Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, known as Avalokiteswara or Chenrezig in Tibet, Guan Yin or Quan Yin in China, Kannon in Japan, and Tara in India and Tibet, has been worshipped for centuries in many countries and many cultures. Her name means “she who harkens to the cries of the world” and she appears in many forms: male and female, miraculous and mundane. She is often seen holding a white lotus flower and pouring healing waters from a vase. She can also manifest as a being with multiple heads, eyes, arms and hands – enabling her to see, hear and assist all sentient beings who call on her. She is the embodiment of the yin principle and has the miraculous power to assume whatever form is necessary in order to carry out her vow to lead beings out of suffering. She is the divine mother. The sanskrit text below her feet means “Om mani padme hum”, a mantra associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara.