270 Part IV: East Asian Civilization
Buddhism in its second 500 years in India had developed ideas that made it
appeal more to the masses than did earlier Buddhism. The Mahayanist notion
of salvation through the intercession of bodhisattvas had powerful appeal to all
classes. The theory that merit could be transferred from one person to another
made this possible. Bodhisattvas could compassionately bestow some of their
enormous stores of merit on their devotees. In China, the most beloved of all
bodhisattvas was and is Guanyin, the beautiful Goddess of Mercy, portrayed in
thousands of paintings and images. Her name means “taking heed of theThe most popular bodhisattva in China is certainly Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.
She is the Chinese form of Avalokiteshvara, who probably merged with a popular
Daoist goddess to become the most beloved bodhisattva in China.Guanyin of the Southern Sea. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO.
Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust, 34-10.