The Thousand-Armed Guanyin

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on Monday, August 24, 2015.)

Statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin at tiny Linfeng Temple, Zhiti Shan, Fujian

Perhaps the most striking statue in many Buddhist temples is also one of the most common. It is the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, usually found with eleven heads.

The Monks of Lin Feng Temple

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 17, 2017.)

Tiny Linfeng Temple on Zhiti Shan, Ningde, Fujian

I have recently told of meeting a well-known monk, Master Ji Qun. But during that same temple stay in Ningde, I was also reminded of the many anonymous members of the Sangha (the community of Buddhist believers).

Eleven-Headed Guanyin

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on Sep 11, 2017.)

Guanyin with eleven heads and "1,000" arms at Dongshan Temple, Shenzhen

A bodhisattva is one whose being (sattva) is enlightened (bodhi). Astute readers may see that the consonants in bodhi--b, d, h--are shared by the word buddha, which means "one who is enlightened." But a bodhisattva differs from a buddha in that, although he or she has worked his/her way up to enlightenment, he/she has vowed to stop short of nirvana until all beings become enlightened. (Never mind that Mahayana followers believe that Buddhas are still available to help as well.)