Guan Yin: Bodhisattva of Compassion
Monday, March 19, 2007 at 04:56PM Guan Yin is the bodhisattva of compassion, revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy. Her name is short for Guan Shi Yin. Guan means to observe, watch, or monitor; Shi means the world; Yin means sounds, specifically sounds of those who suffer. Thus, Guan Yin is a compassionate being who watches for, and responds to the people in the world who cry out for help.
There is an awesome dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, which is making the rounds across the net. Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing, even if they ere not all deaf. Yes, you read correctly. All 21 of the dancers are deaf. Relying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and stirring. Its first major international debut was in Athens last year at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Para olympics.
Reader Comments (2)
Oh, Stan.. I am weeping in amazement and joy. Thank you SO much for sharing this! It is simply glorious...
Thanks so much, Stan, for letting us know about Guan Yin and what's got to be a really incredible dance performance. Ooh, I would have liked to have been in Athens for that show!!