Phenomena of kuan yin in the world. Kuan Yin's beloved mother and divine mediator close to the daily affairs of her devotees is the Buddhist Madonna, whose role in the East is comparable to that of Mother Mary in the West

On July 13, or the 19th of the 6th month of the Chinese calendar, the most important of the three holidays dedicated to Guanyin is celebrated. After the traditional fast, people go to the temple for prayer. Before the revolution, in the Chinese pantheon, the goddess Guanyin was revered in every home. Her name means looking at the suffering of the world.

According to Buddhism, by perfecting your heart, you can reach the level of a deity. This is called enlightenment. When Guanyin lived on Earth, she attained enlightenment after many sufferings and trials.

At that moment, seeing the suffering on Earth, she gave up her throne to dedicate herself to the people. She became Guanyin Bodhisattva. In the Buddhist hierarchy, the Bodhisattva is ranked below the Buddha. The Buddha has his own kingdom, where his worthy disciples live. The Bodhisattva gives up his paradise to come to the aid of people.

It is said that the Bodhisattva was a young virtuous princess named Miao Shan. Her father, the King of Sumatra, wanted to marry her off. Not wanting such a life, she went to a monastery. When the father found out about this, he demanded from the nuns that they give her the hardest work. This did not sway her. Then he set fire to the monastery, but she put it out. Furious, her father killed her. On the rainbow she ascended to the divine world. According to another version, she took the form of light emitted from the eyes of Buddha Amitaba.

For Tibetans, her earthly presence is personified by the Dalai Lama. Her statues, symbolizing mercy, compassion and generosity, are richly decorated. She is depicted as the guardian of the temple, and then she has a thousand eyes and hands. In the famous temple of Puning Si in China, she is depicted standing. The statue is 23.5 meters high and weighs 110 tons. She has 21 pairs of hands and 43 eyes.

The dance of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin is performed by a group of twenty deaf-mute girls led by the deaf-mute soloist Tai Lihua, a student of the famous dancer Yang Liping. The graceful dance of many hands, which seem incredibly long due to false nails, personifies the Buddhist thousand-armed goddess of mercy Guanyin.

The room is attended by 20 dancers. The rehearsals were led by a deaf-mute girl named Tai Lihua, the performer of the famous Peacock Soul dance and the only Chinese dancer to perform at the Carnegie Center in New York and La Scala in Milan.

Group dance requires coordinated movements - how to achieve this if all members of the troupe are deaf and dumb? At the four corners of the stage, specialists with sign language translation skills were placed, who, with special gestures, helped the girls maintain the rhythm of the dance.

Performed at the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics, the dance of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin shocked spectators around the world. While preparing for the New Year's gala concert, the girls rehearsed from early morning until late at night for a whole month.

Tai Lihua, the lead dancer of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin Dance, is from Yichang, Hubei Province. At the age of two, she lost her hearing after being injected with streptomycin. From the age of 7, she attended a school for deaf and dumb children, where they taught the discipline Sense of Rhythm. In the lessons on this subject, the teacher beat out the rhythm on a drum set on the floor, and the students felt the rhythm with their feet. From that time on, music, which little Lihua could only “hear with her feet,” became for a deaf-mute girl a means of conveying feelings and images in dance.

At the age of 15, Tai Lihua began full-fledged choreographic studies. In 1994, she entered the Department of Fine Arts and Design at the Hubei Art Institute, graduating with a bachelor's degree. Her graduation project - packaging for alcoholic beverages- Won the Hubei Provincial Award.

Tai Lihua has toured more than 30 countries. In 2006, she married a software engineer, a young family lives happy life. Tai Lihua says: Losing your hearing is certainly hard. But art helps me continue to fully communicate with the world through dance.

According to Chinese Buddhist tradition, there is a bothisattva who has a thousand eyes and a thousand hands.

He looks at the whole world with a thousand eyes, and with a thousand hands he accepts the misfortunes of mankind and distributes good wishes to him.

This is none other than the thousand-armed and thousand-eyed Goddess Guanyin.

She is perceived by the Chinese as the Goddess of Mercy. If you have the opportunity to visit China, you will see a statue of the thousand-armed and thousand-eyed goddess Guanyin in many temples and monasteries.

God gave her not only a pleasant appearance, but also a kind heart.

Statue of Goddess Guanyin in China

A giant statue of the goddess Guanyin, 108 meters high, rises on the island of Hainan in China. The majestic three-faced white statue directs its gaze both into the interior of the island and into the South China Sea, bestowing its protection and patronage. One of her faces holds a rosary in her hands, the second one folds her fingers in a special gesture - magical mudra, and the third one resembles a lotus. Only one of her faces is visible on each side.

Guanyin is an ancient goddess of Chinese, Korean and Japanese mythology, who protects people from all kinds of disasters, guards the house, family hearth, gives children, fights evil. This is the goddess of mercy and compassion, her image is incredibly revered, and in the pantheon of gods she occupies a special place.

According to legend, Guanyin had an earthly incarnation - she was the princess of one of the states neighboring China, the daughter of a formidable and warlike ruler. During her righteous life, she did countless good deeds and received the nickname saving from torment, merciful. In the Buddhist tradition, she is considered as a real living figure who professed Buddhism, one of the enlightened ones, or bodhisattvas, that is, disciples and followers of the great Buddha.

Other myths say that Guanyin could not bear the fact that so many people are still tormented by rebirth in the endless wheel of Samsara. She wanted to reach out her hands to each suffering person to help free herself from a series of rebirths, and she grew several pairs of hands. From the fact that Guanyin tried to comprehend the needs of so many suffering, her head was split into several parts. And so she had several faces.

The construction of this elegant and majestic statue began in 1999 and lasted 6 years. For the construction of the figure, an artificial island was specially made, which can be reached along an elegantly designed path in the form of a bridge.

Today it is the fourth tallest statue in the Buddhist world. Crowds of pilgrims come to worship the statue of Guanyin every day. The main request that the worshipers hope for the goddess is for children. Three are placed in front of the statue. aroma sticks, performing the function of Orthodox candles, make a wish and mentally appeal to the Great Guanyin. The figure of the goddess is located in tourist area Nanshan near the city of Sanya.

The Wat Bang Riang temple complex is a striking example of modern religious architecture in Thailand, large-scale and impressive. Includes three separate structures: Chedi Rat Uppatham and two giant statues of the Buddha and the Chinese Goddess of Mercy* Guanyin.

The proximity of the temple buildings of Thai and Chinese Buddhism, confessions that are dogmatically very different from each other, may seem strange, but it is strange only at first glance. Firstly, Buddhism is one of the most tolerant religions and different areas of Buddhism easily coexist with each other. Secondly, 15% of the Thai population are descendants of Chinese immigrants, and their national religion is widespread throughout Thailand.

