Depictions of Guanyin - Essay Example

Depictions of Guanyin If one takes a close look at the human civilization, one will be able to notice a considerable number of aspects that differ it from any other group that is formed by the living organisms. While some might put a great emphasis on several characteristic abilities of a human, such as generating verbal interaction or making tools for carrying out different kinds of activity, one would make no mistake suggesting that these are rather superficial differences. In reality, the rich spiritual world is what really reflects the uniqueness of a human being. That is why there is no wonder that different cultures have developed complex religious traditions that have heavily influenced their development. In addition to that, it is quite important to analyze a particular aspect of the above mentioned traditions as it contributes to a better understanding of the culture. This paper will focus on different depictions of Guanyin, analyzing each of them, paying significant attention to various objects that are attributed to this deity as well as understanding the concept that it stands for. To begin with one should note that it would not be absolutely correct to consider Guanyin to be a female deity. Thus, according to the Buddhist tradition she (here after Guanyin is referred to as she for convenience) represents a bodhisattva – a supernatural being that does not have any gender. Thus, it is thought that “[the] Lotus Sutra is clear in stating that Avalokitesvara [Indian name for Guanyin] may manifest himself as a woman (and so provides scriptural support for Depictions of Guanyin in female form)” (Idema 8). However, one would make no mistake pointing out that what the deity stands for, namely compassion as well as help to every living person, is strongly associated with an image of a woman. That is why the female form of depiction of this deity prevails. Another point that should be mentioned is that over centuries, the image of Guanyin has been reinforced with the tradition; that is why it would be rather suitable to compare this deity to Mary the Virgin in the Christian tradition. In spite of the fact that in many canonical versions Guanyin is depicted with more that two hands, the modern pictures like the one on the right often depict this deity holding a baby with two hands. If one takes a close look at it, one will make no mistake that the general tone is similar to Christian icons where Mary the Virgin holds little Jesus Christ. While it is quite obvious that one may not deny the influence of the Christian dogma on other religions of the world, the fact that the modern believers were able to accept it suggests that the concept Guanyin stands for is somewhat similar to the previously discussed one. Now, it would be rather suitable to turn to the analysis of the traditional depictions of the deity in question. The first one which should be mentioned is Guanyin with thousand hands. It is clear that the number of hands is symbolic. According to the legend this bodhisattva wanted to help every person in the Universe to understand the truth of the Buddhist teaching and avoid constant reincarnation. However, not being able to do it is simultaneously, she had her hands divided into numerous hands so that she could reach every person who needs her help. One would not make a mistake stating that the idea of a thousand was equal to infinity in the early civilizations, so this depiction of Guanyin might be understood as a bodhisattva with an infinite number of hands. The picture that is presented above clearly reflects a traditional depiction in this manifestation. Another traditional depiction of the deity in question is with eight hands. Once again the exaggerated number of hands may be easily understood from a symbolic point of view. Eight hands resemble the eight-spoked Dharmachakra which is one of the most fundamental symbols in Buddhism. Thus, the number eight is four that is multiplied by two. The concept of four coincides with the four corners of the Earth. That is why multiplication stands for all the physical space in the Universe. If one takes a detailed look at the depiction, one will be able to see that six of the hands show different directions and the two of them are depicted as of a normal person. It is clear that this manner suggests that Guanyin is ready to help not only a particular individual, but also all the other people. There is another canonical depiction of Guanying which shows her having eleven heads. The root of this manifestation may be found in the same legend about how she started to have a thousand of hands. Thus, Guanyin did not only try to help every person in the Universe, but also was constantly thinking about the pain that every living creature is experiencing. These thoughts were so difficult that her head fall into eleven pieces, but it later happened so that this led to the emergence of eleven heads which the help of which she was able to feel compassion towards every living creature. Similar to the previously mentioned numbers, a thousand and eight, eleven also possesses a certain symbolic value. Thus, there are eleven mental states that Buddhism recognizes. One can hardly make a mistake pointing out that the fact that head of Guanyin was divided into eleven heads reflects the Buddhist ideas of different mental factors and the desire of the bodhisattva in question help in each of these states. There is another traditional depiction of Guanyin. It is referred to as water moon. Thus, the posture that bodhisattva is depicted in is thought to represent the idea of Pure Land – the personal paradise an individual is able to achieve when one has developed one’s inner potential to its fullest. In spite of the fact that the posture in which the deity is depicted may seem a rather easy one at first sight, it has a considerable symbolic significance. In addition to that this particular manifestation shows some other important elements of the traditional image of this deity. The crown that is depicted has an image of Buddha, suggesting that the mind of this bodhisattva is focused on him. What is more important is that this manifestation features a necklace which represents the culture of the region. While considering the peculiarities of depiction of this deity, one should also take a close look at the way her image has evolved through ages. While the majority of the previously used pictures were created some time ago, there is a new tendency of depicting the deity in question in another way: wearing white robes. It is quite understandable that in this case the white color of the garments symbolizes the purity of her soul. What is more important is that the previous artists tried to depict the bodhisattva in question in traditional clothes of Buddhist clergy which might be considered to be the inertia of thinking of Guanyin as a male deity, the modern tradition depicts her in quite feminine garments which does not represent any particular kind of traditional clothes. It is clear that this reflects the shift in the attitude towards the bodhisattva in question: she has developed a certain image that allows her to convey a message of love and compassion. The picture above also presents some of the two most common attributes of Guanyin: the branch of willow and a vase that contains pure water. One would not make a mistake suggesting that these two objects are connected: with the help of the willow Guanyin is able to sprinkle the sacred water on to other people in order to share bliss with them and provide help. Indeed, this is particularly important as what this deity stands for is help and depiction of her with a willow branch and a vase with sacred water implies that the function that Guanyin performs most of all is spreading the grace onto people. Having examined all the evidence which was carefully presented in the paragraphs above, it is quite logical to come to the following conclusion: Guanyin is a peculiar deity that belongs to the Buddhist tradition. One of the most interesting points about it is that originally the deity did not have any gender; however, due to the development of the symbolic significant the believers started to perceive it in the female form. Moreover, they were able to find a support in the scripture for that. Considering the image of Guanyin, one should note that it is somewhat similar to Mary the Virgin. In addition to that, their similarity might be seen in some of the pictures, especially which were created in the modern age. There are many interesting aspects about the symbolic numbers which are involved in the depictions of Guanyin. Thus, it is portrayed with thousand hands (symbol of infinite reach), eight hands (foundation of the world) and eleven heads (reference to the number of mental states in the Buddhist tradition). Works cited Idema, W. L.. Personal salvation and filial piety two precious scroll narratives of Guanyin and her acolytes. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2008. Print. Read More