Why does Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy of the West, have a thousand hands and eyes? Why did Guanyin become a woman when she arrived in China?

Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy in Journey to the West, has the greatest influence among the Buddhas. If it weren't for her constant presence, the quest for scripture would have been a difficult one. However, she is only mentioned in passing in the popular Tang and Song Dynasty poem Da Tang San Zang Jing Zhi Shang (大唐三藏取经诗话).

The original text says: meandering journey, met a mountain, name? The name of the mountain is "Fragrant Mountain". Raise your head to see a temple name, number ? The temple was called "The Temple of Fragrant Mountain".

In Buddhist texts, Manjushri is also known as the Bodhisattva of the Thousand Arms and Thousand Bowls. So who is the Bodhisattva of a Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes here?

For one thing, the original text has a ?

For one thing, there is a ? This is not Manjushri; and secondly, the bodhisattva resides in the Fragrant Hills: it is clear that the Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva must be Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.

Where is Fragrant Hill? It is at the Xiangshan Temple in Pingdingshan, Hebei Province. There, countless years ago, the story of Guanyin's birth and enlightenment was passed down.

In the Buddhist scriptures, Guanyin was born countless years ago? Zheng Fa Ming Rulai? , cultivated the right fruits. Nevertheless, he reincarnated frequently in order to realize sentient beings.

It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period, he was once reincarnated as the third princess of King Zhuang of Chu, named Miao Shan. When Princess Miao Shan was born, it is said that the earth shook, the room was filled with fragrance, there was celestial music in the air, and there were five-colored auspicious clouds with her. In short, there were all sorts of auspicious and holy signs.

The years passed, and Miaoshan grew up. The king of Chu began to arrange for the marriage of Miaoshan. However, Miaoshan refused to do so. In order to punish Miaoshan, King Zhuang of Chu asked Master Huizhen of White Sparrow Temple to take Miaoshan away. King Zhuang of Chu wanted to let Miao Shan live a life of hardship and then become obedient. Unexpectedly, after coming to the temple, Miao Shan fell in love with Buddhism and did not want to marry even more. King Zhuang of Chu was furious and set fire to the White Sparrow Temple to kill all the monks. Fortunately, the queen was merciful and sent someone to secretly hide Princess Miao Shan.

Later, King Zhuang of Chu was strangely ill, his hands could not move, his eyes could not see, and he was in great pain. Doctors tried everything they could think of, but could not cure it. When Princess Miao Shan heard that her father was seriously ill, she was very worried. She also heard that filial sons and daughters who cut off their flesh to serve their relatives could move heaven, so she volunteered to give her arm and eyes to the king. Sure enough, King Zhuang of Chu immediately got better. After hearing about his daughter's filial behavior, King Zhuang of Chu was so touched that he ordered a temple to be built for his daughter on Xiangshan Mountain.

When the statue was being built, the craftsman asked the king what he wanted it to look like. King Zhuang of Chu said: ? All hands, all eyes. The craftsmen misheard this as "a thousand hands and a thousand eyes," and the statue of Princess Miaoshan with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes was created.

The people of Chu all remembered Princess Miaoshan's good deeds and came to worship her. In the end, Princess Myo-Shan's merits were fulfilled and she became the Goddess of Mercy, the Goddess of Mercy with a Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes.

This Xiangshan Temple, also became the Guanyin Bodhisattva in South Alimony the first dojo. Guanyin reincarnation into a wonderful good, filial piety move heaven, re-establishment of the Buddha's fruit. This is also the Guanyin Bodhisattva in Tianzhu (India) is a male body, but, after entering China, especially in the Song and Ming period of the novels, such as "Journey to the West" in the body of a woman into an important reason.

In Journey to the West, it is not written that the Tang monk and his disciples went to Xiangshan Temple, however, it is written that the Tang monk and his disciples went to Guanyin Zen Temple after crossing the Eagle's Nostalgia Stream and collecting the little white dragon. In fact, this story of Guanyin Zen Garden originated from Xiangshan Temple.

In the "Great Tang Sanzang fetching scriptures poetry," a few lines of description of the fragrance of the mountain scenery, it is very strange. The original text says?

See the door under the left and right vajra, the spirit of fierce, weather raw carcass, ancient 皃(look)楞层, mighty wind. The Venerable Master saw, all the body sweat, cold hair Zhuo erect. Monkey walker said:? The monkey walker said, "Please ask my master to go into the temple to enjoy the scenery. So he went with him into the temple. There was no one in the temple. There was no one in the temple, but the ancient halls were majestic, the grass was continuous, and the wind was blowing. The Venerable Master thought to himself, "It is so lonely here! Monkey walkers know the meaning of the teacher, is cloud:? My teacher is not surprised that the West Road is lonely, this is another day. The road ahead, all are tigers, wolves and rabbits, people do not speak, all kinds of trouble. The people who go here are all evil. The Venerable Master smiled coldly and bowed his head. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that, but I'm going to be able to do it," he said.

I look at this text, can not help but have two questions: First, the Tang monk is a Buddhist monk, has seen countless statues of Bodhisattvas, why this time to see, the Tang monk sweating all over the body, chills hairs stand up? Secondly, after hearing the monkey walker's explanation, the Tang Monk even smiled coldly and bowed his head, why did he smile coldly?

Afterwards, I thought about the relevant episodes of the Journey to the West, the Guanyin Zen Garden, and I could not help but be enlightened.

This Tang Monk entered the Xiangshan Temple and saw Vajra sweating, isn't it like the Journey to the West in which the Tang Monk and his disciples met the old master in the Guanyin Zen Center, and the old master, as well as the disciples in general, were greedy, and in order to take the robe they even wanted to harm the Tang Monk's life?

Looking at the Monkey Walker's introduction, it seems to have the intention of arrogance, not just like the Journey to the West, the Monkey King likes to show off, thus causing the old master of the hospital's greed, and triggering the black bear to take the robe storm?

Also, after the story of Zhen Yuan Da Xian in Wu Zhuang Guan, the Tang Monk and his disciples walked to Ping Ding Mountain and encountered the Golden Horn and Silver Horn King in Lotus Cave. This Pingdingshan, Lotus, also more or less have traces of the Goddess of Mercy.

So in "Journey to the West" Laojun told the Monkey King, the reason why there is a difficulty in Pingdingshan, is the sea Guanyin begged many times. Journey to the West story of the evolution of various sources, but also real confusing!