* Goddess of Mercy - a highly simplified title of a Chinese deity; more about what the goddess Guanyin is, written below.

Wat Bang Riang is located on the border of three neighboring provinces, Krabi. Phang Nga and Surat Thani, and is approximately the same distance from Phuket as from Krabi and Khao Lak. Accordingly, you can visit the temple complex from all three main recreation areas of southern Thailand.

Statue of Goddess Guanyin

The Goddess Guanyin Statue in Sanya is a 108-meter high statue depicting the bodhisattva Guanyin. Located near the Nanshan Temple in the city of Sanya on the island of Hainan in the province of the same name, China. The statue was completed in 2005.

The statue has three aspects: the face of one is directed towards the interior of the island, and the faces of the other two towards the South China Sea, to represent the blessing and protection from Guanyin from China and around the world. One aspect depicts Guanyin holding a sutra in her left hand and making a mudra gesture with her right; the second - from the palm to the leg, holding the rosary; and the third is in the lotus position. At present, the statue is the fourth tallest in the world and the tallest statue of Guanyin in the world.

Construction took six years and was completed on April 24, 2005. The opening was attended by 108 head monks from various Buddhist groups in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, as well as tens of thousands of pilgrims. The delegation also included monks from Theravada and Vajrayana.

Ring Attractions Asia is full of grandiose structures! The statue of the goddess Guanyin in China is one of the highest in the world.

Sources: www.epochtimes.com.ua, lingvoforum.net, wiki-turizm.ru, amazingasia.ru, ru.esosedi.org

God of Egypt Atum. A day out of time

The god Atum among the ancient Egyptians was associated with the creation of the world, and the first thing he did was create himself... Day...

The history of Chinese tea "Te Guan Yin" began from the very time when the poor tea grower Wei Yin from Anxi County saw in a dream a special tree with a bewitching aroma that emanated from it. The voice of the Bodhisattva (goddess) Kuan Yin suggested to the peasant that he needed to take a sprout from him and plant it in the ground. In the morning, Wei Yin immediately went to look for the dream tree and did everything as the deity ordered. A few years later, an ordinary tea bush grew from the shoot. But when the peasant prepared the traditional chinese drink The taste of tea exceeded all his expectations.

Tea "Te Guan Yin": a general description

Today, "Tie Guan Yin" is a semi-fermented large-leaf tea, which in China is classified as blue-green or turquoise. This is the most famous and expensive oolong, which is grown in the south of Fujian, in Anxi County. It is known that tea has been produced in this area for a very long time, since the 7th century.

The fermentation process determines the color and taste qualities drink. "Te Guan Yin" is a cross between green and red (black) tea. The peculiarity of a semi-fermented drink is that the rolled leaf is dried only from above, while inside it remains fresh. In addition, more mature leaves are used to obtain it than for green tea. At the same time, incomplete fermentation makes it possible to preserve all the important vitamins and other useful material, defines unique taste and aroma.

collection time

Taste qualities and medicinal properties of tea collected in different time years are very different. This largely determines the price of it.

The most fragrant and delicious is Tie Guan Yin tea, harvested in autumn, from mid-September to late October. During this time, it is possible to pluck about 15 percent of the annual volume of mature green leaves. A drink made from them (after mandatory fermentation) is considered the best and, accordingly, expensive.

The spring harvest, which falls on the twentieth of April to mid-May, is almost half of the annual volume, so it is easier to buy such tea, and the price is not so high.

Winter Chinese tea"Te Guan Yin", whose properties and effect on the body are less pronounced, is considered the worst, although there are also fans of this drink exclusively. It is collected annually from the end of October to the end of November.

Depending on the weather conditions in summer, tea leaves can be plucked twice. The first time this happens from mid-June to early July, the second - from the twentieth of July to mid-August.

Tie Guan Yin green tea is harvested exclusively by hand, at dawn, picking only the first four leaves. Thanks to this, it is possible to obtain the most healthy drink with an unusually rich color and aroma.

Production features

Tea production technology is quite complex, it consists of several labor-intensive steps:

1. Collection of tea.
2. Ventilation in the sun.
3. Drying at low temperature.
4. Preparation (fermentation) - shaking in a special drum for maximum oxidation of the leaves and the release of juice from them, followed by stacking in heaps for ventilation.
5. Stop fermentation by roasting the leaves.
6. Twisting in special machines or by hand. After that, large leaves turn into small lumps, which again straighten out already in the process of brewing tea.
7. Final drying in an oven at medium temperature.
8. Final sorting of leaves from cuttings.

This is how the traditional tea “Te Guan Yin” is made, the effect of which was known even to the Chinese emperors. If the rules of one of the stages are not followed, a completely different kind of drink is obtained.

Varieties of "Tie Guan Yin"

According to grade and taste, the following types of tea are distinguished:

• "Te Guan Yin Wang"- "royal" tea, elite and the highest quality among other drinks. For its preparation, the best leaves are selected, so it is also the most useful.
• "Mao Cha Te Guan Yin" - is not processed completely from cuttings, but is sold along with them. It contains many essential oils that determine the taste of the future drink.
• "Lao Te Guan Yin" - it is also called "aged" tea. It lends itself to stronger fermentation and is aged under certain conditions for three years. Thanks to this method of preparation, the taste of this tea is very different from other varieties.
• "Nong Xiang Te Guan Yin" - strong tea with an oily texture. It is harvested in autumn when the leaves are mature. After that, they are subjected to strong fermentation, which is why the edge of the sheet becomes brown.
• "Qing Xiang Te Guan Yin" - undergoes weak fermentation, due to which the leaf retains its green color. This soft tea with a refreshing floral aftertaste. Collection time - spring or early summer.

Despite the fact that the choice of tea varieties is so large, the most popular is still Tie Guan Yin Oolong. Its properties as a medicine are so strong that it is difficult to overestimate the benefits of its use.

Taste qualities

Those people who drink Te Guan Yin tea daily can be considered real gourmets. It should be noted that a classic drink must have certain qualities.

1. The color of a freshly prepared drink is light green with a turquoise tint. With each subsequent brewing, the color of the drink becomes darker.
2. The aroma is floral with honey and herbal notes.
3. The taste is rich, slightly sweet.
4. Aftertaste - a pleasant sweetness with calm notes of fresh lilac remains in the mouth.

To feel the fullness of the taste and aroma of Te Guan Yin, the effect of which is felt almost immediately, it is better to drink it separately from the main meal.

