiring act and are moved by the loving and kindness of this Bodhisattva. Interestingly, when analyzing the Jataka tale of the Hungry Tigress, one can point to parallels between the Bodhisattva protagonist to the practice and teachings of the Arahat of the Theravada school, the Bodhisattva of the Mahayana school and the follower of the quicker path to Buddhahood of the Vajrayana school. However, the self-sacrificial actions of the bodhisattva at the end of the tale is analogous to the Guru of the school of Vajrayana, leading one to believe that this story best follows the thunderbolt vehicle of Vajrayana.

These words seem to spur something in Siddhartha, and though he’s said that no one can teach or give Nirvana, he does this for Govinda. It shows a drastic change in character.

Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattvas were people who taught the teachings of Buddhism to others in order to attain nirvana. They would meditate and guide other people through prayer and example.

This paper is a book report on “Living Buddha, Living Christ,” written by, Thich Nhat Hanh. In this paper I will discuss the four themes; Mindfulness, Understanding, Interbeing, and Wisdom. I will define the themes, and explain how each theme listed is a part of my life and whether this theme, can be co-related along with my faith.

In Larissa Macfarquhar’s book, Strangers Drowning, she provides character studies of various real-life extreme do-gooders and of some could be considered moral saints. One of them is a Buddhist monk, Nemoto, who dedicates his life to a cause of helping people who want to commit suicide. He is a moral saint in the sense that he draws no barrier for when this work ends and begins. He works tirelessly by taking on the suffering of these individuals he is trying to help, taking calls any hour of the day or night, and helping anyone who wants it. He learns a very important aspect that actually changes the empathy he feels into a separation of himself an the other. In order for him to help, and truly help, he needed to stop empathizing so much and start sympathizing with emotional distance from the other. This is a similar concept in the Bodhisattva method because while empathy breaks a barrier between ‘self’ and an ‘other’, it makes working for their benefit nearly impossible. The

Representations of the bodhisattva in China prior to the Song dynasty were masculine in appearance. Guanyin's image is depicted as a young man dressed in Northern Song Buddhist robes sitting gracefully. He is depicted looking or glancing down, symbolizing that Guanyin continues to watch over the world.8 This Guanyin sculpture was made around Late Song dynasty, the appearance of the bodhisattva showing the slender build, feminine curved face, even though the Guanyin is still portrayed as a male figure, it shows some transition between male and female characteristics.

The words of the Lotus Sutra can be found chanted in Buddhist temples like Muddy Water. The text takes into account the bodhisattva, meaning future Buddha. Those who follow Mahayana believe that the bodhisattva is encouraged to be interdependent and should not imagine ending their careers until all beings are enlightened (Esposito, Fasching, & Lewis, 2015).

In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh provides a citation from the Buddha, which gives insight into the cure of our distress. “I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering” (Thich Nhat

The fourteenth Dalai Lama, also known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is one of the most significant religious leaders in the world and is also exceptionally important to Buddhism. He has been especially influential with regards to reinterpreting traditional Buddhist teachings so they are relevant in a more contemporary context and using them to deal with issues that have arisen and effect the Buddhist people.

These 2 statues depict the Buddhist deity whose name is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. The other names for this deity is Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the goddess of mercy. This deity is worshipped by all schools of Buddhism, but is mostly associated with Mahayana Buddhism, which is a school of Buddhism which states that anyone can become a Buddha with practice. The purpose of Bodhisattvas is to guide those seeking to

Kamma or karma as it is commonly referred to, has a complex system of cause and effect that makes up the law. All humans experience karma, that is the process of acting with intention, throughout their lives (Jeffreys, 2/18). The result of their intent filled actions, vipaka, is either immediate or it accumulates and transmigrates across lifetimes. Though this may seem simple, the process is a very complex law. Maurice Walshe, the main editor of The Long Discourses of the Buddha helps explain the law of kamma in the “Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta: The Lion’s Roar on the Turning of the Wheel.” This paper will explore the law of kamma in terms of cause and effect as well as differing viewpoints on the law's existence.

In Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, the four Noble Truths of Buddhism are revealed throughout the journey of Siddhartha. The Four Noble Truths include: Life means suffering, the origin of suffering is attachment, the cessation of suffering is attainable, and the path to the cessation of suffering. Siddhartha discovers that in order to reach enlightenment, one must have experiences and struggle through these Noble Truths firsthand.

Kwan Yin reflects the Mahayana Buddhist concept of bodhisattva, a being of pure compassion. “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 “Buddha to be”, and it is only when all

“An advanced Bodhisattva who has experienced Nirvana does not rest content with [Samsara]. He turns again to samsara in the service of others… He does this by sending forth a seemingly physical ‘mind-made body’ in which he tunes into and perceives the apparent ‘world’ of those he is seeking to aid.”(Harvey, 113)

Buddhist teachings consist of teaching others how to end suffering in their own lives. Buddha teaches that if you follow an eightfold path, then you are moving toward reaching nirvana. This is the end of all suffering and the goal of all Buddhists.