The Buddha preached the Kanzeon Chapter 観世音菩蓮普門品 {kanzeon-bosatsu-fumon-hon} in response to a question posed by Akshayamati 無盡意 [mujini} or Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intention. At the end of the Chapter, Kuan Yin declines an offering of a necklace. After being asked to accept it, out of compassion, she does so. She then gives half of the necklace to Shakyamuni and half to Many Jewels. This symbolic imagery must be telling us something. Does it mean one should not offer prayers to Kuan Yin? That offerings to Kuan Yin are accepted; but only if one does so to cultivate a heart of compassion? That even if accepted, they are really being offered to the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha; so why not simply go directly to the Buddha?
Prior to that, the Kuan Yin Chapter of the Lotus Sutra had given us many examples of people who find themselves in dire straits; they are attacked on the road by bandits, shackled in chains, about to be executed, victimized by spells, and so on. In each case, if the person calls on Kwan Yin, they are saved. The bandits freeze in their tracks and become kind hearted. The chains are loosed. The executioner's sword shatters into seven pieces. The curses are returned to the sender. My take is that is these examples dramatize or illustrate the incredible redeeming, conciliatory, and healing power of Maha Karuna 大悲 {daihi; dabei} or Great Compassion. I suspect that the idea is, when we confront enmity, malevolence, or cruelty; whether in ourselves or others, is to channel Kwan Yin, the merit of Great Compassion, within our heart 心.
Prior to that, the Kuan Yin Chapter of the Lotus Sutra had given us many examples of people who find themselves in dire straits; they are attacked on the road by bandits, shackled in chains, about to be executed, victimized by spells, and so on. In each case, if the person calls on Kwan Yin, they are saved. The bandits freeze in their tracks and become kind hearted. The chains are loosed. The executioner's sword shatters into seven pieces. The curses are returned to the sender. My take is that is these examples dramatize or illustrate the incredible redeeming, conciliatory, and healing power of Maha Karuna 大悲 {daihi; dabei} or Great Compassion. I suspect that the idea is, when we confront enmity, malevolence, or cruelty; whether in ourselves or others, is to channel Kwan Yin, the merit of Great Compassion, within our heart 心.
An entire chapter of the Lotus Sutra is devoted to Avalokitasvara.
Sanskrit Version, translated by Kern:
Chapter 24 The All-sided One Containing Description of The Transformations of Avalokitesvara
As Translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva:
Chapter 25 -- The Universal Door Of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva; Translated into English by the Buddhist Text Translation Society
with the curious Commentary of Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua:
Chapter Twenty-five, Part A: "The Universal Door of Gwan Shr Yin Bodhisattva"
Chapter Twenty-five, Part B: "The Universal Door of Gwan Shr Yin Bodhisattva"
(S)he is considered the Mahasattva Maha Bodhisattva of Karuna {Compassion},. His / her full name in Kanji is 観世音菩薩 {kuan shih yin pusa in Mandarin or Kanzeon Bosatsu in Shindoku}, or 観音 {kwan Yin or Kannon} for short. In English, that is something like "Observing the cries of the World Bodhisattva."
観 {kan} Observe
世 {ze} world
音 {on} cries
"and the reason why Kanzeon 観世音菩薩 was latter written as Kanon 観音菩薩, skipping the word 世, because it had collision with one of Tang emperor name (李世民)". -- Ansanna
His / her Sanskrit name is अवलोकितेश्वर {Avalokitesvara}. It is interesting that neither "world" nor "sound" is found in this name. The three Sanskrit words evidently are:
Ava: Descend, come down, downward.
Lokita: Beheld; past participle of lok.
Isvara: Lord, ruler, sovereign
Loka {world} is possibly not there simply because it would sound redundant as "Lokalokita." Loka might be inferred, and it is found in an alternate name; Lokesvara {Loka-Isvara}, meaning "Ruler of the World."
Loka: World
Isvara: Ruler
Also absent is "svara" {noise, sound}. This might be inferred from a double entendre of esvara/isvara. However, some scholars now apparently believe that his/her original name was Avalokitasvara, with svara {sound, noise}, rather than isvara {ruler, lord, master}. It is thought that svara was changed to isvara sometime after the 7th Century CE. 観世音 could be a fairly literal translation of an older name?
Ava: Descend
Lokita: Looked, beheld
Svara: Noise, sounds, wailing?
So he looked down -- Avalokita --; and [heard] noise -- svara. The hear is inferred from svara. That makes more sense than looking at sound, one hears sound. Or it could be that he heard noise, and then looked down. Or heard noise, looked to what it was, and descended out of compassion. One of the stories was that (s)he was about to enter Nirvana, but chose to remain in the world out compassion for those who are suffering.
Sounds from Hell -- Art Bell Show
In the Heart Sutra 般若心経 {hannya shingyo} Avalokitesvara is translated as 観自在 菩薩. I am not sure what to make of 観自在 {kuanjizai}. It looks like English could be "observe all of the world at will." 在 looks to indicate the four corners, the vast reaches, the outskirts? This is probably a more literal translation of Avalokitesvara. As an aside 心 {shin} here is a translation of hridaya, the heart organ, not citta, the heart-mind.
観 {kan} Observe
世 {ze} world
音 {on} cries
"and the reason why Kanzeon 観世音菩薩 was latter written as Kanon 観音菩薩, skipping the word 世, because it had collision with one of Tang emperor name (李世民)". -- Ansanna
His / her Sanskrit name is अवलोकितेश्वर {Avalokitesvara}. It is interesting that neither "world" nor "sound" is found in this name. The three Sanskrit words evidently are:
Ava: Descend, come down, downward.
Lokita: Beheld; past participle of lok.
Isvara: Lord, ruler, sovereign
Loka {world} is possibly not there simply because it would sound redundant as "Lokalokita." Loka might be inferred, and it is found in an alternate name; Lokesvara {Loka-Isvara}, meaning "Ruler of the World."
Loka: World
Isvara: Ruler
Also absent is "svara" {noise, sound}. This might be inferred from a double entendre of esvara/isvara. However, some scholars now apparently believe that his/her original name was Avalokitasvara, with svara {sound, noise}, rather than isvara {ruler, lord, master}. It is thought that svara was changed to isvara sometime after the 7th Century CE. 観世音 could be a fairly literal translation of an older name?
Ava: Descend
Lokita: Looked, beheld
Svara: Noise, sounds, wailing?
So he looked down -- Avalokita --; and [heard] noise -- svara. The hear is inferred from svara. That makes more sense than looking at sound, one hears sound. Or it could be that he heard noise, and then looked down. Or heard noise, looked to what it was, and descended out of compassion. One of the stories was that (s)he was about to enter Nirvana, but chose to remain in the world out compassion for those who are suffering.
Sounds from Hell -- Art Bell Show
In the Heart Sutra 般若心経 {hannya shingyo} Avalokitesvara is translated as 観自在 菩薩. I am not sure what to make of 観自在 {kuanjizai}. It looks like English could be "observe all of the world at will." 在 looks to indicate the four corners, the vast reaches, the outskirts? This is probably a more literal translation of Avalokitesvara. As an aside 心 {shin} here is a translation of hridaya, the heart organ, not citta, the heart-mind.
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