Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Jesus and Guanyin

The most populus sculpture or painting in China is not
Mao Zedong or Chiang Kaishek, it's Guanyin. If you go
to any typical chinese buddhist home, chances are
you'll find Guanyin's painting or sculpture in the house.
Guanyin temple can be found almost anywhere in China.
The famous Pudala Palace of Tibet is a Guanyin temple.

Guanyin's appearance resembles Virgin Mary, with merciful
and majestic face. She has power to turn herself into
an angel and help the needy whenever she is called
upon. She can rescue the sailor in the stormy sea, protect
the innocent from evil and make barren woman bear child.
She'll answer prayer.

Guanyin was actually a male deciple of Sakyamuni,
the founder of the Buddhism. Sakyamuni had many
deciples, but Guanyin emerged as the most popular
buddha, in some places surpassing Sakyamuni's
popularity.

Guanyin was honored in the Buddhism Sutra as a son
of the Buddha, with pure and majestic looking, and a
merciful heart. Guanyin has godly power, whomever
called upon him, he'll answer.

Because Guanyin answers prayer to man and woman
alike, he became the favorite to woman believer,
especially for woman praying to have a son. Since
Guanyin has power to change his appearance as the
situation fits, he sometimes appears as a woman
to facilitate the rescue mission. As time goes by,
his appearance was being changed gradually by the
worshippers to feminine look, and became today's female
appearance.

There are many paralell between Guanyin and Jesus.
Jesus is the son of God, full of lovingkindness, he is
the savior of the human race, bear the cross for us
sinners, answer our prayers.

Guanyin is not a redeemer like Jesus,
because Buddha is not God.

Saint Paul said, "Faith, hope, love, the greatest is
love." Christian say Jesus is love. The best description
of Guanyin is also: love.

PS, if you can read Chinese, you are welcome to visit mychinese blog site: http://hi.baidu.com/vincentyo/blog

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