The compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva (full name Guanyin Bodhisattva , abbreviated as Guanyin and Guanyin ) is a symbol of compassion and wisdom. It is a well-known immortal in the heavenly world. It has a great influence among the Chinese people and is a belief in people's hearts. In people's impression, whether it is historical written records or current film and television dramas, Guanyin Bodhisattva has always been a graceful and elegant beauty with kind faces and kind eyebrows. Many people also call Guanyin Bodhisattva Guanyin Empress. But the earliest Guanyin Bodhisattva in Buddhism was actually a brave and tall man. What exactly is this gender change? This article will give you a detailed introduction. (The article is a bit long, please read it patiently)
1. Guanyin Bodhisattva was originally a man
In the Buddhist scripture " Compassion Sutra " Volume 3 "The Original Prophecy of All Bodhisattvas", it records the origin of the name Guanyin Bodhisattva. It is said that Guanyin Bodhisattva was the prince of the ancient wheel-turning holy king Wu Zhengnian. His name was Bu Guang. He became a monk and practiced with his father. He made a vow in front of Shakyamuni Buddha (also known as Treasure Buddha): If sentient beings suffer all kinds of suffering, if he can remember me and recite my name, I will immediately come to save and liberate him when I hear his voice. So, Sakyamuni Buddha gave him a prophecy and named Guanyin. Later, the prince was promoted to immortality and was awarded the title of Guanyin Bodhisattva by Shakyamuni Buddha. He is the prince, of course he is a man.
The Huayan Sutra also says that the boy Shancai came to Putuo Luojia Mountain to worship Guanyin and saw a brave husband named Guanzi, sitting on the diamond in the rock valley forest, preaching with the great Bodhisattvas. The Huayan Sutra has four verses on this matter: "There are mountains on the sea and many sages, and the most pure and pure treasures are created by all treasures. The brave husband Guanzizai lives in this mountain to save sentient beings." Guanzizai is Guanyin, which is the translation of the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva Sanskrit . Since he is a brave husband, he is of course a man.
According to historical records, when early Indian Buddhism was first introduced to China, Guanyin's portraits were all male. The obvious sign is a mustache on the lips. At that time, Guanyin's images were mostly princes, with a strong body and a clear appearance. Some were dressed in royal clothes, while others were leisurely and showed off their appearance. The posture of standing and sitting was obviously a man. Among the world-famous Dunhuang murals in our country, there is a portrait of Guanyin Bodhisattva with two beards. of the Southern and Northern Dynasties also has this male image. This is consistent with the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva worshipped in the Indian Buddhist Temple, the birthplace of Buddhism, which is still "a man's statue and a mustache".
Guanyin Bodhisattva was introduced to Tibet in the seventh century AD, that is, at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama was considered to be the incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. As we all know, the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Since ancient times, the Dalai Lama has been male. In addition, the four-armed Guanyin, one of the Tibetan Buddhist Tantric deities, is also a male body. Its image has four heads, namely blue, white, red and gray. The body is blue and has four arms and two legs.
There is also a Guanyin Dharma image in Shaolin Temple, which is shaped like a big nose, a wide mouth and a wide forehead, with hair on the head as scattered as a bunch of hair, and two ears are extremely large. They are wearing a pair of thick golden rings, which are upright on both shoulders, and the creases of the clothes are scattered. They are naked and have big feet, and a golden treasure stick is slanted in their hands. This Dharma image is like the Venerable Jemorada in 500 Arhats . No one who has a common eye or ordinary womb will consider him to be Guanyin Master . But Shaolin Temple clearly placed him in Guanyin Pavilion, and the monks also considered him Guanyin Bodhisattva. It is said that when Shaolin Temple was in trouble, at a critical moment, a new monk suddenly came out and saved Shaolin Temple. This monk claimed to be the incarnation of Guanyin Master to resolve the trouble. Therefore, Shaolin Temple formed this image based on the treasure appearance he manifested, and built a Guanyin Pavilion to offer it. This incident is clearly recorded in Shaolin Temple Chronicles, which shows that it is not a false creation.
Above stories and written records, the prince, husband, monk, beard, Dalai Lama, four-armed Guanyin, etc. are all men's images, indicating that Guanyin Bodhisattva was indeed a man in the early days of his introduction to China.
