To understand Guan Yin one has to read Lotus Sutra.
AT THAT TIME Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva rose from his
seat, uncovered his right shoulder, placed his palms together, and
facing the Buddha, said, "World Honored One, for what reason is the
Bodhisattva Guanshiyin called �Guanshiyin�?"
The Buddha told Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva, "Good man,
if any of the limitless hundreds of thousands of myriads of
kotis of living beings who are undergoing all kinds of
suffering hear of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and recite his name
single-mindedly, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva will immediately hear their
voices and rescue them.
"If a person who upholds the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva
enters a great fire, the fire will not burn him, all because of
this Bodliisattva�s awesome spiritual power.
"If a person being tossed about in the great sea calls out the
Bodhisattva�s name, he will find a shallow place.
"If the hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of
beings who seek gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl,
carnelian, coral, amber, pearls, and so forth enter the great sea,
an evil wind may toss their boats into the territory of the
rakshasa ghosts. But if among them there is even one
person who calls out the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, they will
all be saved from the difficulty of the rakshasas. For
this reason, he is called Guanshiyin.
"Further, if a person who is about to be harmed calls out the
name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, the knives and staves of the
attackers will break into pieces and he will be saved.
"If yakshas and rakshasas enough to fill the
three thousand great thousand world system come to torment a
person, if they hear him call out the name of Guanshiyin
Bodhisattva, all those evil ghosts will not even be able to stare
at that person with their evil eyes, how much the less harm
him.
"If a person, whether guilty or not, who has been put in stocks
or bound with chains calls out the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva,
his fetters will break apart and he will immediately be freed.
"If bandits enough to fill the three thousand great thousand
world system infest a dangerous road on which a merchant chief in
charge of costly jewels is leading a group of merchants, but among
the merchants there is even a single person who says, �Good men, do
not be afraid! You should all single-mindedly recite the name of
Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. This Bodhisattva bestows fearlessness upon
living beings. If you recite his name, you shall surely be saved
from these robbers,� and if upon hearing that, the merchants all
cry out together, �Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva,� then they
will immediately be saved because they recited his name.
"Inexhaustible Intention! The awesome spiritual power of the
Bodhisattva Mahasattva Guanshiyin is as lofty and sublime as
that!
"If living beings who have much sexual desire constantly and
reverently recite the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, they will be
separated from desire.
"If those who have much hatred constantly and reverently recite
the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, they will be separated from
hatred.
"If those who are very stupid constantly and reverently recite
the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, they will be separated from
stupidity.
"Inexhaustible Intention, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva has great
awesome spiritual powers such as these and confers great benefits.
Therefore living beings should always be mindful of him.
"If women who seek sons bow and make offerings to Guanshiyin
Bodhisattva, they will give birth to blessed, virtuous, and wise
sons. If they seek daughters, they will give birth to upright and
handsome daughters who have planted roots of virtue in previous
lives and who are regarded and respected by all.
"Inexhaustible Intention! Guanshiyin Bodhisattva has powers such
as these. If there are living beings who reverently bow to
Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, they will be blessed and their efforts will
not be in vain.
"Therefore living beings should all receive and uphold the name
of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.
"Inexhaustible Intention! If a person were to receive and uphold
the names of Bodhisattvas in number as the grains of sand in
sixty-two kotis of Ganges Rivers, and in addition were to
exhaustively make offerings to them of food, drink, clothing,
bedding, and medicine, what do you think�would that good man�s or
good woman�s merit and virtue be great or not?"
Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva replied, "Very great, World
Honored One."
The Buddha said, "If another person were to receive and uphold
the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and bow and make offerings but
once, that person�s blessings would be equal to and not different
from the other person�s. They could not be exhausted in hundreds of
thousands of myriads of kotis of eons.
"Inexhaustible Intention, one who receives and upholds the name
of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva obtains the benefit of blessings and
virtues as limitless and boundless as those."
Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, "World
Honored One, how does Guanshiyin Bodhisattva roam through this Saha
world? How does he speak the Dharma for living beings? How does he
carry out this work with the power of expedients?"
The Buddha told Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva, "Good man,
if living beings in this land must be saved by means of someone in
the body of a Buddha, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva will manifest
itt the body of a Buddha
and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a
Pratyekabuddha, he will manifest in the body of a Pratyekabuddha
and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a Hearer, he
will manifest in the body of a Hearer and speak Dharma for
them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of the Brahma
King, he will manifest in the body of the Brahma King and speak
Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of Shakra, he will
manifest in the body of Shakra and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of the God of
Sovereignty, he will manifest in the body of the God of Sovereignty
and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of the Great God
of Sovereignty, he will manifest in the body of the Great God of
Sovereignty and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a great
heavenly general, he will manifest in the body of a great heavenly
general and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of Vaishravana, he
will manifest in the body of Vaishravana and speak Dharma for
them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a minor king,
he will manifest in the body of a minor king and speak Dharma for
them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of an Elder, he
will manifest in the body of an Elder and speak Dharma for
them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a layman, he
will manifest in the body of a layman and speak Dharma for
them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a minister of
state, he will manifest in the body of a minister of state and
speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a Brahman, he
will manifest in the body of a Brahman and speak Dharma for
them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a Bhikshu,
Bhikshuni, Upasaka, or Upasika, he will manifest in the body of a
Bhikshu, Bhikshuni, Upasaka, or Upasika and speak Dharma for
them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of the wife of an
Elder, of a layman, of a minister of state, or of a Brahman, he
will manifest in a wife�s body and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a pure youth or
a pure maiden, he will manifest in the body of a pure youth or pure
maiden and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a heavenly
dragon, yaksha, gandharva, asura, garuda, kinnara,
mahoraga, human, or nonhuman, and so forth, he will manifest
in such a body and speak Dharma for them.