Nutritional value and benefits of tea

Vitamins C, D, P, PP, E, K, as well as group B are contained in a freshly prepared drink in large quantities. The beneficial properties of Tie Guan Yin tea are explained by its unique mineral composition. Elements such as potassium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, fluorine, selenium, and iodine ensure the stable operation of all organs and systems.

The vitamin and mineral composition, unique for tea, affects the body not only restorative action, but also allows you to use it as an independent drug.

"Te Guan Yin": the effect on the body

For a person oolong "Te Guan Yin" - irreplaceable source energy and sedative at the same time. With it, you can normalize blood pressure, stop diseases of the oral cavity, strengthen the immune system. It is both an effective fat burner and a means for rejuvenation.

For Te Guan Yin tea, the weight loss effect lies in its ability to remove toxins and cleanse the walls of blood vessels from cholesterol plaques. Due to this property, it is often included in various diets.

For the Te Guan Yin drink, the effect of rejuvenation is that it has a beneficial effect on the skin, making it smooth and elastic. Small wrinkles are smoothed out, and large ones are no longer as noticeable as before. And this tea is a natural antioxidant that helps the body fight dangerous cancer cells.

How to brew tea correctly?

To make "Te Guan Yin" as useful as possible for the body, it must be properly brewed. A certain temperature, special utensils and a favorable environment contribute to turning a banal tea reception into an interesting ceremony.

To brew tea, purified water must be boiled and cooled to a temperature of 80-85 degrees. After that, prepare porcelain or earthenware, after dousing it with boiling water. IN teapot put twisted leaves at the rate of 5-7 grams per 200 ml of water. Then pour boiling water over the leaves, and immediately, after a second, drain the water. This is done in order to clean the tea from litter and dust and force the twisted leaves to open. The next time you need to brew for about a minute. With each subsequent time, the time must be increased by 30 seconds. In total, up to 10-15 brews of the same leaves are allowed.

This is how Te Guan Yin tea is prepared, the medicinal properties of which are widely known far beyond China. Unlike a young light green drink, it gets darker as it goes on, acquiring a rich yellow-brown color and a rich taste.

How to buy Chinese tea? Product price

It should be noted that the real "Te Guan Yin" is produced exclusively in China. In order to keep it unique taste and aroma, tea is packaged in vacuum bags of different sizes. The price for it is set at about 500 rubles per 50 grams or more, depending on the type of tea. Te Kuan Yin Oolong cannot be cheap, because it elite tea, which has practically no analogues.

Do not look for this tea on the shelves conventional stores and supermarkets. It can only be ordered at specialized points of sale and online stores selling tea from China. If the vacuum packaging is broken, it is better to refuse such a purchase, because under the guise expensive drink very often they try to sell a fake. The original "Te Guan Yin" is sold only in vacuum packaging.

Tea "Te Guan Yin": customer reviews

Properly brewed traditional "Te Guan Yin" has not left anyone indifferent. Its honey taste and floral aroma with a pleasant aftertaste are especially liked by green tea fans. "Te Guan Yin", effect, reviews and beneficial features which are only positive, is becoming more and more popular. The only thing that repels buyers is the price of it. But, having once tasted expensive tea, few people want to return to a cheap option again. How tasty and fragrant is "Te Guan Yin".

Quan Yin (goddess of mercy)

Guan Yin (Chinese 観音, Guan-yin, Guanyin, Chinese 觀世音, Guanshiyin; Guanzizai) is a character in Korean, Japanese and Chinese mythology, a deity who appears mainly in a female form, saving people from all kinds of disasters; giver of children, obstetrician, patroness of the female half of the house. It is revered by representatives of almost all faiths in China, in particular, among Buddhists, Kuan Yin is associated with the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The image of Guanyin also penetrated the countries neighboring China, in particular, in Korean mythology, the goddess of mercy Kwanum (Kwanseim) is known, in Japanese - Kannon, the assistant of the Buddha Amitabha.

Quan Yin in the Buddhist tradition

In Buddhism, Kuan Yin is revered as a compassionate savior, a bodhisattva of mercy.

The main source of information about the forms of Kwan-Yin is the Saddhmapundarika Sutra, which describes the 32 main forms of this bodhisattva. In China, the texts of sermons most often feature a brahmin and a warrior (jingang). In the Buddhist tradition, the bodhisattva Guanshiyin occupies one of the central places. Her name is usually translated as "Contemplating the Sounds of the World". The canon depicts a bodhisattva in a female form (this tradition does not appear before the 14th century), which is a legacy of pre-Buddhist ideas about Guanyin, but according to tradition, bodhisattvas do not have a gender. There is a legend about Miaoshan, the daughter of the king of one of the southern Chinese states, who for her righteous life received the title “da ci da bei ju ku ju nan na mo ling gan Guan shi yin pusa”, that is: “merciful, saving from torment and disaster, the refuge of those who take refuge, the miraculous lord of the world of Bodhisattvas. In Chinese Buddhism, there are two main schools, the practice of which is closely associated with the name of the bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin - the Tiantai school and the Jingtu (pure land) school.

Most often, Guanyin is depicted with four arms, eight arms and eleven faces, a thousand-handed, although the canons also provide for more complex images, up to 84,000-handed and 84,000-faced (they practically do not occur).

Common attributes: a jar with a willow branch, a rope (a symbol of salvation from troubles), a book (“Prajnaparamita”), a rosary, a staff, a trident, a tiger skin skirt (a symbol of fearlessness). The thousand-armed image has an eye on each palm: with them, the Bodhisattva sees simultaneously all those in trouble in the countless worlds of the Universe, with these hands she saves them.

Kuan Yin often appears under the name Guanzi-zai, both in a merciful and formidable guise. In the guise of a fighter against evil, in myths and legends, Guan Yin often appears in a pair with Erlanshen.

Quan Yin, the beloved mother and divine mediator close to the daily affairs of her devotees, is the Buddhist Madonna, whose role in the East is comparable to that of Mother Mary in the West. Throughout Far East those who revere her seek her help and guidance in every area of ​​life. Altars dedicated to Kuan Yin can be found in temples, houses, and roadside shrines.

The name Guan She Yin, as she is often called, means "she who watches the world, or listens to the sounds of the world." According to legend, Kuan Yin was about to enter the kingdom of heaven, but stopped on the threshold, hearing the cry of the world.

Kuan Yin is revered as the patroness of women, sailors, merchants, artisans, those who are subject to criminal prosecution, and those who wish to have offspring. [In the hearts of people] lives an unshakable faith in the saving grace and healing powers of Kuan Yin. Many believe that even the mere repetition of Kuan Yin's name will instantly attract her presence. The Crystal Rosary of Kuan Yin contains her mantras and is powerful tool to get her intercession.

