Kwan Yin is an ancient goddess with her roots deep in Asia. but we need her qualities to come to full bloom in our times, when it is essential that we make our first priority listening deeply to our own truths, to each other and to the earth. And then act with compassion and strength based on what we hear our hearts tell us.

As with all these images, Kwan Yin not as an image to be worshiped, but to keep where we can see her so she can reflect our own innate qualities of calm, compassion, strength, and beauty. In seeing them in her we feel them awaken in ourselves and it is easier to act from them.

Kwan Yin is the female form of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, whose name translates as “One who hears the Cries of the World”. A Bodhisattva is a being who lives by the spirit of enlightenment and is committed to helping all sentient beings become free from suffering. Like Avalokitesvara, Kuan Yin is often evoked as the inspiration and the example of great presence, great witnessing and of listening deeply, simply to what is, with empathy and loving kindness and without any trace of judgment, to ourselves as well as to others. This in itself can bring about transformation. The literal translation of the word Compassion from French means “to feel with”.

Kwan Yins form and symbols have changed over the centuries and with the needs of the cultures that have adopted her. Many images of Kwan Yin do not have clearly defined sexual attributes. She assumes a number of different poses and John Blofeld’s “Bodhisattva of Compassion” lists 51 different symbolic items and gestures associated with her.

There are many spellings of her name, including Kwan Yin, Kuan Yin, Kuan Shin Yin, Guan Yin, Quan Yin and most recently, Quan Am. In China, her shrines are often found near water and she is the special protector of fisherman. In Japan the Bodhisattva of Compassion is Kannon.

Sandy Boucher has written a lovely book “DISCOVERING KWAN YIN, BUDDHIST GODDESS OF COMPASSION. A PATH TOWARD CLARITY AND PEACE”, Beacon Press including an extensive bibliography for further exploration.

Because of my particular love for her image, we offer a variety of statues of her and are always exploring new ways to manifest her marvelous energy through these works.