Kuan Yin : the princess who became the Goddess of Compassion

Summary: "Kuan Yin, whose name means "one who hears the cries of the world," is perhaps the most widely revered Buddhist saint in the world. Known as Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit, Kannon in Japanese, and Chenrezig in Tibetan, this compassionate bodhisattva is at the heart of all Mahayana Buddhist traditions. Sometimes depicted as male and other times as female, Kuan Yin took the vow to free all sentient beings from their suffering. The legend of Princess Miao-Shan is the origin story of how she became the bodhisattva known as Kuan Yin. Princess Miao-Shan lived in a country called Raised Forest around 700 B.C.E. Instead of marrying a prince according to her father's wishes, she followed her own path of spiritual practice and left the royal life behind. This was unheard of in her Confucian culture, where traditional family roles were viewed as the foundation of society. This story follows Ling, Miao-Shan's younger sister, who witnesses her sister's trials, perseverance, and ultimate enlightenment. Ling must overcome doubts, fears, and loneliness in order to realize what her sister tells her all along: that love, which is ultimately compassion for others, is the greatest power in the universe."--