For Mahayana Buddhism, Kuan Yin has been the embodiment of the bodhisattva ideal for many centuries. The word "bodhisattva" literally means "being of the bodhi", "enlightened being", a being who is destined to become a Buddha, but who refused to enter the bliss of Nirvana, having vowed to save all the children of God. Kuan Yin took a bodhisattva vow to work with the evolutions of this planet and this solar system, showing them the path of the Ascended Master teachings.

In the Buddhist tradition, Kuan Yin is the Chinese equivalent in the female form of the God of Mercy and Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, who was revered in India and Tibet before the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism to China in the fifth century. Devotees call upon the power and merciful intercession of the bodhisattva by reciting the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" - "Hail to you, jewel in the lotus", or, as it is often translated, "Hail to you, Avalokitesvara, who is the jewel in the lotus of the believer's heart"!
It is widely believed that Guan Yin was the third daughter of Miao Chuan Weng of the Shu Dynasty, the ruler of the northern Chinese kingdom, who lived around 700 BC. e. According to legend, the girl was determined to devote herself to a religious life and, contrary to the command of her father and the requests of her friends, refused to marry. Eventually, she was allowed to enter the White Bird Nunnery in Langshu Hsien. Here, by order of her father, she was placed in the dirtiest work, which did not cool her ardent love for God.

Enraged by her piety, the emperor ordered the execution of his daughter, but when the sword touched her, it broke into a thousand pieces. Then her father ordered her to be hanged, but when her soul left her body and descended into hell, she turned it into paradise. Carried on a lotus flower to the island of Puto, near Nimpo, she lived for nine years, healing the sick and saving sailors from a shipwreck.

It is said that once, when word of her father's illness reached her, she cut the flesh from her hands and used it as medicine to save his life. In gratitude, he ordered the creation of a statue in her honor, instructing the sculptor to portray her with "a perfect form with hands and eyes." However, the sculptor misunderstood, and to this day Kuan Yin is sometimes portrayed as "thousand-armed and thousand-eyed", thus able to see many people and help them.

The service of Quan Yin is very real and as old as the world. The bodhisattva's vow to stay with humanity is a sacred calling. However, Kuan Yin warns us against taking this vow if we do not fully understand the service of these devotees: “Being one with all life, we understand [the needs of] all living things, from its highest manifestation to its lowest. This is part of the bodhisattva ideal followed by those who remain in the service of humanity.

Kuan Yin represents the qualities of mercy and compassion for the evolutions of the Earth.

“Mercy is the greatest power in the universe,” says Kuan Yin, “it is the power of God’s will… The power of mercy is in intense love, which will dissolve all fear, all doubt, rebelliousness and rebellion among the people… The mercy of the Law is sometimes very severe, but always patient , is always tolerable, and it helps the flame within the heart to rise and rise and rise to meet Christ.”

Kuan Yin reminds us: “When you feel the need for more power, more enlightenment, more purity and healing, remember that you are receiving all these qualities from the heart of God through the action of the very flame of mercy. Indeed, through forgiveness comes a renewed opportunity to fulfill the Law, and without forgiveness, progress will be very small.

Therefore, in order to get back in touch with God, we need forgiveness.

Kuan Yin reminds us of another facet of the flame of mercy when he says: “For many of you, I prayed to the Lords of Karma, asked them to give you the opportunity to incarnate, be healthy, not have injuries and innate blindness that manifests itself on the physical plane as a result of heavy karma, which some of you have done. I stood up for you, carrying the flame of mercy, so that, having freedom healthy mind and body, you could seek the light of the Fa. Some who have been denied this mercy by the Lords of Karma are today in institutions for the insane; they were appointed to go through this, so that they would experience the agony of the absence of the mind of Christ and know what it means to defile this mind, so that, returning to next life, they highly valued the gift of reason, the ability to use the Holy Word Incarnate through the power of the Logos.

Kuan Yin Bodhisattva is known as the Goddess of Mercy as she ensouls the God-qualities of mercy, compassion and forgiveness.. She serves on the Karmic Board as a representative of the Seventh (violet) ray. She also held the office of Chohan of the Seventh Ray for two thousand years, until Saint Germain received that position at the end of the eighteenth century.

Kuan Yin ascended thousands of years ago and made a bodhisattva vow to serve the planet Earth until all of its evolutions become free. In her ethereal retreat, the Temple of Mercy over Beijing, China, she ministers to the souls of humanity, teaching them how to balance karma and fulfill the divine plan through the loving service of life and the use of the violet flame.

The flame of Kuan Yin is the same color as orchids - pink color divine love mixed with blue color the will of God. Her flower is a pink-violet lotus, the core of which, being pink like a flame of mercy, becomes more and more intensely purple at the periphery.

Terpsichore (Τερψιχόρᾱ) is the muse of dance.
Terpsichore got its name thanks to the enjoyment of the audience. Terpsichore - the daughter of Mnemosyne and Zeus, is the patroness of choral singing and dancing. This muse is depicted as a smiling young woman who sits and plays the lyre, sometimes she can be depicted dancing. A characteristic attribute of Terpsichore is a wreath on her head, in one hand she holds a spectrum, and in the other - a lyre.

Terpsichore is the mother of the Sirens. Often this muse is associated with the god Dionysus, attributing ivy (an attribute of Dionysus) to her. Even the name of the muse bears the imprint of harmony and rhythm. Dance and muse are the result of the contemplation of nature. To immerse yourself in a real dance, it is enough to focus on the rustle of leaves or listen to the sound of the surf while sitting on the seashore…

The goddess Irida has always personified the rainbow.
Irida was the daughter of Taumantus and Electra (Oceanids), and also the sister of the Harpies and Arches. Irida played the role of the winged messenger of Zeus and Hera. the main role Irida consisted in quickly notifying the gods, as well as informing about divine orders, which she carried with lightning speed throughout the earth, into the underworld and into the depths of the ocean.

Irida was close to the sea deities, since the rainbow appears after rain or in splashes of water. Irida carried out Hera's orders, similar to the role of Hermes for Zeus. The rainbow is the bridge between heaven and earth. Therefore, Irida is considered a mediator between heavenly and earthly inhabitants.

Irida was depicted as a winged girl holding a bowl in her hands. You can find images of Irida holding a jug of rainwater in her hands. According to the myths, Irida gave birth to a son from the god of the west wind (Zephyr), who was named Eros.
Vesta - goddess of the sun

Vesta is the patroness of the family hearth, as well as the sacrificial fire. -
In ancient times, a sacrificial fire was constantly burning in her honor, which was supported by vestals-virgins. Then it was believed that the spirit of Vesta is in every particle of fire.

