Guan Yin, or at least her statue, rests on the windowsill in my office. She is the Chinese goddess of infinite compassion. Her legend is that she will not rest till every sentient being is free from suffering. This huge task is probably why her head has split into eleven pieces. In some stories, Guan Yin has one thousand eyes and one thousand arms. Even so, she would have her hands full with the task she has set herself.
Sometimes Guan Yin is depicted holding an infant – in this manifestation the icon reminds us Europeans of the Virgin Mary. Many belief systems have a mother figure that followers turn to for guidance and succour. On a practical level, that makes sense. The mother is an image of fertility and without growth, there would be no food, no future generations and certainly, no spiritual development.
I feel there is also a deeper longing going on. We all crave mother love – someone who will gather us in their arms and comfort us at the end of a dreadful day. We need that person who will not ask what we did wrong to cause the mishap but just accept our feelings of distress and do their best to ease the pain. Lucky people find this in a partner, but unconditional love is not always discovered through romance. That kind of complete acceptance seems to flow more easily from a maternal source.
Of course, there are mothers that don’t quite fit this description, but I think most try. Instinctual love can hit you like an unexpected wave. You are pulled under and out to sea, forever swimming alongside the child you gave birth to. There never seems to be much control over the feelings you have for your children. You are picked up by a current and travel that route regardless of your own attempts at navigation.
The journey can be a yachting voyage through the Mediterranean, or a storm-tossed rowboat on an endless sea. Mothers cling on through illness, both mental and physical. A child may have grown into a monster, but he or she is your monster. It is a hard bond to break. Even amid rejection, you still feel the love you had when the child was first placed in your arms.
Eleven heads might be just enough to understand a teenager and one thousand arms and eyes could prove useful when corralling toddlers. It is said that Guan Yin will only help those that live a life of kindness and honesty. I contemplate her image on my windowsill and wonder if I have done enough to warrant her assistance
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