Six Guanyin

Six Guanyin (C. Liù Guānyīn; J. Roku Kannon ; K. Yuk Gwaneum 六観音). A group of six manifestations of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara in Chinese Buddhism. A related group in Japanese Buddhism is known as the Six Kannon.

This group first appears in the Mohe Zhiguan by the Tiantai patriarch Zhiyi (538–597 CE), where the six forms of Guanyin are equated with the six syllables of the dhārāṇī contained in the Dhārāṇī Sūtra of Invoking Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva to Dissipate Poison and Harm (C. 請觀世音菩薩消伏毒害陀羅尼呪經). The six Guanyin are said to have the power to destroy the three kinds of obstructions within the six realms of samsara.

The Six Guanyin in China

The Chinese Tiantai master Zhiyi identified the Six Guanyin as follows:

1. Avalokiteśvara as Great Mercy (Chinese: 大慈觀世音, pinyin: Dàcí Guānshìyīn; Jp. Daiji Kanzeon) - Savior of hell beings
2. Avalokiteśvara as Great Compassion (大悲觀世音, Dàbēi Guānshìyīn, Jp. Daihi Kannon) - Savior of pretas
3. Fearless Lion-like Avalokiteśvara (獅子無畏觀世音, Shīzǐ Wúwèi Guānshìyīn; Jp. Shishi Mui Kanzeon) - Savior of animals
4. Avalokiteśvara of the Universally Shining Great Light (大光普照觀世音, Dàguāng Pǔzhào Guānshìyīn; Jp. Daikō Fushō Kanzeon) - Savior of asuras
5. Avalokiteśvara as the Divine Hero (天人丈夫觀世音, Tiānrén Zhàngfū Guānshìyīn; Jp. Tennin Jōbu Kanzeon) - Savior of humans
6. Avalokiteśvara as Mahābrahmā the Profound (大梵深遠觀世音, Dàfàn Shēnyuǎn Guānshìyīn; Jp. Daibon Shin'on Kanzeon) - Savior of devas

A variant of this list was imported to Japan from China by the Tendai monk Enchin (856–891).

The Six Kannon in Japan

Six Kannon Bodhisattvas by Jokei, circa 1224 AD, Senbon-Shakado, Daihō-onji Temple, Kyoto.

A variation of the Six Guanyin of China became popular in Japan, where they became known is the Six Kannon.

During the Heian period, the Shingon monk Ningai (951–1046) associated the six Guanyin of the Mohe Zhiguan with six esoteric forms of Avalokiteśvara:

1. Noble Avalokiteśvara - Āryāvalokiteśvara (聖觀音 / 正觀音, Shèng Guānyīn / Zhèng Guānyīn; Jp. Shō-Kannon) - saves hell beings
2. Thousand-armed - Sahasrabhuja (千手觀音, Qiānshǒu Guānyīn; Jp. Senju Kannon) - saves pretas
3. Horse-headed - Hayagrīva (馬頭觀音, Mǎtóu Guānyīn; Jp. Batō Kannon) - saves animals
4. Eleven-headed - Ekādaśamukha (十一面觀音, Shíyīmiàn Guānyīn; Jp. Jūichimen Kannon) - saves asuras
5. Buddha mother - Cundī (準提觀音, Zhǔntí Guānyīn; Jp. Jundei / Juntei Kannon or 准提佛母, Zhǔntí Fómǔ; Jp. Jundei / Juntei Butsumo) - saves humans
6. Wish-fulling - Cintāmaṇicakra (如意輪觀音; Rúyìlún Guānyīn; Jp. Nyoirin Kannon) - saves devas

The Japanese Tendai school eventually adopted the new list, substituting Amoghapāśa (J. Fukū Kenjaku) for Cundī.

According to Fowler (2016), there is some disagreement between various schools and lineages about Cundī's nature: although sometimes classified Cundī as a manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, other interpretations see her as a distinct bodhisattva while still others interpret her as a Buddhamātṛ (佛母, Fómǔ; Jp. 仏母, Butsumo, lit. "mother of buddhas"), a deified aspect of the knowledge that give birth to the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

See also

• Eleven-Faced Avalokitesvara Heart Dharani Sutra
• Nilakantha Dharani
• Om mani padme hum

Sources

• Fowler, Sherry D. (2016). Accounts and Images of Six Kannon in Japan. University of Hawaii Press.  Publisher page, JSTOR page
• Faure, Bernard (2015). The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1. University of Hawaii Press. 
• Pamela D. Winfield (2017), Book Review: Accounts and Images of Six Kannon in Japan, Reading Religion. Web page.

External links

• Six Guanyin, Wikipedia
• "摩訶止觀 第2卷". CBETA Chinese Electronic Tripiṭaka Collection (漢文大藏經). Retrieved 2021-11-24. 
• "六観音". 新纂 浄土宗大辞典 (Shinsan Jōdo-shu Daijiten). Retrieved 2021-11-24.