Vestals were chosen from girls aged 6-10 years. These priestesses were required to keep their virginity for at least 30 years. If the vestal violated this condition, then she was walled up alive. The priestesses supported the sacred fire as the basis of order, the stability of the state, they also took part in rituals, made various mixtures of flour, ashes of sacrificial animals and salt.

On the first day of the new year, the fire of Vesta was always extinguished, and then rekindled by rubbing the parts of the sacred tree against each other.

The entrance to the house was also dedicated to Vesta, hence the name "vestibule". Vesta was also identified with a globe hanging in space, which contains fire. Vesta was considered the goddess of fire as the purest element.

Vesta was depicted with a face covered with a veil, holding a scepter, a bowl, a torch or palladium in her hands.

Vesta, along with Helios (the god of the sun), is considered the emblem of the sun. Vesta ignites the sacred fire within spiritual aspirants using the sun's rays containing her spirit. Vesta appears on a chariot in the company of Apollo. Every evening they ride in a chariot through the starry sky, penetrating into those who live in spirit. Vesta protects and blesses, bestows magical abilities and qualities.

Freya (“Mistress”) - the goddess of Love and War, Life and Death, the patroness of material well-being, fertility, eros, natural cycles. She rules the world of nature and the world of feelings, emotions, and is the goddess of Magic along with Odin. This is the most active and active goddess.

In the form of the goddess of war, Freya collects half of the fallen warriors on the battlefields, like Odin. Freya is considered the leader of the Valkyries - warrior maidens, daughters of Odin, who participate in battles and give victory to one or another warrior. As the leader of the Valkyries, Freya patronizes militant, active, courageous, independent women. She helps independent women in business and in love, in finding the right sex partner and business partner.

As the goddess of Magic, Freya patronizes seid magic - shamanic journeys through the worlds of the Yggdrasil Tree and prophecies in a trance state. Seid is knowledge through the direct experience of emotional, bodily sensations without the participation of the intellect.
Freya patronizes sexual magic, love songs, dynamic meditations, work with natural energies. It helps a person to maximally liberate his feelings, emotions, desires and direct the released energy to get what he wants. It gives joy and fun, the ability to enjoy life.

The third hypostasis of Freya is the goddess of fertility, material well-being. Freya is a goddess from the family of the Vanir, the gods of nature, the material world and the world of the senses. She owns power over all natural cycles, the symbol of which is her amber necklace Brismenkhamen. Freya will help you achieve success in business, increase income, find a new source of income, and receive material returns from creativity. Along with Frigga and the Dis goddesses, Freya is present and assists in childbirth. She is considered the leader of not only the Valkyries, but also the dis - the goddesses of the hearth, the guardian goddesses of each family.

Freya's totem animals: cat, pig.
Freya rides in a chariot drawn by two black cats (other options are white or gray).

Magic Weapons:

Cape of falcon plumage. This cape gives Freya the ability to fly - to travel to subtle planes.

Mittens made of cat fur.

Necklace. Freya Brismenhamen's amber necklace symbolizes the cycles of nature and gives power over the elements. Freya received it after spending the night with four dwarfs, which symbolizes the mastery of the power of all four elements: fire, water, air, earth, balancing the energies of the elements in oneself.

Chariot. Freya rides a chariot drawn by two cats.

Freya's colors: gold, green, white.

Elements: Water, Earth, Fire.

Directions: West.

Planets: Moon (fertility, femininity, childbearing), Venus (love, sex, material well-being, female warrior), Sun (creativity, independence).

Chambers in Asgard: Freya's nine halls are called Folkwang - "Field of the Army". Corresponds to the sign of Gemini (according to Freya Asvinn).

Freya in man: emotions, love, eros, female sexuality, ecstasy, creative energy, freedom of feelings, the ability to experience pleasure.

How to work with the goddess Freya?

A few scraps of cat hair or a fallen mustache. Use only naturally combed hair when caring for the animal, in no case do not pluck the hair and mustache of the animal. Remember the main rule - do not harm anyone. If you want to achieve a specific result, treat cats gently, affectionately. Recognize them as partners and friends, giving them the same respect you would give to your work colleagues.
Golden candle (in honor of Freya)
Pink candle or aqua (in honor of Friday)
Candlesticks
Amber scented incense
Ladanka
Table, shelf for candles
Lighter, matches
Tarot cards or runes (letters of the ancient Scandinavian alphabet carved into wood) at your discretion

INSTRUCTIONS

Set fire to the incense, lightly disperse the smoke around the room. Sit on the floor, focus, light a candle - golden, pink or aqua. Repeat the next spell, then look at the cards or runes.

Beauty Freya, mistress of cats,
hear my prayer
Flying in a chariot across a blue or black sky.
A golden candle is lit for you, and a pink one is
in honor of Friday.
Show me what's in my way.
This magical night endowed me with sensitive power,
Insight, wisdom, here, now,
at the same minute.

Consider tarot cards or runes. You can ask that the answer to the questions appear in a dream. Or just sit, trying not to think about anything, waiting for Freya's response. At the end, thank the goddess.

Move the candles and amulets to a safe place and let them burn to the end.

Goddess Kali as the energy of the current era

As the greatest force of time, the energy of Kali creates various Yugas or eras of the existence of the world, which mankind goes through in the process of long cycles of cosmic evolution.

Kali is the Goddess of eternity, watching over all our changes and contributing to those who help our spiritual growth.

More specifically, Kali is Yuga-Shakti or that energy, the force of time, which takes humanity from one world era to another. She is busy supporting the spiritual energy of the planet in both light and dark ages.

Those My Goddess is not just a Hindu deity, she is the universal, world form of the Mother, who is the true ruler of this world. The awakening and conversion to the Goddess that is happening today on a global level is, speaking from the point of view of yoga, the awakening of the energy of Kali.

The Mother Goddess as a dark, mystical and transcendent Devi (goddess - translated from Sanskrit) holds the key to the true power and realness of the universe in all its manifestations. Kali re-enters the human environment and the Earth realm to work magic and evoke feelings of fear and reverence.

The Goddess causes all changes on the planet, awakening the Shakti (energy) of the planet and stimulating not only the individual, but a more global planetary consciousness. Modern natural and other disasters that are currently happening all over the planet are a manifestation, an indication of the all-changing power of Kali, pushing humanity to break with divisive beliefs and end our destructive activities that already threaten all life on the planet. .

Until we make these crucial internal changes and end our destructive attitudes and actions, we will face the worldwide wrath of Kali on a global level, and the threat of a universal catastrophe will only increase over time, until then we will be faced with a choice. : either radically change your life, or disappear from the face of the earth as a species. To accept the challenge of Mother Kali, we must change internally and give up our attempts to control the outside world, directing our efforts, first of all, to understanding ourselves.

