Guan Yin

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For the Chen Dynasty empress whose Buddhist nun name was "Guanyin", see Empress Shen Wuhua.

Guanyin (pinyin guanyin, Wade-Giles: kuan-yin) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. She is also known as the Chinese Bodhisattva of Compassion. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshi'yin (pinyin: guanshì yin, Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World".

It is generally accepted that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokitesvara, which is her male form. Commonly known in the West as the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Taoists as an Immortal. It should be noted that in Taoist mythology, Guan Yin has other origination stories which are not directly related to Avalokitesvara.

Guanyin's origin is still debated among scholars. The official Buddhist view is that Guanyin originated with the male Avalokiteshvara. While it is certain that this is where the name "Guanshi'yin" originated, the image of the Chinese / Korean / Japanese / Vietnamese Bodhisattva (along with her femininity) may be partly derived from other sources. Indigenous to the region where Guanyin first appeared was a local Goddess: the Queen Mother of the West.