Nicholas Chew

Section 24
Topic #3 Guanyin's various portrayals
Throughout the years the god Avalokitesvara has taken many shapes and forms.
More commonly known now as Guanyin, this particular god has taken the form of a
young man with a small mustache to a thousand arm woman with beautiful
features. I believe all her changes were meant to garner more appeal from the
masses by becoming what they wanted her to look like. Sure the Lotus Sutra says
she has the power to change forms but the most likely reason for the changes are
the reactions the people who were first introduced to her had. For a god of
compassion, why have a man be Guanyin when men are supposed to be strong and
powerful beings who fight in battle. A more appropriate representation would be
that of a women, a kind and almost motherly figure that looks after you. After
establishing a mom like figure that shows mercy and compassion as a mother would
do, Guanyin's power had to be emphasized. Maybe changing Guanyin into a female
gave her a weaker appearance. I'm sure people during the times of early China
questioned the power and reach this female god had over everyone's life. How
could this one god be capable of showing mercy to all humans across the world? To
dispel this idea and give her more authority she was given the story of her
shattering arms which lead to her depiction with thousands of arms. Her ever
changing appearance can all be attributed to the idea that a god must look the part.
Guanyin is just one example of how the depiction of a god is catered to their
worshippers. To satisfy the expectations of what Guanyin was capable of and
expected to act like, her image was altered.