GUAN YIN

To set the mood for this post, click the play button below for a 30 second sample of a luscious, contemporary setting of a traditional Guan Yin mantra. (There is nothing to download–this is streaming audio.) If you would like the short sample to repeat, click on the little icon that shows a loop with an arrow.

The Guan Yin Mantra 2 – Imee Ooi

Guan Yin

Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: guān yīn; Wade-Giles: kuan-yin) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshi’yin (觀世音, pinyin: guānshì yīn, Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means “Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World“.[ref]

“…hears the cries of the world…” No wonder one of her names is “Queen Mother of the West,” for what else does a mother do but have compassion for the cries of her children. Catholicism has an analog in Mary, Queen of the Universe. It would be my guess that almost every religion that ever existed has had a compassionate mother figure of some sort who is venerated. This tradition of honoring such figures goes back to even ancient Greece (Cybele) and Rome (Juno).[ref]

Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 10, 2009, is Mother’s Day in the USA. Although the exact name and date varies, this holiday is presently celebrated in almost every country. It’s not just biological mothers who “hear the cries of the world.” Many times it’s a grandmother, a father, an aunt, great-aunt, a parent’s unmarried partner. All of those are honored today.

This holiday is especially difficult for parents who have lost children or who, for whatever reason, do not have children, or who are estranged or separated from them. Think of them, as well.

Imee Ooi

On a less somber note, if you enjoyed that sample of Imee Ooi’s chant setting, there are a number of complete and free videos of other Imee Ooi tracks listed below. They’re all beautiful, very restful, very contemplative…a little cheesy, but–hey!–I like cheese.

Imee Ooi, [is] a Malaysian Buddhist composer from Kuala Lumpur. Her name in Chinese is Huang Huiyin (黃慧音）which means “Wisdom Sound.”
from Dharma Forest

It’s hard to know which of those is my favorite, but the Green Tara Mantra is especially appropriate for Mothers Day since the Green Tara Buddha embodies many feminist ideals. Recordings of Immee Ooi’s albums are available at IMM Music Works.