© Loyang Tua Pek Kong All Right Reserved 2014
Goddess of Mercy
观世音菩萨，观世音是鸠摩罗什的旧译，玄奘新译为观自在，中国每略称为观音。观世
音菩萨是佛教中慈悲和智慧的象征，无论在大乘佛教还是在民间信仰，都具有极其重要
的地位。以观世音菩萨为主导的大慈悲精神，被视为大乘佛教的根本。佛经上说，观世
音是过去的正法明如来所现化，他在无量国土中，以菩萨之身到处寻声救苦。观世音与
阿弥陀佛有着特殊的关系。他是西方三圣中的一尊，也是一生补处的法身大士，是继承
阿弥陀佛位的菩萨，而且还有说观世音就是阿弥陀佛的化身。
观世音菩萨具有平等无私的广大悲愿，当众生遇到任何的困难和苦痛， 如能至诚称念观
世音菩萨，就会得到菩萨的救护。而且，观世音菩萨最能适应众生的要求，对不同的众
生，便现化不同的身相，说不同的法门。在佛教的众多菩萨中，观世音菩萨也最为民间
所熟知和信仰。
One
Buddhist
legend
from
the
Complete
Tale
of
Guanyin
and
the
Southern
Seas
presents
Guanyin
as
vowing
to
never
rest
until
she
had
freed
all
sentient
beings
from
samsāra
or
cycle
of
rebirth.
Despite
strenuous
effort,
she
realized
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.
In
Chinese
culture,
the
popular
belief
and
worship
of
Guanyin
as
a
goddess
by
the
populace
is
generally
not
viewed
to
be
in
conflict
with
the
bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara's
nature.
In
fact
the
widespread
worship
of
Guanyin
as
a
"Goddess
of
Mercy
and
Compassion"
is
seen
by
Buddhists
as
the
boundless
salvific
nature
of
bodhisattva
Avalokiteśvara
at
work
(in
Buddhism,
this
is
referred
to
as
Guanyin's
"skillful
means",
or
upaya).
The
Buddhist
canon
states
that
bodhisattvas
can
assume
whatsoever
gender
and
form
is
needed
to
liberate
beings
from
ignorance
and
dukkha.
With
specific
reference
to
Avalokitesvara,
he
is
stated
both
in
the
Lotus
Sutra
,
and
the
Śūrangama
Sūtra
to
have
appeared
before
as
a
woman
or
a
goddess
to
save
beings
from
suffering
and
ignorance.
Some
Buddhist
schools
refer
to
Guanyin both as male and female interchangeably.
香、蜡烛、鲜花、水果、清茶、素食及莲花灯