2. The origin of the female version of Guanyin Bodhisattva
. Before the Tang Dynasty , Guanyin Bodhisattva's images were all male images. after in the Tang Dynasty 's face gradually became plump and round (popular in the Tang Dynasty), with slender eyebrows, red lips and beautiful nose, and black hair. The face became more pretty, gradually becoming a female figure symbolizing the love of a mother. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, his outfit seemed to be a transparent and light skirt, which was graceful and luxurious, showing the beauty of women at that time. In the Song Dynasty, the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva created according to the image of ancient Chinese ladies became the mainstream. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Guanyin Bodhisattva had become a typical Chinese lady. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the statues of Guanyin worshipped in the temples were basically all female figures.
traces the origin, and the first record of female Guanyin Bodhisattva appears in history is in a book called "Book of Northern Qi: Biography of Xu Zhicai". The book says: Northern Qi Emperor Wucheng Gao Zhan was seriously ill. The imperial doctor could not cure it for a long time, so he had to rest in bed. At that time, people were particularly superstitious about Buddhism, and some people suggested that he read more Buddhist Heart Sutra, perhaps Guanyin Bodhisattva could cure his illness. So Gao Zhan recited the Buddhist Heart Sutra every day. One day he lay on the bed and saw five-color auspicious clouds flying from the sky in a daze. When he arrived in front of him, he turned into a graceful and beautiful woman, several feet tall. After a while, he turned into Guanyin Bodhisattva and eliminated his illness. The legend
was later spread to the people, especially welcomed and accepted by female Buddhist believers. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Buddhism developed rapidly, and the number of monks and ladies and lay ladies increased dramatically, especially the concubines and officials and family members all believed in Buddhism. This required Buddhism to create a female Bodhisattva to meet the belief needs of the majority of female believers. In " Shurangama Sutra ", "Venice Guanyin said to the Buddha: If there are women who are eager to learn and become monks, I will appear in front of them as a nun, a queen, a king's wife, a wife, and a virgin body to preach to them." There are similar records in the Lotus Sutra. In this way, Guanyin became the best candidate for female Bodhisattvas. It became a natural thing for him to transform from a great male husband into a beautiful female woman. After that, the image of female Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared in China, whether it was portraits or sculptures, all of which were exceptions.
In "The Treasure Pictures of Guanyin in Famous Paintings of All Ages", there is a picture of Guanyin in silk painted by a great painter of the Tang Dynasty, Wu Daozi , which is a beautiful and elegant painting. In the Song Dynasty, there were more portraits of Guanyin Bodhisattva who showed their appearances with women. For example, at that time, two painters, Ma Hezhi, painted many portraits of Guanyin Bodhisattva, all of which showed their appearances with women.
From the literary records, there are many poems and works written by literati of the Tang Dynasty, describing Guanyin Bodhisattva as a female image. Wang Bo , one of the four heroes of the early Tang Dynasty, once took a boat south to Putuo Luojia Mountain to climb the mountain to worship Guanyin Master. The image of Guanyin Bodhisattva described in the subsequent work of "Praise of Guanyin Master" fully demonstrates the graceful and kindness of a woman with very delicate clothes: "The crown shines brightly and round, and the body is bright and bright. The face is like the auspicious lotus on the surface of the water, and the eyebrows are like the autumn moon in the sky. The embroidered clothes are covered with golden strands, and the ethereal plain clothes are partially favored by the arms. The jade Jiake wears the sound of the rosy and the cloud ribbon is decorated with pearls. The red fibres condense and the ten fingers are condensed and greasy, and the green lotus eyes are thin. The throat neck is like a jade crushed, and the ribbed black dyes are dyed with green mountains. The red lips are bright and bright teeth are arranged, and how much is the auspicious seat and ang'an'an?"
Guanyin's belief in China has a profound influence, causing various legends about Guanyin Bodhisattva among the people, such as the widely circulated saying that Guanyin is the third princess of Miaozhuang, Xinglin Kingdom, Princess Miaoshan. This kind of female Guanyin legend can be seen in the Song Dynasty , Zhubian "Quwu Old News". Later, the "Biography of Guanyin Bodhisattva" written by Guandaosheng in the late Song and early Yuan dynasties became a complete biography. Based on this, a large number of Guanyin story books such as "Fragrant Mountain Treasure Scroll", " The Complete Biography of Guanyin in the South China Sea ", and "Guanyin attains the Tao" have appeared one after another. Since the legend of Princess Miaoshan is popular, the image of Guanyin in the Han ethnic group has become increasingly feminine. For example, the thirty-three Guanyin statues circulated among the people are basically female. Some scholars directly call Guanyin the goddess of the East.
From this, we can conclude that Guanyin Bodhisattva was originally a male image. After being introduced to China, he gradually changed his gender and became a woman in response to the needs of the Chinese people.
3. The reason why Guanyin Bodhisattva turns into a woman
Guanyin has changed from a man to a woman, mostly in the image of a woman. In fact, it is entirely done by the Chinese (including Chinese and Chinese in Southeast Asia) themselves. It can also be said that it is the wit and cleverness of the Chinese in the process of creating gods.
First of all, Guanyin Bodhisattva’s great compassion meets the needs of the faith of the Chinese people. The aesthetic ideal of Chinese people is feminine, gentle and quiet. The softness of women is generally appreciated by Chinese people, while flexibility is something that Chinese people have always believed in. Women account for half of human beings, and this flexibility of women means kindness, compassion, intelligence and beauty. This is consistent with Guanyin Bodhisattva's image of being at will, approachable and respectable. Especially for women who have become mothers for women, their peaceful, kind, kind and compassionate qualities are consistent with the merits of Guanyin Bodhisattva's compassion and protection of the people.
