Guanyin or the One who Hears the Cry of the World is the East Asian Buddhist Goddess. She is also known as the Goddess of Mercy. In this story from the Precious Scroll of the Fragrant Mountain, she is born a princess who like the Buddha himself, is least inclined to a princely life.
Long, long ago in China there lived a king who had three daughters. The youngest was called Miao Shan. When the baby was born it rained flowers and a delicate fragrance filled the air. It’s a sign, said the people, this is a divine incarnation. The king and the queen were not so impressed for they cared not for virtues or goodness. But the little princess was kind of heart and gentle natured.
When she grew up, her father wanted her to marry the grandest of monarchs for he measured worth in wealth. But the Princess refused, for all she wanted was to take care of all beings that were helpless and needy — animal or human. The king was very angry that she refused to obey his wishes. “She does not belong here,” he told his wife. “Send her to a monastery. Let her be with her own kind for she is not one of us.”
The Queen and her sisters tried to persuade her to listen to her father but she would not change her mind. So Princess Miao Shan was sent off to a monastery high up on a barren hill. The king had already told the nuns in the monastery to give her the toughest of tasks so that she would quickly give up the hard life and return to royal comforts.
So the poor Princess was asked to chop wood and fetch water from the stream down the hill. All she did cheerfully without question. She even grew plants on the barren soil and watered them every day and soon the monastery was surrounded by a beautiful garden and the entire hill became a thriving forest, not losing its sheen even in the harshest of winter months. Soon a spring began to flow near the monastery kitchen and all the forest animals began to assist the princess with her chores.
When the king heard about all these miracles he was furious. He ordered the nuns to burn down the monastery with Miao Shan inside. Obey they must, and soon the monastery was set on fire with the nuns inside. When Miao Shan saw the fire, she pierced her tongue with a hairpin and blood began to flow. This brought the storm clouds which soon gathered and it rained in torrents, dousing the fire and saving the lives of those trapped inside.
On hearing this, the King got even angrier. “How dare she mock me? I will have her executed!” he thundered. But no sword or arrow could cause her even the slightest of bruises. For the Jade Emperor himself had her under his protection. Now the Jade Emperor was the most powerful of all gods, the ruler of the heavens. All of a sudden the air seemed to appear very still and a gigantic white tiger appeared in the skies. In one giant leap he reached for the Princess and swiftly carried her away.
Where was he taking her? We’ll know next week…