Quan Yin (also spelled Guan Yin, Kuan Yin, Kwan Yin) is the bodhisattva of compassion venerated by East Asian Buddhists. Commonly known as the Goddess of Mercy, Quan Yin is also revered by Chinese Taoists as an Immortal. The name Quan Yin is short for Guan Shih Yin (Kuan Shi Yin), which means, "Observing the Sounds of the World".
In Japanese, Quan Yin is called Kannon or more formally Kanzeon; the spelling Kwannon, resulting from an obsolete system of romanization, is sometimes seen. In Korean, she is called Kwan-um or Kwan-se-um. In Vietnamese, she is called Quan Âm or Quan Thế Âm Bồ Tát.
Quan Yin is the Chinese name for the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. However, folk traditions in China and other East Asian countries have added many distinctive characteristics and legends. Most notably, while Avalokitesvara can be depicted as either male or female, Quan Yin is usually depicted as a woman, whereas Avalokitesvara in other countries is usually depicted as a man.
Along with Buddhism, Quan Yin's veneration was introduced into China as early as the 1st century CE, and reached Japan by way of Korea soon after Buddhism was first introduced into the country from the mid-7th century.
Representations of the bodhisattva in China prior to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) were masculine in appearance. Images, which later displayed attributes of both genders are believed to be in accordance with the Lotus Sutra, where Avalokitesvara has the supernatural power of assuming any form required to relieve suffering and also has the power to grant children. Because this bodhisattva is considered the personification of compassion and kindness, a mother-goddess and patron of mothers and seamen, the representation in China was further interpreted in an all female form around the 12th century. In the modern period, Quan Yin is most often represented as a beautiful, white-robed woman, a depiction derived from the earlier Pandaravasini form (one of five Buddhas).
In China, it is said that fishermen used to pray to her to ensure safe voyages. The titles 'Quan Yin of the Southern Ocean' and 'Kuan Yin stem from this tradition.
Another story, possibly Taoist in origin, describes Quan Yin as the daughter of a cruel father who wanted her to marry a wealthy but uncaring man. She begged to be able to enter a temple and become a nun instead. Her father allowed her to work in the temple, but asked the monks to give her very hard chores in order to discourage her. The monks forced Quan Yin to work all day and all night, while others slept, in order to finish her work. However, she was such a good person that the animals living around the temple began to help her with her chores. Her father, seeing this, became so frustrated that he attempted to burn down the temple. Quan Yin put out the fire with her bare hands and suffered no burns. Now struck with fear, her father ordered her to be put to death. After she died she was made into a goddess for all of her kindness and began her journey to heaven. Quan Yin was about to cross over into heaven when she heard cries of the suffering back on earth. She asked to be sent back and vowed to stay until all suffering had ended.
One version of this legend states that, at the point of Quan Yin's execution ordered by her father, a supernatural tiger took Quan Yin to one of the more hell-like realms of the dead. However, instead of being punished by demons like the other inmates, Quan Yin played music and flowers blossomed around her. This managed to completely surprise the head demon. The story says that Quan Yin, by being in that hell, turned it into a paradise.