At present, our civilization does not pay due respect to the Devatas, the cosmic powers of the Gods and Goddesses, personifying the sacred forces of nature, on which the well-being of our existence depends. Intellectuals and scientists devalue the Deities by whose grace we are able to function, and replace them with delusions of philosophy, politics or anthropology, which are in fact only a reflection of ordinary human behavior that does not carry anything sacred. Religions, hiding behind the name of the Lord, give themselves up to politics and seek to establish their creed as the dominant one in the world, instead of spreading the message, the knowledge of love, unity, the mercy of the Mother, as well as the possibility of self-realization.

Meanwhile, even the bulk of those who try to practice Tantra have reduced its status to little more than black magic and are using the spiritual world to further their own material goals and those of their clientele who pay for it. It seems that exploitation for commercial purposes and self-promotion "overlaid" the very essence of the yogic tradition on all fronts.

The true Dharma, the natural and universal principles, are present only to a small extent in those who are trying to save the planet. We see a large number of irritated "angry" activists who are looking for an opportunity to put the blame for the world's problems on someone else, yelling and cursing others, instead of becoming a real loving peace helpers whose goal is to unite us for the greater good of all.

We continue to divide humanity in the name of religion and politics, fighting each other, while everywhere we continue to devastate the planet, plundering its resources and polluting its land, water and air.

In order to bring our planet into a new, spiritual era, into a new world age of consciousness of a higher level, we must acquire Shakti or the ability to do so. We need strength, knowledge, sincerity and grace from higher powers. We cannot rise above our human, social and psychological problems on our own, because our behavior and state of consciousness exist only within these limits. In order for this to happen, we must humbly seek the grace of the Mother, especially in her aspect as Kali, the Mother as the ruler of all time and change.

We need a new energy, Shakti, to make the necessary global changes, a new message, an impulse of spiritual power from the Mother Goddess. In order for this to happen, we must first of all accept Shakti into ourselves, into our own minds and hearts, and learn to live in harmony with its rhythms and transformative vibrations, allowing it to purify and change our own, first of all, psychological nature. .

The power of the Divine Feminine is also necessary in order to promote a new birth of a higher consciousness in the world, not only at the level of individual individuals, but at the level of the entire planet. We must recognize the Goddess in all her forms, of which her changing manifestation as Mother Kali is perhaps the most important. We need the grace of the feminine, gentleness and kindness to alleviate the pain and anger that burns us from the inside, the fire of which for many generations has been fueled by greed, vanity and ignorance.

We need to rise above the vicissitudes of human passions and needs by opening our hearts to the life-giving power of Shakti Kali. Mother Kali strives to ensure that we can fully experience and feel her energy, as this will make our lives meaningful for the progress of our souls. We can feel its mystical power again in full manifestation in this unsettled, transitional age. She patiently seeks those who can carry her gracious will.

For true renewal to come, everything old must go. This is the work of the energy of Kali or the force of time. But this is not just some external factor in the destruction of evil in people through good. At present, we mostly live in the “gray zone”, where the purity of the heart is practically not found, does not exist. Meanwhile, no soul is intrinsically evil; good essence can be resurrected in her if we do it at the right time under the right circumstances. We must get rid of weakness, judgment, pity and narrowness within ourselves.

Negative forces (Asuras, demons) currently have the upper hand, but often the darkest time of the night comes just before dawn, and everything negative must manifest outwardly before it can be completely eliminated. There is no such non-divine force or power that Mother Kali could not find a counterbalance to, could not absorb and dissolve in the higher world.

In our time of chaos and strife, the highest divine power must be revered. We must in our vision rise above the level of our current historical position to the level of cosmic forces. The inevitable ecological changes that are already taking place are designed so that we can take refuge in these benevolent and all-powerful cosmic forms, in order to force us to recognize our dependence on the higher universe and its divine essence. The presence of the Devata, the highest divine force, will again manifest as a surge of merciful energies that will bring a peaceful existence to humanity and the entire Earth.

Mother Kali is the highest manifestation of power behind all spiritual and yogic movements. Mahadevi Kali is Yuga Shakti, the energy of this age, which is heralding a new yoga movement that awakens the power of Shakti. Her role has already been revealed earlier in this era by the great prophets and teachers. Such as Ramakrishna, Yogananda, Aurobindo, Anandamayi Ma and many others who performed their deeds through the power of the Mother Goddess.

There is an urgent need for new avatars and forms of the energy of Kali, for a revival of her worship and for a new and greater flow of her grace. Kali holds the key to our future as a species and to the fate of our souls. Mother Kali has the power to lift humanity to a new level of development, but first we must discover her as the Universal Mother, resting in the fire of the spiritual heart within us.

We need to embrace the purifying fire of Kali so that she can lift us to a new level of enlightenment that will only help solve our personal and global problems. Those who can endure and bear the test of Kali's fire can bring new knowledge into the world. They will open a vision of the future, which is in harmony with eternal truth and universal harmony.

Translation from English:
Shanti Nathini (Maria Nikolaeva)

In Buddhism, Kuan Yin is revered as a compassionate savior, a bodhisattva of mercy. Quan Yin, the beloved mother and divine mediator close to the daily affairs of her devotees, is the Buddhist Madonna, whose role in the East is comparable to that of Mother Mary in the West. Throughout the Far East, people who revere her seek her help and guidance in every area of ​​life. Altars dedicated to Kuan Yin can be found in temples, houses, and roadside shrines.
The name Guan She Yin, as she is often called, means "she who watches the world, or listens to the sounds of the world." According to legend, Kuan Yin was about to enter the kingdom of heaven, but stopped on the threshold, hearing the cry of the world.

Kuan Yin is revered as the patroness of women, sailors, merchants, artisans, those who are subject to criminal prosecution, and those who wish to have offspring. [In the hearts of people] lives an unshakable faith in the saving grace and healing powers of Kuan Yin. Many believe that even the mere repetition of Kuan Yin's name will instantly attract her presence. The Crystal Rosary of Kuan Yin contains her mantras and is a powerful tool to attract her intercession.
For Mahayana Buddhism, Kuan Yin has been the embodiment of the bodhisattva ideal for many centuries. The word "bodhisattva" literally means "being of the bodhi", "enlightened being", a being who is destined to become a Buddha, but who refused to enter the bliss of Nirvana, having vowed to save all the children of God. Kuan Yin took a bodhisattva vow to work with the evolutions of this planet and this solar system, showing them the path of the Ascended Master teachings.

