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Senju Kannon Statue
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Guardian diety for those who were born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972,
1984, 1996.
Made of selected boxwood.
All handmade. Please allow 4 weeks for the production.
25.5 cm(H) x 13.5 cm(W) x 13.5 cm(D)
¥39000
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The Goddess of Mercy embodies compassion and is one of the most widely
worshiped divinities in Japan and mainland Asia. Kannon literally means
"watchful listening," which could be loosely translated as "the
one who sees/hears all." This is indeed the task of the compassionate
Kannon bodhisattva -- to witness/listen to the prayers of those in difficulty
in the earthly realm, and to help them achieve enlightenment. Originally
male, Kannon is commonly portrayed as female in China, Japan and elsewhere
in Asia. Why this is so is not easily explained or understood.
The Kannon can appear in many different forms to save people according
to their time and place. The Avalokitesvara Sutra mentions 33 specific
forms. Says Shaku Soen (deceased), lord abbot of Engakuji Temple: "She
will be a philosopher, merchant, man of letters, person of low birth, or
anything as required by the occasion, while her sole aim is to deliver
all beings without exception from ignorance and suffering. The Kannon is
also often shown with a thousand arms (Senjyu Kannon), symbolic of her
ability to embrace earth and alleviate the suffering of all people in the
earthly realm. In Japan, the most widely known pilgrimage circuit devoted
to Kannon covers 100 sites, and making the circuit to each in proper order
is said to save the believer from Hell and to open the gates to everlasting
life. The Kannon occupies a major place in the liturgy of the Pure Land
Sect in Japan, whose principal deity of worship is Amida Nyorai.
Although the word Senju Kannon means thousand-armed Kannon, most sculptures
show only 42 arms -- two are regular arms, but each of the remaining 40
arms represents the 25 Buddhist worlds, thus, 40 times 25 equals 1000 |
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