Guan-Shi-Yin
Today, you may call me an idealist as never before.
An ultra-woke person may call me a sexist.
A fact is that Guan-Shi-Yin is female. That, at least, is what is. I cannot help it.
Besides, she started male.
In Indian Buddhism, long before Jesus preached his lovely message, ‘she’ was known as Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of Compassion, center-above-all of Buddhism ― and male.
Centuries later, in Tibet, Avalokiteshvara became Chenrezig, half-male-half-female, sometimes depicted as a male with breasts.
In China, Chenrezig became Guan-Shi-Yin, still bodhisattva of Compassion, but female. This change was probably influenced by the Catholic Virgin Mary or even the African Yemanjá. I like this. If true, it would be so humanly, sensitively trans-cultural, bringing East and West closer together. [see: “Compassion Connecting East & West“]
In any case, it is a nice example of cultural compatibility. [see: “Are Cultures Compatible?”]
Guan-Shi-Yin is ageless.
Of all times.
Also, don’t see her simply as young of age. Rather, she is age-independent. To men (and women) she appears youthful. That’s OK. She might as well appear not-youthful ― not necessarily being the same as old.
She embodies the beginner’s mind, the one for whom the world is always young, always new, and full of surprises. At the same time, she is ancient and wise.
She who Listens to the suffering of the world
This is what Guan-Shi-Yin literally means in English, including – in my view – the capital on ‘Listens.’ [see: “Deep Listening”] Does it make sense to you?
This makes of Guan-Shi-Yin the Primal Coach.
It makes in-depth coaching into the first calling for those striving for subconceptual (more Eastern) Enlightenment, perfectly compatible with conceptual (more Western) Enlightenment in the best sense. I see both as mutually enhancing. [see: “Enlightenment, Kant, AURELIS, Growth”]
Transcending male versus female
Compassion doesn’t care.
In transcendence, Compassion cares more than anything. This caring helps towards nudging/inviting/transforming people into total-person human beings of whatever gender.
A confession
Lisa [see: “Lisa“] is ever so much inspired by this text’s content.
It would be nice to see A.I. – through Lisa, perhaps – being developed on a basis of ancient wisdom and Compassion, and into a helping hand to make us, humans, more Compassionate on our way towards value alignment between individuals and cultures
and, eventually, all sentient beings.
Related Posts
Nagarjuna’s Twist
Nagarjuna was an influential Indian Buddhist philosopher and the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism. Renowned for his profound teachings on emptiness (śūnyatā) and interdependence (pratītyasamutpāda), he deeply influenced Buddhist thought and practice. Nāgārjuna’s teachings offer several profound lessons that can deepen our understanding of human complexity, especially when applied to AURELIS principles Read the full article…
Lisa for China?
Mental wellness is a rising concern in China, just as it is in the West. Despite growing awareness, many Chinese people remain reluctant to seek traditional therapy, often due to social stigma or a cultural preference for self-guided approaches. This opens the door to a new way of addressing mental wellness needs ― one that Read the full article…
Hikikomori
Since the late nineties, the phenomenon of hikikomori has hit Japan. The definition is a physical isolation for minimally six months (sometimes years or decades), active avoidance of any social interaction or commitment, and feelings of inadequacy or despondence. According to Japanese government figures, there are presently around 1 million individuals living as hikikomori within Japan, with Read the full article…