In the Buddhist tradition, Kuan Yin is the Chinese equivalent in the female form of the God of Mercy and Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, who was revered in India and Tibet before the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism into China in the fifth century. Devotees call upon the power and merciful intercession of the bodhisattva by reciting the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" - "Hail to you, jewel in the lotus", or, as it is often translated, "Hail to you, Avalokitesvara, who is the jewel in the lotus of the believer's heart"!
According to legend, Avalokiteshvara was born from a beam of white light that came out of the right eye of Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, when he was immersed in ecstasy. Thus, Avalokiteshvara (Kwan Yin) is considered the "image" of Amitabha - the next emanation or embodiment of maha karuna (great compassion) - a quality that Amitabha himself embodies in the highest sense. Adherents believe that Kuan Yin, in her role as a merciful deliverer, expresses Amitabha's compassion more directly and personally, and that prayers addressed to her are answered more quickly.
It is widely believed that Guan Yin was the third daughter of Miao Chuan Weng of the Shu Dynasty, the ruler of the northern Chinese kingdom, who lived around 700 BC. e. According to legend, the girl was determined to devote herself to a religious life and, contrary to her father's orders and the requests of her friends, refused to marry. Eventually, she was allowed to enter the White Bird Nunnery in Langshu Hsien. Here, by order of her father, she was placed in the dirtiest work, which did not cool her ardent love for God.

Enraged by her piety, the emperor ordered the execution of his daughter, but when the sword touched her, it broke into a thousand pieces. Then her father ordered her to be hanged, but when her soul left her body and descended into hell, she turned it into paradise. Carried on a lotus flower to the island of Puto, near Nimpo, she lived for nine years, healing the sick and saving sailors from a shipwreck.
It is said that once, when word of her father's illness reached her, she cut the flesh from her hands and used it as medicine to save his life. In gratitude, he ordered the creation of a statue in her honor, instructing the sculptor to depict her with "a perfect form with hands and eyes." However, the sculptor misunderstood, and to this day Kuan Yin is sometimes portrayed as "thousand-armed and thousand-eyed", thus able to see many people and help them.

She is the compassionate Savior of the East. Altars dedicated to this Mother of Mercy can be found in temples, houses and roadside grottoes throughout the East, and prayers to her Presence and her Flame do not descend from the lips of believers who seek her guidance and help in all spheres of life.

As a significant figure in Eastern culture, Kuan Yin awakens interest in his path and teachings among an increasing number of Western believers who recognize the powerful presence of the "Goddess of Mercy", along with the Virgin Mary, as the enlightener and intercessor of the Seventh Age of Aquarius.

The long history of her fidelity to God makes it possible to comprehend the character and example of this Lightbearer, who not only laid down her life for "her friends", but again and again came as an intercessor, carrying the burden of her neighbors on her shoulders. For centuries, Kuan Yin has embodied the lofty ideal of Mahayana Buddhism in her role as a "bodhisattva" (Chinese p'u-sha), which literally means "a being of bodhi or enlightenment". renounced the bliss of Nirvana by vowing to save all of God's children.

The name Guan Shi Yin, as she is often called, means "she who carefully looks, observes or listens to the sounds of the world." According to legend, Kuan Yin was ready to ascend to heaven, but stopped on the threshold, as the prayers of the world reached her ears.

To this day, scholarly disputes continue about the origins of the worship of the female bodhisattva Kwan Yin. Kuan Yin is believed to be the female form of Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit), the bodhisattva of compassion in Indian Buddhism, whose worship was introduced to China in the 3rd century.

Scholars believe that the Buddhist monk and translator Kumarajiva was the first to indicate the feminine form of Kuan Yin in a Chinese translation of the Lotus Sutra in 406. Of the 33 appearances referring to the Bodhisattva in his translation, 7 are female (since then, Chinese and Japanese Buddhists have associated the number 33 with Kuan Yin).

Although Kuan Yin continued to be depicted as a male until the 10th century, with the emergence of Tantric Buddhism in China in the 8th century during the Tang Dynasty, the image of the celestial bodhisattva in the form of a beautiful goddess dressed in white was increasingly used, and her religious worship became more and more popular. By the 9th century, every Buddhist monastery in China had a statue of Kuan Yin.

Despite the controversy about the origin of Kuan Yin as a female being, the description of the bodhisattva as both a "god" and a "goddess" does not correspond to Buddhist teachings. The sacred texts say that a bodhisattva has the power to incarnate in any form - male, female, child, even animal - it all depends on what kind of creature he needs to save. As stated in the Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin "using a variety of forms, travels the world, leading? transporting beings to salvation."

A 12th-century legend about the Buddhist saint Miao Shan, a Chinese princess who lived around 700 BC. (it is believed that it was Kuan Yin), strengthened the image of a bodhisattva in a female form. During the 12th century, Buddhist monks settled on P'u-T'o Shan, a sacred mountain island in the Chusan archipelago off the coast of Shekiang, where, according to stories, Miao Shan lived for nine years, rescuing and healing shipwrecked sailors. The worship of Kuan Yin is widespread in Northern China.

This picturesque island has become the main center of worship for the Compassionate Savior. Many pilgrims travel from the most remote places in China and even from Manchuria, Mongolia and Tibet to attend the majestic services held there. At one time, there were more than a hundred temples on the island, in which there were more than 1000 monks. The legends surrounding the island of P"u-T"o tell of the many phenomena and miracles demonstrated by Kuan Yin, who is believed to be a believer in a certain cave on the island.

In one of the branches of Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Kuan Yin is part of the supreme triad, which is often depicted in temples and is a popular theme in Buddhist art. In the center is the Buddha of Infinite Light - Amitabha (in Chinese - A-mi-t "o Fo; in Japanese - Amida). To the right of him is the bodhisattva of strength, or power, Mahasthamaprapta, and to the left is Kwan Yin, personifying his boundless mercy.

In Buddhist theology, Kuan Yin is sometimes described as the helmsman of the Salvation Boat that carries souls to Amitabha's Western Paradise, or clean land- a land of bliss, where souls can be born again to continue their education leading to enlightenment and perfection. The journey to the Pure Land is often depicted in woodcuts: boats filled with Amitabha's followers, with Kuan Yin as the helmsman.

A favorite image of Buddhists who want to be born again in their Western Paradise and gain freedom from the cycle of rebirth, Amitabha, is considered in a mystical or spiritual sense the father of Kuan Yin. The legends of the Mahayana school tell that Avalokiteshvara was "born" from a beam of white light that Amitabha radiated from his right eye while in a state of sacred trance.

