Kuan Yin Goddess of Mercy by Chang Pat Foh
The Chinese believe in the existence of many gods, spirits, devils and the souls of the departed human beings in the supernatural world. Thus, prayers to the god’s departed ancestors are offered by the Chinese community at specific times for specific purposes. To the majority of the conservative Chinese, heaven is organized rather like earth. Therefore, gods living in heaven need food, money and other necessities.
Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy, is the most universally loved and well-known Chinese goddess. Her image is seen in most of Chinese households, and there are altars dedicated to Kuan Yin in many Chinese homes and temples in all the major towns in Sarawak. She is said to answer all prayers to those who come to her for her spiritual assistance. She is also known as the goddess of sympathy, who listens to the cries of human beings. Furthermore, she is basically of Buddhist origin, being a representation of the Buddhist Lord of Mercy, Avalokitesvara who listens to the sounds of the world. He reached China from India about the fifth century, and some centuries later he appeared in feminine form as Kuan Yin. According to the Buddhist faith, the goddess takes numerous forms but is often depicted standing or sitting, wearing a white robe and carrying a willow branch or a small vase.
According to the legend, Kuan Yin was the daughter of Emperor Miao Chung of the Kingdom of Ling in ancient India. Her original name was Miao Shan, and she had two elder sisters, namely Miao Su and Miao Yin. The two sisters were married, but Miao Shan refused to marry because her sole ambition was to attain perfection. The Emperor was so angry at her obduracy that he drove her out of the palace and confined her to the White Temple. On the Emperor’s orders, she was given the hardest work, but the gods and animals came and helped her. Discovering this, the Emperor set fire to the temple, but heaven extinguished the fire by sending a heavy downpour of rain. Having failed to burn her to death, the Emperor ordered her to be executed, but the sword of the executioner broke into pieces when it touched her neck. Finally, Miao Shan was sent to the Fragrant Mountain Shiang Chin Shan where she spent her days in meditation.
One day, the Emperor was very sick and according to his medical advisor, the sickness could only be cured by using an ointment made with the two eyes and hands of a living person. A messenger was sent to obtain these. When Shan heard the request, she allowed her hands to be cut off and her eyes to be gouged out to save her father’s life. When the Emperor was cured, and he learned the truth, he offered thanksgiving to the gods for his daughter’s sacrifice. At that moment, Miao Shan attained enlightenment and rose to heaven as a goddess. The unbelievable sacrifice Miao Shan made was much more than a mere act of filial piety. That is why she deserves the title of Goddess of Mercy.
The birthday of Kuan Yin is celebrated three times a year, on the nineteenth day of the second, sixth and ninth lunar month. Normally, a person has only one birthday. How is it that goddess has three birthdays? Below are the answers which I collected from the Buddhist authorities in Kuching:
The Birthday on 19th Day of the Second Lunar Month
According to a legend, when Shuang Chuang, Buddhist monk of the Tang Dynasty returned from India after obtaining the Buddhist scriptures, he built a shrine in honour of Kuan Yin whose protection he believed enable him to accomplish his mission. The shrine was consecrated on the 19th day of the second lunar month. That date was inferred by many to be the birthday of Kuan Yin,
The Birthday on 19th Day of the Sixth Lunar Month
On that day, Miao Shan rose as usual at dawn to meditate before Buddha. A boy by the name of Shan Ying stole into the shrine room and filled the jade jug, which Miao Shan got from Buddha in Mount Sumeru, with water and placed a willow twig in the jug.
According to the legend, Buddha had prophesied to Miao Shan that if one day the jade Jug was full of water, a willow branch would grow out of it. On this day, Miao Shan would rise to heaven and became a Bodhisattia (goddess).
When Miao Shan realized what had happened, she picked up the jade vase and sat beside the lily pool. Slowly, her body rose from the floor and floated, to settle gently amidst the petals of the lotus flower. When the lotus flower uprooted itself, Miao Shan rose to heaven and became Kuan Yin.
The Birthday on 19th Day of the Ninth Lunar Month
According to another legend, Emperor Wei Chung of the Sung Dynasty (960- 1126) drew a picture of Kuan Yin and put it up for worship in his palace on the 19th day of the lunar month. When his subjects learnt of it, they took for granted that that day was the birthday of the Goddess of Mercy.
Red Scar on the Forehead of Kuan Yin
Most of the statues of Kuan Yin in Sarawak have a scar on the forehead. One day, I (Chang Pat Foh) asked a nun at Lim Pah Temple in Kuching about this. She replied to save a cicada from a mantis, Miao Shan (Kuan Yin) released the cicada from the praying mantis’ grasp. In anger, the mantis turned and attacked the young girl’s finger. She withdrew but lost her balance and fell onto the stone bench. When she stood up, a stream of blood ran from a deep cut on her forehead. When the cut was cured, a red scar was left on her forehead. To her, a scar on her forehead was a small price to pay for the life of a cicada
We have one of the tallest statues of Kuan Yin at Lim Fah San Temple along Jalan Tabuan, Kuching. This statue of Kuan Yin is obviously a man with the upper part of the body uncovered. We have one of the finest pagodas built in 1987 in Sibu where another shrine of Kuan Yin is housed. Kuan Yin is probably one of the most popular deities, particularly for household shrines. Every I st day and 15th day of the lunar month and also on the birthdays of Kuan Yin, we can see hundreds of worshippers in all Kuan Yin temples in Sarawak.
Unlike Tua Pek Kong who is a local god, Kuan Yin was actually brought from China by the Chinese pioneers when they migrated to Sarawak. Judging from the popularity and the number of worshippers of this Goddess of Mercy, she has been accepted as one of the Chinese gods in Sarawak.
Chang Pat Foh Sarawak Gazette December 1993
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