Saturday, April 17, 2010

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Origin of Kuan Yin


Kuan Yin, known as Miao Shin while on earth, had a real problem with her father. He insisted on forcing her to marry an older, wealthy man so that he (the father) could have everlasting security. Miao Shin had no interest in marrying this man or preparing for the wedding and spent all of her time praying and meditating. To punish her, Miao Shin's father sent her to a convent to spend her days in silence with nuns. Little did he know that Miao Shin had her greatest desire met, as spending her days in prayer and meditation, in silence, with others like her was more than she could ever ask. She lived there happily for many years.

When her father found out how happy she was he had her removed and taken into the forest to be slashed to death with the swords of her father's guards. Miao Shin was so beloved, even by the guards, this was a terrible thing to ask of even them. Being loyal to Miao Shin's father, they carried out the task. But right before the swords struck her, a fierce tiger snatched her up in his mouth and carried her off to a far away mountain cave. Miao Shin thinking that her fate was now worse than before, prepared herself for death, as she knew the tiger would certainly devour her. Just as she had this thought, the tiger vanished, leaving her alone in the mountain cave.

The next thing she knew, the cave literally dissolved and she was floating, just like a feather caught by the wind. When she landed she found herself in a dark place, much darker than the mountain cave the tiger had brought her to. Had she died? She wondered this because ghosts were swishing by on all sides of her. As she looked up, a man with fire shooting out of his head and eyes appeared. It was Yen Lo Wang, ruler of the dead. Why was she in his realm? She wondered.

As Miao Shin looked around she was saddened by the trapped souls who would never have the chance to reincarnate. Never would they be given the opportunity to settle their karma or seek enlightenment. It was at that moment that Miao Shin realized why she had come there. She was there to perform her miracles. Straightening up, standing tall, with a wise woman expression on her face Miao Shin confronted Yen Lo Wang.

She asked why he kept the souls there with him like he did and explained how important it is that they have the chance to be reborn again to Earth. How they needed and deserved the opportunity to work off the evil they had done in their former lives. She told him he had no right to keep these souls in his realm in misery, where they will never have a chance for salvation.

Kuan Yin is definitely a woman after my own heart. Standing in her power.

Well, of course this really ticked off Wang. Flames shot out of his head higher than before, yet Miao Shin stood before him glowing as only a saint can glow. Wang, for sure, did not want saints in his realm. Heaven forbid! (Pardon the pun.) And Miao Shin wasn't about to back down. She wanted answers!

Finally, when Yen Lo Wang was about to curse Miao Shin and raise his hand to her a strange peace came over him. He had never felt that before. He looked at Miao Shin standing there. Meditating. Calm. Her light shining so brightly that it was almost blinding. All of the souls were drawn to her light and came near to her.

Yen Lo Wang, seeing this, realized he had no power over such a holy woman and told her to leave and take the souls with her. Yen Lo Wang was no longer angry, he just wanted them all to leave him alone.

Miao Shin blessed each of the souls, one by one, and as she did, they drifted up and out of the deep, dark cave and slipped into new bodies as babies. Ready to live again and correct the mistakes they had made in previous lifetimes in order to balance their karma.

Before Miao Shin knew what hit her, she found herself standing before the Buddha and looking into his kind and happy face. "Miao Shin", he said. "You have attained enlightenment. You are very near to becoming a manifestation of all that is divine. But, your father wants to stop you. So you must hide. Go to the holy island of Polata. There you will find the silence you need to become perfectly holy." Ready for further enlightenment, Miao Shin went on her way. Miao Shin spent many years on the Holy Island of Polata and became even more holy than ever. To the point that she glowed from within. The absolute beauty of her soul shone right through her skin. On the island she became a bodhisattva (almost a Buddha) and possessed loving kindness and magical powers like no one had ever known before. Miao Shin helped as many people as she possibly could during this time.

She rescued drowning sailors, gave food to those who were starving and assisted all who had been wronged in some way. Miao Shin had the ability to see and hear all things in the world and could even feel the pain of homeless children and could hear the crying sobs of each one of them. Because she could fly, she flew to their side and helped each one.

Once Miao Shin was pure enough and strong enough to face her father, she went back home. She found her father dying and fearful of her brilliance. After assuring him she had come to heal and not hurt him she showed him the little place in his heart that still had a smidgen of love and told him about the path to enlightenment.

By saving her father in this way, after all the harm he had tried to do to her, Miao Shin became as holy as the Buddha and found herself beginning to disappear into the spiritual realms and out of the world. Forever. She was finally on her way to eternal light and peace, which was always her life's most intense desire. It was all she could do to resist.

"I do not wish it," she told the Universal Light. She explained how so many people were still unhappy and unenlightened and how, everywhere she looked, she saw starvation and suffering, wars and misery of all kinds. "Everyone is holy," she said. "But they do not yet know it." Miao Shin gave up Buddhahood so that she could help others. Her desire was to do good on behalf of the people of the Earth.

Immediately a prayer was heard from a child who had just been badly mistreated. "Kuan Yin Pu'sa," the little girl prayed. Meaning "O holy Kuan Yin." These words had never before been spoken out loud. The very instant Miao Shin made the decision to stay and help the people of the Earth, a new prayer formed in the minds of all those who lived on the Earth. The prayer was a petition to the newest Buddhist saint, a goddess like never before.

Miao Shin became Kuan Yin whose name means "she who listens to the sounds (cries and prayers) of the world". Kuan Yin has been worshipped ever since as a Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy.

Kuan Yin's vibrational imprint is still among us. Present with us to this day. Kuan Yin can still be summoned for help of any kind.

Say it out loud slowly and softly, "Kuan Yin." Simply saying her name is a magical act that brings hope to difficult situations and comfort to those who call on her.