Post by chris2504 on Dec 20, 2007 21:50:34 GMT
originally written by loretta of noblereiki.com all rights go to her in no way shape or form have a i changed or reworded the context of her letter just mearly posted it here to share with others
In this newsletter, I want to talk about the Legend of
Kwan Yin, the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion and Mercy.
For many of us who practice Reiki and other healing arts,
Kwan Yin is the ideal to which we turn when we struggle to
determine the "right" thing to do or when we think about
our calling in this life. No earthly person can be a
Goddess, and no one is as perfectly selfless as Kwan
Yin is, of course; but it's always helpful to have an
ideal to look toward for guidance.
FYI, Kwan Yin is often spelled in other ways: Guan Yin,
Guanyin, Quan Yin, etc. So don't be surprised if you
see a variation of her name. In addition, she is a part
of both Chinese and Indian culture, as well as other
nations' cultures, so her depictions and legends often
reflect those cultures. In fact, sometimes Kwan Yin
is represented as a man.
There are many, many legends about Kwan Yin. A quick
Google search will reveal many stories about her. But
my favorite Kwan Yin legend concerns the idea that Kwan
Yin had finally broken the cycle of reincarnation and
was ascending to Heaven/Nirvana. (In some stories, she
is standing at the entrance of Nirvana.) As she
ascended, she heard the cries of pain, sorrow and
anguish from the Earth below.
When Kwan Yin heard these cries from below, she turned
back from Nirvana. (The name Kwan Yin is often translated
to mean "She who hears the cries of the world" or a
close variant of that phrase.) She returned to Earth
to assist all who need her help. Thus, Kwan Yin is
often referred to as a Bodhisattva -- one who foregoes
her/his own Nirvana in order to assist all other beings.
Kwan Yin is frequently represented as a beautiful woman
dressed in flowing white robes. She is often sitting on
a lotus flower (a symbol of purity), holding a willow
branch (a symbol of healing power or the power to grant
requests). She often has a vase of water in the other
hand, the vase being variously interpreted to represent
tears, or cleansing power. Sometimes, you will see her
sitting on a dragon, which is another symbol of power.
Sometimes, you will see a statue or picture of Kwan Yin
holding a baby. That is because in addition to being the
Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, she is also a Goddess
of Fertility. When I work with women who are trying to
become pregnant, I always talk about Kwan Yin with them,
and sometimes I give them a little statue or image of
her to meditate on.
Kwan Yin is a highly popular deity to this day, and one
can often see images and statues of her in Chinese
restaurants and in Chinese shops. Reiki does not
require one to follow any particular religion, and
certainly you don't have to be a Buddhist to admire
Kwan Yin. I think she can be appreciated for her
compassion without necessarily subscribing to all
that is Buddhist.
As for me, I love the legend of Kwan Yin because of
its relevance to my chosen life as a healing arts
practitioner. For anyone who practices Reiki, Kwan
Yin represents the ultimate in compassion and mercy.
Of course, she *is* an ideal, and no one should feel
guilty about falling short of that ideal. But if we
keep in mind Kwan Yin's determination to hear the
cries of the unfortunate and to do something to help
them, it can be a wonderful guiding force in our
own lives.
There is a variant of Reiki, called Violet Flame
Reiki, which is specifically associated with Kwan
Yin. Violet Flame Reiki is usually taught to people
who have already had one or more Usui Reiki
attunements. Violet Flame Reiki, according to Ivy
Moore (who is said to have channeled it) emphasizes
healing with a pure heart (no ego), and it seeks
to connect the Reiki healer with the loving energy
of both Kwan Yin and Saint Germain.
I have added a book about Kwan Yin to my Recommended
Reiki Resources page, for those of you who would
like to learn more about her. You can find the book
here:
noblereiki.com/reiki/t/reikipage2.php?t=046c1
If you have other deities or legendary figures you
admire and think about as you do your Reiki work,
I'd love to hear from you!
Namaste,
Loretta
In this newsletter, I want to talk about the Legend of
Kwan Yin, the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion and Mercy.
For many of us who practice Reiki and other healing arts,
Kwan Yin is the ideal to which we turn when we struggle to
determine the "right" thing to do or when we think about
our calling in this life. No earthly person can be a
Goddess, and no one is as perfectly selfless as Kwan
Yin is, of course; but it's always helpful to have an
ideal to look toward for guidance.
FYI, Kwan Yin is often spelled in other ways: Guan Yin,
Guanyin, Quan Yin, etc. So don't be surprised if you
see a variation of her name. In addition, she is a part
of both Chinese and Indian culture, as well as other
nations' cultures, so her depictions and legends often
reflect those cultures. In fact, sometimes Kwan Yin
is represented as a man.
There are many, many legends about Kwan Yin. A quick
Google search will reveal many stories about her. But
my favorite Kwan Yin legend concerns the idea that Kwan
Yin had finally broken the cycle of reincarnation and
was ascending to Heaven/Nirvana. (In some stories, she
is standing at the entrance of Nirvana.) As she
ascended, she heard the cries of pain, sorrow and
anguish from the Earth below.
When Kwan Yin heard these cries from below, she turned
back from Nirvana. (The name Kwan Yin is often translated
to mean "She who hears the cries of the world" or a
close variant of that phrase.) She returned to Earth
to assist all who need her help. Thus, Kwan Yin is
often referred to as a Bodhisattva -- one who foregoes
her/his own Nirvana in order to assist all other beings.
Kwan Yin is frequently represented as a beautiful woman
dressed in flowing white robes. She is often sitting on
a lotus flower (a symbol of purity), holding a willow
branch (a symbol of healing power or the power to grant
requests). She often has a vase of water in the other
hand, the vase being variously interpreted to represent
tears, or cleansing power. Sometimes, you will see her
sitting on a dragon, which is another symbol of power.
Sometimes, you will see a statue or picture of Kwan Yin
holding a baby. That is because in addition to being the
Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, she is also a Goddess
of Fertility. When I work with women who are trying to
become pregnant, I always talk about Kwan Yin with them,
and sometimes I give them a little statue or image of
her to meditate on.
Kwan Yin is a highly popular deity to this day, and one
can often see images and statues of her in Chinese
restaurants and in Chinese shops. Reiki does not
require one to follow any particular religion, and
certainly you don't have to be a Buddhist to admire
Kwan Yin. I think she can be appreciated for her
compassion without necessarily subscribing to all
that is Buddhist.
As for me, I love the legend of Kwan Yin because of
its relevance to my chosen life as a healing arts
practitioner. For anyone who practices Reiki, Kwan
Yin represents the ultimate in compassion and mercy.
Of course, she *is* an ideal, and no one should feel
guilty about falling short of that ideal. But if we
keep in mind Kwan Yin's determination to hear the
cries of the unfortunate and to do something to help
them, it can be a wonderful guiding force in our
own lives.
There is a variant of Reiki, called Violet Flame
Reiki, which is specifically associated with Kwan
Yin. Violet Flame Reiki is usually taught to people
who have already had one or more Usui Reiki
attunements. Violet Flame Reiki, according to Ivy
Moore (who is said to have channeled it) emphasizes
healing with a pure heart (no ego), and it seeks
to connect the Reiki healer with the loving energy
of both Kwan Yin and Saint Germain.
I have added a book about Kwan Yin to my Recommended
Reiki Resources page, for those of you who would
like to learn more about her. You can find the book
here:
noblereiki.com/reiki/t/reikipage2.php?t=046c1
If you have other deities or legendary figures you
admire and think about as you do your Reiki work,
I'd love to hear from you!
Namaste,
Loretta
