Thousand Hands Thousand Eyes Guanshiyin Bodhisattva
Guan Yin is the bodhisattva of compassion, revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin which means "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". She is also sometimes referred to as Guanyin Pusa. The thousand hands of this bodhisattva represent Guan Yin's many abilities to render assistance. There are a thousand eyes on these hands which give Guan Yin great powers to observe the world.
Auṃ maṇi padme hūṃ (Sanskrit: ॐ मणिपद्मे हूँ, IPA: [õːː mɐɳɪpɐdmeː ɦũː]) is the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It first appeared in the Mahayana Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra where it is also referred to as the sadaksara (six syllabled) and the paramahrdaya, or “innermost heart” of Avalokiteshvara. In this text the mantra is seen as condensed form of all the Buddhist teachings.
The first word Aum/Om is a sacred syllable in various Indian religions. The word Mani means "jewel" or "bead", Padme is the "lotus flower" (the Eastern sacred flower), and Hum represents the spirit of enlightenment.
*Filming location: Yuan-Dao Guanyin Temple
The Thousand Hands Thousand Eyes Guanshiyin Bodhisattva Holy Pure Land is located at Tamsui Yuan-Dao Guanyin Temple in northern Taiwan. It is the world's first construction with the sitting Buddha in the image of Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin as its iconic design. The Guanyin Statue is made of stainless steel and coated with titanium, measuring 30.3 meters in height and 35.9 meters in width. Sitting on top of the world’s first horizontally-placed “thousand-hand dharma wheel” stacked upon the lotus throne as part of the four-story pedestal, it brings the total height of the entire construction to 56 meters, truly magnificent and breathtaking. The Holy Statue will not only be a new landmark of Taiwan; it even set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™, entitled as “the largest steel sculpture”of the world in 2019!
The Holy Thousand-Hand Guanyin Statue at Tamsui embodies a significant milestone in Buddhist history as well as in architecture. Since Sakyamuni Buddha established Buddhism 2500 years ago, given the limited knowledge in casting techniques, building technology and physics, not a colossal steel sculpture in the image of Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin had ever been erected. In modern days, despite improvement in technology, there are still issues regarding mechanics and wind resistance to be overcome, especially because of Thousand-Hand Guanyin’s iconographic complexity with 11 heads, 36 big hands, 33 dharma vessels, 1008 hands with 1008 eyesand and the primary form of the lotus throne.
* We deeply appreciate Yuan-Dao Guanyin Temple for the permission of aerial photography at The Thousand Hands Thousand Eyes Guanshiyin Bodhisattva Holy Pure Land.
* This is a magical spiritual experience that I would never forget! At 5:00 am on 1/30/2021, in order to capture the scenery of Thousand Hands Thousand Eyes Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and the sunrise, only my own breathing and the sound of wheels moving sharply between the mountains were heard on the road. I lost my way in the darkness and couldn’t find the direction. The next second when I was panicked, a warm light flashed through my sight. My restless heart immediately returned to peace and the huge figure of Thousand Hands Thousand Eyes Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appeared in front of me. It was already 5:30 am, and the cold wind was whistling, and thick clouds were everywhere. I thought that the aerial photography time would need to be postponed. Just when I was frustrated and sad when driving back, I suddenly encountered a big truck on the trail. In order to avoid hitting this truck, my car leaned to the roadside. At this time, an accident happened. The front wheel of the right car was sunken in the ditch cover and could not move. I suddenly changed my mind and told to myself: "I must go back!" At this time, after turning the steering wheel immediately to 90 degrees and stepping on the accelerator heavily, I was finally relieved! I drove to Thousand Hands Thousand Eyes Guanshiyin Bodhisattva again, and when I looked up, I was shocked by the scenery in front of me! Golden mountains; golden clouds, golden sun rays, the whole mountain and the earth became warm, like a light flame red lanterns hang on the edge of Datun Mountain and the sky. My heart is full of moving, and I can’t help but admire the power of the Creator for creating such a magical and special scene, just like traveling in time and space. I seem to feel Guanshiyin Bodhisattva beside me. I appreciate Senior Brother Huang of Yuan-Dao Temple who gave me this opportunity to conduct this aerial photography project to witness all the beauty. This is a magical spiritual experience that I would never forget! Sincerely thank and prostrate to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva !!!
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