Other Religions Alternative Religions Guanyin - the Goddess of Mercy Share Flipboard Email Print Guanyin - a Buddhist deity China, Song Dynasty, wood AD 960-1278 Musée d'ethnographie, Dahlem, Berlin. CC Flickr User dalbera Alternative Religions Beliefs Overview Mythological Figures Satanic Beliefs and Creeds by N.S. Gill N.S. Gill is a freelance classics and ancient history writer. She has a master's degree in linguistics and is a former Latin teacher. Updated March 08, 2017 Definition: The Bodhisattva Guanyin is a Chinese comforting and mother goddess, although sometimes she is a he. Maria Reis-Habito says the name means: One who listens to the cries of the world. Pure Land Sutra References: "The Bodhisattva Guanyin and the Virgin Mary," by Maria Reis-Habito; Buddhist-Christian Studies (1993)"Review: Kuan-yin: The Development and Transformation of a Chinese Goddess," by Daniel L. Overmyer; The Journal of Religion (Jul., 2002)"The Development of Kuan Yin: Chinese Goddess of Mercy," by John H. Chamberlayne Numen (Jan., 1962)"Guanyin" The Oxford Companion to World mythology. David Leeming. Oxford University Press, 2004 Also Known As: Kannon (Japan), Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, (India), Chenrezig, Kanzeon, Buddhist Madonna Alternate Spellings: Kuan-yin, Kuan-shih-yin Continue Reading