The Promise of Kuan Yin: Wisdom, Miracles, & Compassion

by Martin Palmer, Ray Ramsay

The best and most comprehensive book on the most important and best-loved Chinese goddess. Walk down the streets of Chinatown in any American or western European city and look around. She is there. Walk through the downtown streets, look in a shop window. She is there. Go to any city in China and open your eyes. She is there, too. Kuan Yin is the most ubiquitous Chinese deity—and the most loved. She is the living expression of compassion whose gentle face and elegant figure form the center of devotion in most Chinese homes and workplaces. Until relatively recently, she was barely known in the West, and few studies had been made of her. Originally published as Kuan Yin by Harper Collins in 1995 (and republished as The Kuan Yin Chronicles by Hampton Roads in 2009), this seminal work explores the origins and evolution of the goddess in ancient China, early Buddhism, Taoism, and shamanism. Religious scholar Martin Palmer and Chinese divination expert Man-Ho Kwok discuss the Kuan Yin myths and stories, and Jay Ramsay provides fresh translations of 100 Kuan Yin poems that function both as literature and divination tools. “A compelling story that reads like a detective mystery . . . and shows the contemporary reassertion of the Goddess in the hearts and minds of men and women.” —Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade.

Previously published as The Kuan Yin Chronicles.

Genres: Buddhism, History, Audiobook, Spirituality, Poetry, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Mark's endless quest · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction for those who are curious about this deity. It covers the background and basic facts about this deity that has 'infiltrated' many branches of Buddhism & Taoism. In a way it has a lot in common with the Catholic version of Mary.
Complicated theology and rigorous steps to enlightenment have their place. But when the human brain is overwhelmed with grief, struggle and despair we tend to grasp for the basics . A heavenly being that's filled with empathy . Even the strongest and most learned among us will turn to a mother figure for comfort when all else has failed.

[caitlin hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books that also recommend other books!
‘Journey To West’ is going on my TBR immediately-
And I would love to read the anthology poems of and for Kuan Yin, (assumed to be written by Chinese tourists at temple/s in Guangzhou). In the third part of this book, they are beautifully described as having ‘𝙖 𝙟𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢. 𝘼 𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚…’ and after reading an example it’s easy to see why.
Author Jay Ramsey goes on to say some of the most breathtaking things I have ever read in works of non-fiction storytelling:
[about the poems]
…𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚, and in fact there is no evidence that these were not also written by women. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞; 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨…’

Update:
I read the poems ‘The Quantrins’ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦!

[Baroness · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history was vast, audiobook left me wanting to know more about Kuan Yin.

[Peter A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A succinct and engaging book that provides the history and origins of Kuan Yin, myths and legends about her, and a set of one hundred poems from Kuan Yin.

Kuan Yin is a goddess accepted within the Buddhist and Taoist religions, representing compassion and the divine feminine, and is often thought of as the “One who Hears the Cries of the World.”

The authors describe her transition from a male Indian Buddhist Avalokitesvara to the compassionate goddess in China. They place the transition in the context of a culture in China pre-disposed to the feminine, the influx of new ideas from India, Afghanistan, and the West, and overlaying and morphing ideas from one belief to fit another as a way to gain acceptance.

Strikingly for me is the intermixture of the advent of Christianity in China with its Madonna and the emergence of Kuan Yin as a female (though grudgingly so for many Buddhist theologians who believe in when Kuan Yin returns to heaven she will revert back to male). The authors cite instances, in the 1500s, when Portuguese sailors happened upon figures of Kuan Yin in China, believing them to be the Virgin Mary.

The authors also summarize stories of Kuan Yin’s miracles or origins, including the famous story of Princes Miao Shan.

The authors also provide translations of 100 poems of Kuan Yin. The authors suspect this collection came from that fifteenth to sixteenth century, are of a consistent form (four lines, seven characters each). These quatrains act as poems but also act as divinations—seeking guidance at a temple, praying, shaking a container of numbers, and reading the poem corresponding to the number. Among the authors, there were many spirited discussions on how to translate these poems. They decided to translate these quatrains as poetry rather than a more direct way to interpret the poem, allowing the poem to relay its imagery.

This is the third edition of the book, first published in 1995, republished (with a different title) in 2009, and finally this edition in 2021.

FB. Overall, an invaluable introduction to Kuan Yin, her evolution and acceptance.

[Juan Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to see the expressions of human religiosity in their search for divinity. Kuan Yin, a goddess who probably came from Buddhism, from Avalokiteshvara and later became a woman, possibly inspired the change in the Virgin Mary, brought by early Christians to China.

Chinese gods were generally vengeful and prayed to them not to harm humans. This goddess survived because of her compassion and today she is worshiped in thousands of temples.

She remembers when she was young and used the "I Ching" to "predict" the future (well, we were all young). This Kuan Yin book has 100 verses written by her, which can be used for the same. Chinese divinations do not mean that the future is predetermined, but rather force us to introspect to make decisions.

I also remembered when I did a program that selected a book and a chapter of the Bible for me, it was always related to what I was experiencing that day.

Same with horoscopes, whenever we wanted to find a relationship. We could even read any sign and say "this applies to me".

Interesting reading and learning.

[Juan Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to see the expressions of human religiosity in their search for divinity. Kuan Yin, a goddess who probably came from Buddhism, from Avalokiteshvara and later became a woman, possibly inspired the change in the Virgin Mary, brought by early Christians to China.

Chinese gods were generally vengeful and prayed to them not to harm humans. This goddess survived because of her compassion and today she is worshiped in thousands of temples.

She remembers when she was young and used the "I Ching" to "predict" the future (well, we were all young). This Kuan Yin book has 100 verses written by her, which can be used for the same. Chinese divinations do not mean that the future is predetermined, but rather force us to introspect to make decisions.

I also remembered when I did a program that selected a book and a chapter of the Bible for me, it was always related to what I was experiencing that day.

Same with horoscopes, whenever we wanted to find a relationship. We could even read any sign and say "this applies to me".

Interesting reading and learning.

[Drew Tschirki · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an interesting book. I come at Kuanyin / Kannon from a Japanese perspective so it was interesting to hear about Kuanyin from a largely Chinese perspective. However, at times it felt like an apologetic and made it hard to connect with. It was well researched and the author does a good job depicting Kuanyin in her different forms and religious apparitions (Buddhist, folk religion, and even Christianity as a Marian apparition)

Overall interesting but different than what I was looking for

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but engaging look at the history of Kuan Yin and her worship.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice balance of history, legend and poetry.