Who is Kuan Yin?

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Ascended Masters 101 where we talk about the awesome teachings of the ascended masters. Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite ascended masters, the lovely Kuan Yin. If you’re not familiar with ascended masters, I invite you to watch the video on this channel called, who are the ascended masters. 

So – Kuan Yin. If you think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and how she is revered and cherished as the representation of Mother in the western world, then you’re already on your way to understanding Kuan Yin. Kuan Yin is revered as a mother figure that comes through the path of the eastern tradition. She is known as the Buddhist Madonna. 

Kuan Yin is adored in Buddhism as the compassionate saviouress and divine mediatrix, the merciful one who is intimately connected to and concerned with the daily lives of her devotees. Her devotees have a deep trust in her saving grace and in her power to heal. Many believe that even just saying her name will bring her instantly to the scene. Devotees pray for her assistance and nurturing in every area of their lives and altars devoted to Kuan Yin are found in homes, temples and grottoes all across the Far East. In fact, Kuan Yin was worshiped in China even before the advent of buddhism. 

But Kuan Yin is not just for those in the Far East. Just like Mary, the mother of Jesus, she welcomes all of her children across the globe who come to her heart for healing and nurturing. What’s interesting is that Kuan Yin is seen as both masculine and feminine. In her masculine form, she is known as Avalokitesvara. 

Another name for Kuan Yin is Kuan Shih Yin, which means the one who regards, looks on, or hears the sounds of the world. Legend says that Kuan Yin was about to enter heaven, destined to become a Buddha. But then she paused on the threshold as she heard the cries of the world. Instead of entering the bliss of Nirvana, she decided to take the bodhisattva vow and stay with the souls of planet earth and this solar system until all other beings have been fully awakened and guided to their salvation. 

She is known as the Bodhisattva of Mercy or the Goddess of Mercy because she is so filled with mercy, compassion and forgiveness. She has a ton to teach us about these qualities and how important they are to our spiritual progress.  

So, Kuan Yin ascended thousands of years ago and lives in the heaven world, serving planet earth through her bodhisattva vow until all souls on planet earth are free. She has a home of light, known as an etheric retreat in the heaven world. Many ascended masters have etheric retreats which are placed strategically across the globe. These retreats are teeming centers of learning, spiritual activity, healing, refuge, etc., and each retreat has a unique design and purpose. 

Kuan yin’s retreat is called the Temple of Mercy, and is in what is called the etheric plane over Peking (or Beijing), China. The etheric plane is defined in the book The Masters and Their Retreats as, 

“The highest plane in the dimension of matter; a plane that is as concrete and real as the physical plane (and even more so) but is experienced through the senses of the soul in a dimension and a consciousness beyond physical awareness.”

The Masters and Their Retreats, pg 536

From her retreat, Kuan Yin ministers to the souls of humanity (that’s you and me) and teaches us how to balance our karma and fulfill our divine plan, which is our mission in life. She teaches us to do this through loving service to life and by using the Violet flame. If you are unfamiliar with the violet flame, after this, check out the video on this channel called “The Violet Flame Explained.”

So, Kuan Yin literally gave up moving on to higher levels in the heaven world in order to stay and hold your hand and to hold my hand and to hold your parents and your child’s hand until we make it home free to God through our own ascension, which is essentially our graduation ceremony from the schoolroom of earth. 

I personally can’t think of any greater show of solidarity and support than that. When I think of God having my back, I think of Kuan Yin and of many other ascended masters who have made astounding personal sacrifices so that you and I can have the support that we need and a path to follow to make it back to God.

So how can we connect with Kuan Yin and ask her to intercede in our lives? One of the most effective ways is by giving one or more of her mantras. In a Summit university seminar about Kuan Yin, Elizabeth Clare Prophet spoke about Kuan Yin and her mantras. She said, 

“Mantras are keys to the heart of divine beings. Once you have a key that unlocks the door to the heart of Kuan Yin, you enter her entire being. A mantra that becomes your favorite which you master, that you say and develop a momentum on, that mantra becomes the key to her allness. A mantra is for a specific condition. You can choose one that strikes you as being something that can fill an empty space in your life. And you make it your own until you feel your whole body filled with the light of Kuan Yin. 

In our conscious giving of the Kuan Yin mantras there is a process whereby we assimilate God, absolute good. And the pressure of that absolute good is a power of transmutation in the not-self, in the absolute evil beneath. The Kuan Yin mantras also mold and soften the heart. They bring about balance and the qualities of care, compassion and mercy. When you give these mantras, you are giving the salutation to the divine mother in you.”

