Thousand-Armed Guanyin

Bodhisattvas Hall, Shuanglin Si

Our final example from Shuanglin Temple is the "thousand-armed" Guanyin that is displayed in the Bodhisattvas Hall. There is no need to count the arms, as "thousand arms" in this case just means "many," all of them dedicated to saving people. Guanyin's activity, as has often been observed, introduced a salvationist and feminine aspect into Buddhist practice, comparable to the Christian veneration of Mary.