Eighty-four Manifestations of the Great Compassion Mantra

...aspects of our practice and personal realization of Guanyin's original: 觀音 (Guānyīn); the shortened name for the Bodhisattva of Compassion. power.

However, the figure known as Guan Shi Yin original: 觀世音 (Guānshìyīn); "The One who Perceives the World's Sounds." in the Universal Gate Chapter is referred to as Guan Zi Zai original: 觀自在 (Guānzìzài); "The Sovereign Contemplator" or "The One who Contemplates with Freedom." in the Heart Sutra. This is due to the different translation styles of two distinct master translators A reference to the 4th-century translator Kumarajiva and the 7th-century traveler-monk Xuanzang.. In the original Indian Sanskrit, both names refer to the same title: Avalokiteshvara original: 阿縛盧枳低濕伐邏 (Āfùlúzhǐ dīshìfáluó); the phonetic transliteration into Chinese characters of the Sanskrit name..

Why does this Great Bodhisattva possess such a title?

According to the explanation in the Shurangama Sutra original: 楞嚴經 (Léngyán Jīng); a classic Buddhist text emphasizing the realization of the enlightened nature of the mind through the "perfect penetration" of the senses., when this Bodhisattva first began their spiritual cultivation, their ears did not listen outward toward external sounds. Instead, they turned their hearing inward to investigate the very nature of "the one who hears." By doing so, they achieved a state where "the two characteristics of movement and stillness are clearly understood as never arising." They entered a realm of unshakeable, great sovereign freedom; for this reason, they are named Guan Zi Zai.

According to the Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra original: 法華經 (Fǎhuá Jīng); one of the most popular Buddhist scriptures, which teaches that all beings can become Buddhas.:

"If there are immeasurable hundreds of thousands of millions of living beings who endure various sufferings and afflictions, and if they hear of this Guanyin Bodhisattva and call upon their name with a single-minded focus, Guanyin Bodhisattva will immediately perceive the sound of their voices, and they shall all find liberation."

In other words: all the suffering beings of this world, knowing of Guanyin Bodhisattva and with the utmost sincerity and earnestness...