Have you ever heard of Kuan Yin? Considered the mother of Buddhism, the legend says that the "Goddess of Mercy" of Chinese mythology was about to enter heavenly paradise, but stopped halfway when she heard the cries of the most suffering. For these and others, the meaning of her name is "she who hears the cries of the world.

And the most incredible of all is that Kuan Yin was among us, beings of flesh and blood, and only after her death she gained goddess status, mainly due to her actions while here on Earth. Considered the ultimate symbol of spiritual purity, she walked the world and, after seeing much suffering, vowed to protect and support all humans until all their pains were healed.

According to Chinese Buddhism, Kuan Yin is the "Bodhisattva" (enlightened being) of compassion. The statue of the goddess stands in the Puji temple on the paradise island of Putuoshan, China. Her visitors believe she hears all our prayers, and all who tune in to her energy will feel how gentle, kind and yet powerful she is. According to her devotees, just mentioning her name will make thesuffering and difficulties are alleviated.

Represented in various forms, Kuan Yin can be seen accompanied by a dragon, armed, in a lotus flower, or in other diverse forms. By the way, it is no coincidence to see that in the paintings of Tibetan artists, lineages of Buddhas and holy men also appear floating on lotus flowers. This is one way of representing the thrones of supreme spirituality.

In Buddhist theology, Kuan Yin is sometimes recognized as the captain of the "Salvation Boat," in which she leads souls to the "Western Paradise of Amitabha," a place known as the "Pure Land" or "Land of Blessings. There souls can be born again to continue receiving teachings until they reach wholeness.

Just like Artemis, the goddess of Greek mythology, Kuan Yin is also a virgin goddess who supports everyone, but especially women and children. Did you notice that the goddess's hands often form a characteristic sign? So this is the "Yoni Mudra", a sign that represents the womb as the gateway to this world for the universal feminine principle.

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In short, the simplicity demonstrated by Kuan Yin in interrupting her ascension to heaven to heal the pains of the world is a strong sign of universal brotherhood. Her precepts will live forever in the hearts of her devotees, who will always be led to a path of mercy and compassion, both for others and for themselves.

Text written by Diego Rennan from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team