This portrait of the Goddess of compassion is both an informative study by a leading scholar of Buddhism and an engaging account of the author's search for the mystical significance of the goddess. An object of joyous devotion in Chinese folk religion, Kuan Yin is revered for her saving power: it is said that anyone in distress who calls on her with sincerity will be rescued from suffering and harm. On a deeper level, Kuan Yin symbolizes the liberating energy of compassion, which is an indispensable aid in the quest for enlightenment.

John Blofeld evokes the charming presence of Kuan Yin through colorful anecdotes, personal experiences, and descriptions of Buddhist rituals and legends encountered during his travel throughout China. At the same time, he offers a learned account of the goddess's history and importance in Chinese thought and religion. He explores the origin of the Bodhisattva of Compassion in India and Tibet, in the form of Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan: Chenrezig), a male deity who evolved into the gentle mother/maiden figure of Chinese Buddhism. Meditation and visualization techniques associated with Kuan Yin are given, and her principal iconography forms are described. illustrated with images from Chinese and Tibetan sacred art, the book also contains translations of devotional poems and yogic texts. The Bodhisattva of Compassion is undoubtedly the most complete and illuminating picture of Kuan Yin available.

Bodhisattva of Compassion : The Mystical Tradition of Kuan Yin, John Blofeld, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 158 pages, $18.95

John Blofeld was a British writer, public speaker, and Buddhist practitioner. After years of traveling through Asia and experiencing the spiritual culture of China and the Taoist eremites, he became a pupil of the Buddhist master Hsu Yun. Books he has written or translated include Beyond the Gods, Secret and Sublime, The Tantric Mysticism of Tibet, and a translation of the I Ching. He died in 1987.

Foreword 10

The Enigma 17
Some Manifestations 25
Kuan Yin's Indian and Tibetan Genesis 38
Miao Shan and Other Legends 65
Some Buddhist Concepts of Kuan Yin 82
Sacred Rites 98
Contemplative Yogic Meditation 118
Dreams, Reveries and Speculations 134

Appendix: The Principal Iconographic Forms of the Bodhisattva 149
Glossary 157