[Buddha-l] Is Guanyin Catholic?

[jkirk]

Vicente, thanks for the info about Virgin Mary/Guanyin devotion in the
Phillipines--that's news to me, as is the "Kannon Mary" devotion in Japan.

However, I wonder why you think "how Buddhists can maintain
> that advice of not making offerings to outer gods in this case."
Where is the injunction against offering to "outer gods"?
Do you have a source for this?

Thanks, Joanna
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vicente Gonzalez" <vicen.bcn at gmail.com>


> ..........Many Chinese in the catholic Philippines identified Guanyin in 
> front
> Virgin Mary images. Also, prosecuted Christians in the Tokugawa period
> disguised their cult taking advantage of Kannon bodhisattva.
> Today these japanese statues are known as "Kannon Mary":
> http://www.eltestigofiel.org/imagenes/oratoriov/kannon.jpg
> (they have a child as happen with Virgin Mary.)
>
> However, attributes of these goddesses are so numerous in their
> different appearances that it can deserve some clarification.
> And if finally these meanings are the same, then my city tomorrow will
> be replete of potential Avalokiteshvara-Guanyin statues.
> And it will not be a trivial thing, because in such case the question
> is knowing if Buddhist followers would be allowed to put some flowers
> to Virgin Mary images inside those Catholic temples devote to Mary.
> And if both meanings are the same, then how Buddhists can maintain
> that advice of not making offerings to outer gods in this case.

>
>