GUANYIN, often called the goddess of mercy, is a bodhisattva or enlightened being who hears the sufferings of the world and reaches out in compassion.

Her name Guanshiyin (Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit) means "Observing the Cries of the World," and she is revered by both Buddhist and Taoists.

Some Buddhists believe that when a Buddhist departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western land of purity.

Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who live in this world, foregoing nirvana to help others and guide them to the pure land. Guanyin is one of them.

Tomorrow is one of her three holy days, her birthday as a mortal on the 19th day of the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The next holy day is for the birth of the monk or nun (Guanyin is sometimes depicted as male or genderless) who dedicated his or her life to Buddhism. The third day is the birth of Bodhisattva Guanyin, the immortal.

In China and in modern times, Guanyin is mostly depicted as female.

On each of her three holy days, Buddhist temples hold major observances, involving burning of incense, lighting candles, chanting, making offerings and prostrating in homage. Many believers will visit temples or at least burn incense and chant at home in front of a Guanyin statue.

Temple observances are held on the 18th and 19th days, which are filled with chanting, burning incense and lighting candles.

Believers also make the pilgrimage to Mount Putuo on an island in Zhejiang Province, one of the four Buddhist mountains in China. A 33-meter-tall statue of Guanyin stands overlooking the water.

Together with Manjusri, Samantabhadra and Ksitigarbha, Guanyin is one of the four great Bodhisattvas in Buddhism. Guanyin has a vast following in China where she is a figure of infinite wisdom and magical powers.

The image and story of Guanyin entered China from India around the Three-Kingdoms Period (220-280 AD). That early bodhisattva appeared to be a man, as depicted in the Dunhuang frescoes in Gansu Province and statues created before the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

In the "Lotus Sutra," Guanyin was said to be able to assume any gender, or no gender at all, to be a child, adult or other being to best convey the message of compassion and answer those who call out to her in their suffering.

But a female bodhisattva has been the settled image of Guanyin in China since the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). More people like the feminine, mother-like image, the protector of all human beings, the one who eases suffering.

The typical depiction is of a smiling, dignified woman in a white gown, sitting on a lotus flower and holding a small white vase containing pure water in her left hand and a willow branch in her right hand.

There are numerous stories and legends about Guanyin that contributed to 33 standard images of the bodhisattva that are worshipped. They include the Guanyin who answers prayers for childbearing, the fish-basket Guanyin, the dragon-head Guanyin, the scroll-holding and the Guanyin who lies in a lotus. Each stems from a legend of her mercy.

One legend suggests Guanyin was already a Buddha before Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, but returned as a bodhisattva to ease the pain of the world.

A very popular legend has it that cruel King Miaozhuang had three daughters named Miaoyin, Miaoyuan, and Miaoshan. The first two married as the King demanded, but Miaoshan refused to marry a rich man. She ran away and practiced Buddhism alone in the mountains. In some versions, the king ordered her convent burned, but she put out the fire with her hands. He then ordered her execution but the ax shattered and arrows failed to kill her. At least, to save the executioner from her father's wrath and to spare him karmic guilt, she allowed herself to be killed. She went to the underworld and made flowers bloom, but there she saw more suffering and returned to the world.

She went to Mount Putuo and prayed, protecting fishermen from storms. She is still sacred to fishermen today.

In another account, her father fell gravely ill and required a blood relative's hand and eye. Only Miaoshan offered her hand and eye. Her father begs her forgiveness. The Buddha grants her 1,000 eyes and 1,000 hands to see and help those in need. There are many statues of the Thousand-hand Guanyin.

Willow-branch Guanyin

Image: A lady in white sitting on a rock, holding a willow branch in her right hand and a small white vase in her left hand.

Legend: Guanyin decided to reform people who were selfish and greedy. She told them in dreams she would pass near them the next day and guide them. She turned herself into beggar and no one recognized Guanyin or stopped to help her and give her food.

The region was suffering from drought and Guanyin said sadly that the drought was a consequence of people's misdeeds. An old man heard what she said, suspected she was a boddhisattva and asked whether starvation could be averted if people performed good deeds.

Guanyin agreed that if people changed sincerely, then they would be granted mercy. It came to pass and Guanyin agreed to summon rain.

Then the bodhisattva appeared, holding a white jade vase containing water, and a willow branch. The people knelt before her and called her name. She dipped the willow in the water then waved it in the sky. A heavy rain began to fall.

Fish-basket Guanyin

Image: An ordinary woman holding a fish basket and riding on a giant fish with a dragon's head.

Legend: In the "Journey to the West," the Chinese classic novel, a carp monster in a river seized Monk Tang for his flesh - he was so holy that eating his flesh would give immortality. No one could defeat the monster so Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, seeks Guanyin's help. She arrived and threw a basket into the water, uttered a spell and captured the monster in the shape of a golden carp. The carp had actually lived in Guanyin's lotus pond and escaped to terrorize humans.

The monster had already killed many children and people flocked to the river to see that Guanyin had caught the monster in her basket. All knelt before her.