Kwan Yin, (Guanyin), also known as Goon Yam in Master Moy’s tradition, is a widely revered bodhisattva. A bodhisattva is a great being that has vowed to become enlightened and then renounce nirvana until all other beings achieve enlightenment.
Kwan Yin has limitless compassion and takes on the suffering of other beings, providing assistance and a deep listening to prayers. She is said to save the lost and suffering. She is known as the Goddess of Mercy to many of East Asia.
Kwan Yin, in this tradition, is generally pictured as a gentle, white-garbed female figure. She often holds a child or a vial of the nectar of compassion. She is brought forth out of a lotus. We can see a large statue of her near the cemetery columbarium where Master Moy’s ashes are preserved. Master Moy held a special devotion for Goon Yam and there are several chants devoted to her in his temple tradition.
Avalokitesvara is the original Mahayana Buddhist bodhisattva with whom the Taoist figure Kwan Yin is identified. Avalokitesvara is the ‘listener to the cries of the world’ and responds skillfully to alleviate suffering.
Avalokiteshvara, a leading disciple of Buddha, is the main figure in The Heart Sutra. He expounds on the theme of “Emptyness”, a central concept in Chinese Buddhism.
When we can understand the significance of Kwan Yin and how her depiction inspired Master Moy, we understand his great sacrifices and his devotion to helping so many students.