"If they must be saved by someone in the body of a
Vajra-wielding spirit, he will manifest in the body of a
Vajra-wielding spirit and speak Dharma for them.
"Inexhaustible Intention! Guanshiyin Bodhisattva has
accomplished merit and virtue such as this and, in all manner of
forms, roams throughout the land, saving and liberating living
beings.
"Therefore you should all single-mindedly make offerings to
Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva Mahasattva can, in
the midst of fear, crisis, and hardship, bestow fearlessness. That
is why in this Saha world all call him the "Bestower of
Fearlessness."
Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, "World
Honored One, I shall now make an offering to Guanshiyin
Bodhisattva." He then removed his necklace of pearls, its value in
the hundreds of thousands of ounces of gold, and offered it to the
Bodhisattva, saying, "Humane One, accept this Dharma offering, this
necklace of precious pearls."
Guanshiyin Bodhisattva refused to accept it.
Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva again said to Guanshiyin
Bodhisattva, "Humane One, out of pity for us, accept this
necklace."
The Buddha then told Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, "You should take
pity on Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva and the fourfold
assembly, as well as the gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas,
asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and
so forth, and accept this necklace."
Then, out of pity for the fourfold assembly, the gods, dragons,
humans, nonhumans, and so forth, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva accepted
the necklace. He divided it into two parts: one part he offered to
Shakyamuni Buddha and the other to the stupa of Many
Jewels Buddha.
"Inexhaustible Intention, such is the self-mastery and spiritual
power of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, who roams throughout the Saha
world."
At that time, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva used verses to
ask this question:
World Honored One, complete with wondrous marks,
I now ask again,
Why is this disciple of the Buddha Called Guanshiyin?
The Honored One of Perfect, Wondrous Marks,
With verses answered Inexhaustible Intention:
Listen to the practice of Guanyin,
Who skillfully responds in all places.
With vast vows, as deep as the sea,
Throughout inconceivable eons,
He has served many thousands of kotis of Buddhas,
And has made great, pure vows.
I shall now tell you in brief,
That for those who hear his name or see him,
And who are mindful of his name unceasingly,
He can extinguish the suffering of all realms of
existence.
If someone is the victim of another�s harmful intent,
And is pushed into a pit of fire,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The pit of fire will turn into a pool.
If someone is being tossed about in the great sea,
And is surrounded by the dangers of dragons, fish, and
ghosts,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The waves will not drown him.
If someone is on the peak of Mount Sumeru,
And another person tries to push him off,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
He will stand firm as the sun in space.
If someone is pursued by evil people,
Who want to throw him off a Vajra Mountain,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
Not a single hair on his body will be harmed.
If someone is surrounded by vicious bandits,
Who threaten him with knives,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The bandits will all give rise to compassion.
If someone is in trouble with the law,
And on the verge of being executed,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The knives will break into pieces.
If someone is imprisoned, shackled, or chained,
Or if his hands and feet are in stocks,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
His bonds will open and he will be free.
If someone is about to be harmed,
By mantras, spells, or poison,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The harm will all return to the sender.
If someone meets with evil rakshasas,
Poisonous dragons, or ghosts,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
They will then not dare to harm him.
If someone is surrounded by vicious beasts,
With fearsome fangs and claws,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The beasts will quickly run far away.
Poisonous snakes and scorpions,
Have blazing lethal vapors,
But if one evokes the strength of Guanyin,
At the sound of one�s voice, they will disperse.
Clouds of roaring thunder and lightning
May send down hail or great floods of rain,
But if one evokes the strength of Guanyin,
The clouds will immediately scatter.
Living beings are beset with hardships,
And oppressed by limitless sufferings.
The power of Guanyin�s wondrous wisdom
Can rescue the world from suffering.
Complete with the power of spiritual penetrations,
Vastly cultivating wisdom and expedient means,
Going throughout countries in the ten directions,
He manifests everywhere in all places.
The various evil destinies,
Those of the hells, ghosts, and animals,
And the pain of birth, old age, sickness, and death
Are all gradually wiped away.
True Contemplator, Pure Contemplator,
Contemplator with Vast, Great Wisdom,
Compassionate Contemplator, Kind Contemplator,
May we constantly behold you with reverence!
Undefiled pure light,
The sun of wisdom that breaks through the darkness
Is able to quell calamities of wind and fire
As it shines on all worlds.
Compassionate substance: the thunder of precepts.
Kind intent: a wondrous great cloud.
He rains down sweet dew and Dharma rain,
Which extinguish the flames of affliction.
In the midst of contention, when faced with lawsuits,
Or when someone is terrified on the battlefield,
If he evokes the strength of Guanyin,
All his many enemies will scatter and leave.
Wondrous your sound, Contemplator of the World�s Sounds
A pure sound, a sound like the sea tide,
A sound beyond all worldly sounds,
We shall always bear it in mind.
In thought after thought we have no doubt:
Guanshiyin is pure and sagely.
In times of suffering, agony, danger, and death,
He is our refuge and protector.
Complete with all merit and virtue,
His kind eyes watching living beings,
He is endowed with massive blessings, limitless as the sea.
Therefore we should reverently worship him.
At that time the Bodhisattva Guardian of the Earth rose from his
seat and said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, if there are those
who hear this chapter of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, who learn about
the self-mastery of his deeds and the power of his spiritual
penetrations as shown in this Universal Door, you should know that
the merit and virtue of such people will not be small."
When the Buddha had spoken the "Universal Door Chapter,"
eighty-four thousand living beings in the assembly all brought
forth the resolve for anuttarasamyaksambodhi.