Guanyin Bodhisattva

What moves people most about Guanyin is that she never gives up. Legend says she had long since earned the right to become a Buddha, yet she made a vow: as long as any being is still suffering, she will not take her place among the Buddhas but will stay in the world to help. This is what 'hearing the cries and coming to save' means: the moment someone calls, she is on her way.

People in Taiwan are especially fond of a modern version. A man falls into the sea and shouts with all his strength, 'Guanyin, save me!' A boat comes, and he refuses to climb in. A helicopter comes, and he still refuses, certain the bodhisattva herself will appear. He drowns, and afterward he asks her, 'I called so loudly. Why didn't you save me?' Guanyin answers, 'The boat and the helicopter were both sent by me.'

Folk wisdom uses this story as a gentle reminder: a bodhisattva's help often hides in the chance right in front of you, and whether a prayer 'works' also depends on whether you are willing to reach out and take it.

What do people ask Guanyin for? Safety and health, protection from misfortune, the wellbeing of their children. But what she does best is bring peace of mind, and she feels especially close when something weighs on your heart that you cannot get past. Praying to her is simple: offer fresh flowers, fruit, and clear tea, put your palms together, silently recite 'Namo Guanshiyin Pusa' three times, then lay out your troubles slowly, the way you would talk to an elder. The simpler the offering, the better; Guanyin does not care for show. There is just one taboo you must never forget: Guanyin is vegetarian, so no meat may be offered. Putting chicken, duck, fish, or pork on her altar is a serious act of disrespect. Around Guanyin's birthday on the 19th day of the second lunar month, Guanyin temples such as Longshan Temple are at their busiest, so that is the time to go if you want to feel the atmosphere.

Guanyin has three major commemorative days: her birthday on the 19th day of the second lunar month, the day of her enlightenment on the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, and the day she renounced the world on the 19th day of the ninth lunar month. On each of these days, temples hold sutra-chanting services to pray for blessings. The birthday on the 19th of the second month is the grandest of the three, when incense burns especially thick at Buddhist temples across Taiwan and in the Guanyin halls of folk Mazu temples.