Kannon

Kannon is the East Asian name for Avalokiteshvara, a bodhisattva who embodies universal compassion in Mahayana Buddhism. In China he is known as Guanyin, in Japan as Kannon, in Vietnam as Quan Am, and in Tibetan Buddhism as Chenrezig. The name Guanyin translates roughly as “Perceiver of Sounds” or “Observing the Cries of the World,” reflecting the bodhisattva’s vow to listen to the sufferings of all living beings. Although Avalokiteshvara originated in Indian scripture, the gender and iconography of Guanyin/Kannon evolved in East Asia, where the figure is frequently depicted as female or androgynous and revered by laypeople and monastics alike.

Guanyin/Kannon appears in numerous forms. The Thousand-Armed Kannon (Senju Kannon) is a common manifestation symbolizing boundless aid; the Eleven-faced Kannon (Juichimen Kannon) is pictured with multiple faces to perceive different planes of existence. Other forms include standing or seated depictions, sometimes with a child or with various symbolic attributes. Across China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, Guanyin is one of the most beloved figures in Buddhist art and ritual, associated with mercy, protection, and salvation. In Japan she is integral to temple networks, ritual practices, and folk traditions.

In Chinese and Japanese Mahayana and Pure Land practices, Guanyin is invoked as a compassionate guide who helps beings toward liberation and, in some traditions, toward rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land. In Tibetan Buddhism, Chenrezig is a central meditational deity whose mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is widely chanted. The enduring appeal of Kannon stems from its emphasis on compassion as a practical, world-embracing virtue in both daily life and spiritual pursuit.