Large Guanyin Statue At Chinese Buddhist Temple, Overlooking The River Kwai, Next To The Burma Railway Bridge, Kanchanaburi Stock Photo

Guanyin, Guan Yin or Kuan Yin is the Goddess of Mercy considered to be the physical embodiment of compassion. The name is a translation of the Sanskrit Avalokitasvara or Avalokiteśvara, referring to the Mahayana Buddhist bodhisattva of the same name. The one who perceives the world`s lamentations, she is an all-seeing, all-hearing being who is called upon by worshipers in times of uncertainty, despair, and fear. In Chinese temples, the Thousand-Armed manifestation of Guanyin is the most popular among her different esoteric forms.