[Buddha-l] Is Guanyin Catholic?

[Vicente Gonzalez]

F.K wrote:

> Let us keep it in mind that Guan Yin (in at least one standard
> version of the story) was really, originally, male

yes, sorry. She is the feminine representation of Avalokiteshvara,
the Buddha disciple. Kannon is her Japanese parallel.
With the spread of the Avalokiteshvara Sutra in the Mahayana, soon
Avalokiteshvara become a woman in China and Japan.
Tibetans maintained the male version, Chenrezig. However, a feminine
aspect arose quickly from him with Tara the goddess. She is today the
more popular protective deity in Tibetan Buddhism.

These transformations shows that compassionate and protective task
are rooted in us with a feminine-mother image in the mind.
These words of the Dalai Lama shows a similar thing:
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=66,3144,0,0,1,0


best regards,