Summit University, 1988

In the same lecture, Elizabeth Prophet explained that according to the 25th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Kuan Yin can appear in 33 different forms depending on the type of being that needs to be saved. These are called the 33 manifestations of Kuan Yin. Each manifestation represents a quality of Kuan Yin and can be invoked by reciting the mantra that is associated with that manifestation. So – Kuan Yin has 33 different manifestations, or ways of helping us, and each manifestation is invoked by reciting its mantra. In that same lecture, Elizabeth Clare Prophet explains, 

“The 33 manifestations represent the 33 steps of initiation that you will pass through before you have your complete victory over the not-self. When we use these 33 mantras, we are calling for that particular quality and manifestation of Kuan Yin to be with us, to reinforce us. The recitation of each mantra endues us with her presence in that mode.” 

Summit University, 1988

Elizabeth Clare Prophet then went on to explain each manifestation in detail and how Kuan Yin can intercede in our lives through our giving of these mantras. I attended a replay of this seminar when I was a teenager and I so loved these concepts that I compiled the information into a set of meditation and study cards. 

I’d like to share three of them with you. The Chinese mantra is on the top, and the English phonetic pronunciation is right below it. In the middle of the card is the English translation and at the bottom left is the number of the manifestation. On the right is a drawing of Kuan Yin in that manifestation. 

Sometimes a description of Kuan Yin is given, Like Kuan Yin sitting on a dragon or Kuan Yin holding the lotus. Other times there is not a description in which case I used creative license in the drawings. On the back of the card is a summary of how Kuan Yin intercedes for us through that manifestation. I’d like to introduce you to a couple of Kuan Yin’s manifestations.

This is number 17: Kuan Yin of various treasures. On the back it says, 

“The name Kuan Yin, when recited in this mode, helps us to retain and safely seal within ourselves all our spiritual discoveries and treasures, no matter what moves against us in our pursuit of those treasures.” 

ELIZABETH CLARE PROPHET, 1988

This happens to me so often—I’ll read something amazing in the ascended masters’ teachings and I’ll think to myself, wow, if I really apply this in my life, I’ll totally become a better person, or, this will help me make so much spiritual progress! And then I’ll forget it or I’ll forget to write it down, or my lower/unreal self tries to keep me from anchoring the teaching in my consciousness and running with it. So this mantra is the perfect antidote for that! 

This one is number 30, Kuan Yin of oneness. I feel like we really need this now, with our nation and our world being so divided. On the back it explains, 

“This Kuan Yin is the antidote in time of war. It is the oneness of being one with God and in the spirit. We triumph over the dangers of time and space by triumphing over duality. In this Kuan Yin of oneness, we find our true protection.” 

ELIZABETH CLARE PROPHET, 1988

This is a good mantra to give when you’re worried about the world and all the crazy things that are happening, and you don’t know what to do about it—because bringing Kuan Yin to the scene is one of the best things you can do!

This is number 32, Kuan Yin holding the lotus. On the back of the card it explains, 

“The concept of the holding of the lotus is the control of the lotus or control of yourself and the energies flowing through you. Holding onto the lotus is like holding power, wisdom, love, purity, light. And by this mantra we also become Kuan Yin holding the lotus.” 

ELIZABETH CLARE PROPHET, 1988

I love this one because learning how to control your energies—your thoughts and feelings, and holding onto positive states of being such as love and peace and purity, are a huge part of what the ascended masters teach about what it takes to master time and space and make our own ascension. So this is an awesome mantra to invoke Kuan Yin’s help with this, because we all know that mastering your thoughts and feelings is much easier said than done!

There is an app version of the cards called Kuan Yin that’s available on the apple App Store. It includes the audio of each mantra so you can hear the pronunciation of each mantra. The audio is used with permission from The Summit Lighthouse and is taken from Kuan Yin’s Crystal Rosary. This is a lovely rosary that is led by Elizabeth Clare Prophet and includes the recitation of all 33 of Kuan Yin’s manifestations and their mantras as well as beautiful songs to Kuan Yin. In The Masters and Their Retreats, it says that Kuan Yin’s Crystal Rosary is a powerful means of invoking her intercession, and you can really feel it.

I think that’s when I first fell in love with Kuan Yin. I was seven years old, and my mom was hoping to introduce me to the feeling of love and light that comes from the science of the spoken word, so she set me up all cosy on her big bed with pillows and there was a pretty statue of Kuan Yin on the altar in front of the bed.

She turned on Kuan Yin’s Crystal Rosary and left the room. And as I listened to the mantras, I was just lifted up into this wonderful, blissful state of adoration. 

I don’t remember how much time passed, but when my mom opened the door to call me to dinner, the feeling lifted, and I remember being so disappointed that it was over. But that was the beginning of my relationship with Kuan Yin. She is an incredible ascended master whose whole mission is to help you and I figure out this thing called life on earth. And she’s going to stay right by our side until we figure it out. 

So, thanks so much for watching. I love you all, I love talking about the ascended masters’ teachings with you. In the next video coming up, there is a meditation in which we’ll listen to Kuan Yin’s Crystal Rosary mantras for the three manifestations we just spoke about. I’ll post links to everything I’ve mentioned below, and God bless you.