Thus, Avalokitesvara, or Kuan Yin, is considered a "reflection" of Amitabha - a further emanation, or incarnation, of "maha karuna" (great compassion) - a quality of which Amitabha himself is the perfect personification. Many images of Kuan Yin can be recognized by the presence of a small image of Amitabha in her crown. It is believed that as a merciful savior, Kuan Yin reflects Amitabha's compassion in a more direct and personal way and her prayers are answered more quickly.

Kuan Yin's iconography depicts her in various forms, each showing a different aspect of her benevolent presence. As the majestic Goddess of Mercy, whose beauty, mercy and compassion embody the ideal of femininity in the East, she is often depicted as a slender woman in a flowing white robe, holding in her left hand a white lotus - a symbol of purity. She may wear ornaments symbolizing her accomplishments as a bodhisattva, or she may be depicted without them as a sign of her great virtue.

Quite often Kuan Yin can be recognized on the image of the "Patroness of Children", which is in many houses and temples. A large white veil covers her entire figure sitting on a lotus. Often Kuan Yin is depicted with a child in her arms, at her feet, or on her knees, or with several children standing around her. In this role, she is also referred to as "she who is clothed in white and revered". Sometimes two servants are depicted to the right and left of her: Shang-ts "ay Tung-tsi -" a young man of excellent qualities "and Lung-wang Nu -" the daughter of the Dragon King ".

Bodhisattva Kuan Yin is also known as Bodhisattva P "yu-t" o-Shan - the mistress of the South Sea and the patroness of fishermen. In this role, she is depicted as floating on the sea, sitting or standing on a lotus or on a dragon's head.

Like Avalokitesvara, she is also depicted with a thousand arms and a varying number of eyes, hands and heads, sometimes with an eye in the palm of each hand; and is commonly referred to as the "thousand-armed, thousand-eyed" bodhisattva. In this case, Kuan Yin personifies the omnipresent mother, looking in all directions at the same time, feeling the suffering of mankind and stretching out her many hands to alleviate them with the boundless manifestations of her mercy.

Characteristic symbols that are associated with Quan Yin are: a willow branch with which she sprinkles the divine nectar of life; a precious vessel, symbolizing the balm (nectar) of compassion and wisdom; the seal of a bodhisattva; dove, personifying generosity; a book or scroll of prayers that she holds in her hand, symbolizing the dharma (teachings) of the Buddha or the sutra (Buddhist text) that Miao Shan is said to constantly read aloud; and a rosary adorning her neck, with which she calls out to the Buddhas for help.

In his images, Avalokiteshvara usually holds a rosary. The legend of his birth says that he was born with a white crystal rosary in his right hand and a white lotus in his left. It is said that the beads represent all living beings, and the turning of the rosary symbolizes that Avalokiteshvara brings them out of the state of suffering and repeated rounds of births into nirvana.

Now Kuan Yin is revered by Taoists as well as Mahayana by Buddhists - especially in Taiwan, Japan, Korea and her homeland China, where the practice of Buddhism was banned by the Communists during the Cultural Revolution (1966-69). She is the intercessor of women, sailors, merchants, artisans and those who are persecuted by the law, especially people who want to have children turn to her.

She is loved as a motherly image and a divine mediator who takes the daily affairs of her admirers to heart. The role of Kuan Yin as a Buddhist Madonna can be compared to the role of Mary - the mother of Jesus - in the West.

There is absolute faith in the saving grace and healing powers of Kuan Yin. Many believe that even simply repeating her name aloud immediately brings her to the scene. One of the most famous texts related to the bodhisattva is the ancient Lotus Sutra, where in chapter 25, dedicated to Kuan Yin and known as the "Kuan Yin Sutra", 13 cases of misfortunes or misfortunes threatening people, ranging from shipwrecks to fires, imprisonment are described. , robberies, demons, deadly poisons and karmic upheavals, from which the believer will be saved if his thoughts are turned to Kuan Yin. The text is read many times during the day by those who wish to receive the promised favors.

Devotees also invoke the power of the bodhisattva and her merciful intercession with the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM - "Greeting in the lotus", or as it is also translated, "Greeting to Avalokiteshvara, who is the treasure in the heart of the lotus in the heart of the true believer." From Tibet to Ladakh, Buddhists have inscribed OM MANI PADME HUM on flat prayer stones called "mani stones" as a vow to praise Avalokiteshvara. Thousands of these stones were used in the construction of the mani-walls, stretching along the roads leading to villages and monasteries.

It is believed that Kuan Yin often appears in the sky or on the waves to save those who call on her in times of danger. Various stories can be heard in Taiwan, for example, from reporters that during World War II, when the United States bombed Japanese-occupied Taiwan, she appeared in the sky as a young girl, caught the bombs and covered them with her white robes so that they would not explode .

Altars dedicated to the goddess of mercy can be seen everywhere: in shops, restaurants, even on the dashboard of a taxi. In the houses of believers, she is worshiped in the traditional "pai-pai" - a prayer ritual that uses incense, prayer cards (schemes) - sheets of paper decorated with images of Kuan Yin, lotus flowers or pagodas and surrounded by hundreds of small circles. In each series, prayers are recited aloud or Sutras are recited as a novelty for a relative, friend, or for oneself, the next circle is filled. This card is considered the "ship of salvation", on which the departed souls escape from the dangers of hell and the believers are safely delivered to the paradise of Amitabha. In addition to complex services with litanies and prayers, Kuan Yin's devotion was reflected in folk literature, in poetry and laudatory hymns.

Faithful devotees of Kuan Yin often visit local temples and make pilgrimages to larger ones when important events occur in their lives or when they are especially burdened with any problems. Every three years, festivities are held in her honor on the nineteenth day of the second month (her birthday is celebrated), the sixth month, and the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

In the tradition of the Great White Brotherhood, Kuan Yin is known as the Ascended Lady, who holds the position of the Goddess of Mercy, as she embodies the Divine qualities of the law of mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Kuan Yin had many incarnations prior to her ascension thousands of years ago and made a bodhisattva vow to teach the unascended children of God to balance karma and fulfill the divine plan by lovingly serving life and utilizing the violet flame through the science of the spoken Word.

Kuan Yin was the predecessor of Ascended Master Saint Germain as Chohan (Lord) of the Seventh Ray of freedom, transmutation, mercy and justice. She is one of the eight Ascended Masters who serve on the Karmic Board - the Council of Justice, which determines the karma of earth evolutions: the possibility of liberation, mercy and the true and fair judgment of the LORD for every lifestream on Earth. She is the hierarch of the ethereal Temple of Mercy over Beijing in China, where she focuses the light of the Divine Mother for the benefit of the children of the ancient Earth of China, human souls and sons and daughters of God.