Guan Yin - the Bodhisattva of Compassion

**All the Gods and Goddesses represented should be taken as gender neutral. There is no inherent male or female separation between them as the energies, characteristics and wisdoms discussed are available to all regardless of gender.**

Guan Yin is the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion. Called the Mercy Goddess, her name in Chinese means “The one who perceives the sounds of the world.” She hears our prayers - our unspoken, unfulfilled laments, desires, and dreams of the heart.

You are the emotional rock in your family, for your friends and at your job. In every area of your life, you are the one everyone goes to to unburden themselves of their pain and confusion. You listen and you empathize and you compassionately hold space for them to feel their way through to understanding. 

The legends say that Guan Yin will not rest until she had freed every living thing on the Earth from suffering. When she sat in lotus position to listen to prayers of those suffering, her head split into 11 pieces trying to hear and understand the needs of so many. She was given 11 heads to help her on her journey. When she tried to help all those in need, her arms shattered as a result. She was given a thousand arms to administer to the needs of the suffering. She is called the “One with a Thousand Arms and a Thousand Eyes.”

You are always ready to take care of others - emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, that you often neglect your own needs and care. You have a hard time saying no when someone comes to you in need of an ear or comfort. You can only give your best to people when you’ve filled your own cup and made self-care a first priority.

If you need to see self-care as necessary to help others, then think about it however you need to in order for your self-health to be your first priority. You legitimately will not be able to help anyone if you’re run down or have adrenal problems or health issues. You must prioritize your self-care routines. 

Guan Yin can take on any form needed to end suffering. You become whatever role is required to ease pain and suffering in those around you. This can be intoxicating to people - having their needs met is like a soul drug of which they can’t get enough. This is why you need to practice boundaries, but also be very careful in your romantic relationships. Be wary of partners who mistake your compassion and the space you hold for their pain, with romantic love. They love how you make them feel. They love how they can heal and make sense of their trauma around you, but they may not be very good partners. 

This can be true of family and friends as well. Be aware of people in your life who fail to connect to you as an individual - people who don’t ask you about your life, thoughts, plans, ideas or really anything about yourself. Many will only be able to see you as the mirror that reflects them. Loved ones in your life who do not inquire after your emotional well-being, who do not hold space for your healing are to be kept at a distance. It may be hard for you, but not having boundaries and distance from these people is detrimental to you and is not helping them on their own healing path. 

Guan Yin is associated with the Empress card in the Tarot deck. The Abundant Mother, the Empress is the heart center of the world. She gathers to her, all the living things and provides nourishment, nurturing care and support. If you’ve ever considered being a vegetarian, the arrival of Guan Yin is the sign that this is the correct path. The Empress alleviates suffering - eating meat creates suffering. Participating in the industrial meat industry is being party to an enormous and wide-spread net of ongoing suffering and cruelty. Your sweet and sensitive heart is not equipped to carry that burden. 

Guan Yin transformed parts of hell into paradise by releasing her accumulated good karma in response to the suffering and grief of those in hell. You too transform difficult and terrible situations and environments with your attitude, energy and perspective.

If your sensitive heart can handle it, you may consider visiting animal shelters, prisons, old folks homes or hospitals. Any place that is need of an emotional or spiritual lift, you will definitely be of benefit to them. You may consider becoming a therapist, counsellor or social worker. A nurse, doctor, alternative healer or any role where your special gifts can be used to allow living things to heal will be very productive and fulfilling for you.

Your sensitive loving and nurturing heart is probably not news to you. What may not have occurred to you before is your ability to lead people. If you can create boundaries in your world where you are not overwhelmed by the pain and suffering of others, you can be an amazing leader of a business, organization or advocacy group.

You inspire people to help. You inspire people to hope that things can be different. You hold a vision of the world that is the highest ideal of health and love and community for every living thing. Your visions and your ability to connect on a very deep and intimate emotional level leads people to trust and believe in you. 

People feel differently about the world and about themselves when they’re around you. Everything is kinder, gentler, safer and more hopeful in your presence. You can use your gifts to transform any aspect of the world and your life that you want. You must, must, MUST put your self-care first or you will help no one and the world will have lost one of it’s powerful agents of evolution.