Secondly, the compassion that Buddhism says is similar to the inner characteristics of women. The kindness, tolerance and gentleness that women possess is manifested in daily behaviors, such as the mother's love for her children is profound and meticulous. However, Buddhism believes that worldly love is the compassion of the self and the limitation of compassion; and compassion is the expansion of the selflessness of love. This is probably an important reason why Guanyin Bodhisattva was portrayed as a woman. Because the special merit of Guanyin Bodhisattva is great compassion, Guanyin Bodhisattva saves all sentient beings, just like a kind mother loves her children. Therefore, Guanyin Bodhisattva should appear in a female body, expand her selfless love, and love the vast majority of sentient beings to become the equal compassion of the Bodhisattva.
Third, among the suffering sentient beings saved by Guanyin Bodhisattva, the most suffering of women is the most. Although all living beings, both men and women, will suffer from various sufferings, troubles, and even disasters, due to the low status of women in history and the functions of physical and psychological qualities, women suffer much more than men. Guanyin Bodhisattva often appears in the female body and gets along with the female body, which is more conducive to guiding them to the great path of liberation. Especially maternal love, Guanyin is well aware of the greatness of maternal love in the world, so she shows her female body everywhere, influences the women in the world, purifies and expands the maternal love in the world, and loves all sentient beings, and finally achieves , the right awakening (refers to the subtle method achieved by the Buddha).
There is a certain theoretical basis for Guanyin Bodhisattva to transform from a man to a woman. Both the Shurangama Sutra and the Lotus Sutra say that in order to adapt to sentient beings of different natures and categories, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva can transform into thirty-three different identities and teach them. Among these thirty-three different identities include: upassia, upasi, elderly woman, lay Buddhist woman, slaughter woman, Brahmin woman, virgin body and other female identities.
Guanyin Bodhisattva transforms from a man into a woman is also a realistic need. Since the Southern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism has developed rapidly in China, and the number of nuns has begun to increase. From the empress dowager and princess to the common women, nuns have become a popular trend. This urgently requires a goddess to get close to these monks. Buddhism is also happy to take the opportunity to expand its influence and introduce a female Bodhisattva if it is wrong, which will be more conducive to the spread of Buddhism. Therefore, Guanyin's feminization naturally formed.
Folk legends have also played a role in fueling the fire. It is undeniable that the effective stories, legends and literary treasure scrolls of Guanyin Bodhisattva in all dynasties have played a role in fueling the popularity of the folk female Guanyin. Among them, the legend of Princess Miaoshan in Xiangshan Temple and the story of white-clothed Guanyin in "Miaoyin Baoshu". The image of women in later generations may also be related to the ability of Guanyin Bodhisattva to "send children". It is very inappropriate for a man to give birth to an infertile woman who comes to ask for a child. At this time, it was very reasonable for the Bodhisattva to transform into a goddess to give these women children. Therefore, people also call Guanyin Bodhisattva " Send a Son of Guanyin ".
In short, after Guanyin came to China from India, these virtues in him are in line with the aesthetic orientation of the Chinese, and it is inevitable that Guanyin will become a woman.This can be understood as the main reason why the gentle female appearance of Guanyin Bodhisattva is particularly popular in China.
4. Guanyin Bodhisattva is not a man or a woman
Originally, Buddhism believes that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have no birth and death, nor gender. They can manifest various incarnations in front of the world according to different needs. The "Lingyun Sutra" and the "Lotus Sutra" both say that in order to adapt to sentient beings of different natures and categories, Guanyin Bodhisattva can transform into thirty-three different identities and teach them. These thirty-three different identities are not fixed numbers, but can actually be transformed into countless forms, and they are all illusory false appearances that cannot be obtained. The true image of Guanyin Bodhisattva is the image of formlessness of nirvana, and can manifest all forms. " Diamond Sutra " also says that Tathagata has thirty-two aspects, but in fact, "if you see all appearances that are not appearances, you will see the Tathagata." Similarly, if you can see all appearances that are not appearances, you will see Guanyin Bodhisattva.
In fact, Mahayana Buddhism’s view on men and women is: “All dharmas have no fixed form, neither men nor women, and all women are the same, even though they appear as women, they are not women.” There are great differences and discriminations in the secular world about men and women, but Guanyin Bodhisattva’s supernatural powers are boundless, everywhere, with great compassion and no distinction. The thirty-three response bodies that save suffering and suffering are not divided into men and women. In order to facilitate the education of different types of sentient beings, Guanyin Bodhisattva adapts to the changes and takes various habits and causes and conditions of the sentient beings of the times, culture, customs, and knowledge and hobbies, and freely shows different body appearances to save sentient beings. Among them, there is a male body and a female appearance. This male and female appearance is only convenient for adapting, but in fact there is no gender difference.
After reading this article, you must have some understanding of the mystery of the gender of Guanyin Bodhisattva! Thank you very much for your patience to read!
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