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| 9th century Indian image of Avalokiteśvara |
Guanyin is the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit word Avalokiteśvara
referring to the Indian bodhisattva of the same name. Avalokiteśvara has
been depicted both in male or female form as a sign of limitless transcendence
and immortality. Depicted in the female form Guanyin holds a child in her lap
like the Christian Madonna. Her help is sought by couples without
children who appeal to her as the “child-sending” Guanyin to help them
conceive.
When Christianity was banned in Asia, Catholics began to venerate the
Blessed Mother by disguising her as a statue of Kannon holding a child.
These statues became known as Maria Kannon. The statue of Guanyin in Gilsangsa
Temple in Seoul, South Korea sculpted by a Catholic sculptor Choi Jong-tae is
prime example of the Maria Kannon. Jong-tae modeled the statue after
Virgin Mary in hopes of religious reconciliation in Korean society.
