Before renovations to Mukunda Studio were completed in 2019, I found the Quan Yin statue that stands quietly in the studio today. I walked into a store in Noe Valley and the moment I made “eye” contact with them, I knew it was meant to be. I’ve seen quite a few others, but somehow when you see the one that is the “right” one, you know it. This beautiful Quan Yin has been looking over the studio and all who enter ever since.
I first learned about the male bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who originated in India and later became known in China, Japan and other areas as Quan/Kuan Yin, Kannon, Guanyin. Not only did Avalokiteshvara shift to have a new name, but of gender as well, often referenced as male and/or female interchangeably. I love that this wasn’t seen as a problem and actually seen as a benefit! In the buddhist tradition, Quan Yin, with their infinite compassion for all beings, is revered and essential for all times, all humanity.
“According to legend, Kwan Yin tried so strenuously to alleviate the suffering of beings that her head split into eleven pieces. Wanting to help, Amitabha Buddha awarded her eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the world, but when she heard all the cries and reached out to address the needs of so many, her two arms shattered. This time, Amitabha gave Kwan Yin a thousand arms, and it’s said that even now she’s still using those arms to offer her compassion to all.” lionsroar.com
As we are feeling such great division and as every news story can be manipulated in any direction for a particular gain, may we feel the presence of a compassionate being who sees THIS form of our suffering. May we recognize the exploitation that exists within religion and politics, our educational systems and commerce, as we also learn the value and strength when we harmonize, unify, and work towards collective liberation.
May the divisiveness not distract us from the great suffering and ignorance where we believe that some deserve our love, while some don’t. May we seek for a gentle compassion where we don’t lose care for those suffering as we balance the stories with justification or indifference. There’s a strategic and manufactured othering that works as well as it did on the playgrounds of our childhoods. But there, we often were encouraged by our parents, teachers, caring elders, that we should figure out how to care and how to get along. It’s the reminder from Quan Yin who’s been offering their message of compassion and empathy for over 1,200 years. It’s all in how we imagine and speak about life’s potential. It’s in us, I believe we can do this and answer, “we care.”
Let’s stay connected,
Marc
