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Avalokitesvara(Guanyin)
｜Photo: The Wondrous Temple Expedition ｜
After thousands of years of transformation, Guanyin has become a deity in both Buddhism and folk religion. Some people call her Guanyin Buddha or Lady Guanyin, and she is undoubtedly one of the most popular deity in Taiwan.
In Taiwanese temples, there are different forms of Guanyin, such as Child-Giving Guanyin, Water-Moon Guanyin, and Thousand-Arm Guanyin. Guanyin is able to come in different forms to help people with different problems. However, if you are looking for wealth, Guanyin may not be your best choice.
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Fun Facts
｜Photo: The Wondrous Temple Expedition ｜
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Guanyin is also called Mother Guanyin in Taiwan, and that shows how close she is to people’s everyday life. The belief in Guanyin originated from Buddhism. One faction says Guanyin was originally a male god, but stories of his divine power and merciful acts made people feel like he was protecting people like a mother protecting her children. And that’s why Guanyin gradually took the form of a female goddess. Guanyin temples are quite common on city streets, and they are sometimes called Guanyin pavilion. People sometimes have a drawing of Household Five Gods on the wall. The five gods are Mazu, Earth God, Guanyu, Wok God, and Guanyin. Guanyin is always drawn at the highest position in the drawing to show people’s respect. Since many households have such a drawing on the wall, Guanyin has the title of Guanyin in Every House. |
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Text and pictures: Sophie Chien｜Photo: The Wondrous Temple Expedition ｜National Religion Information Network
https://religion.moi.gov.tw/Knowledge/Content?ci=2&cid=276
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