Part 1. Mount Putuo
Let’s go find Guanyin
Introduction to Project Guanyin
This project is an exploration of Chinese family belief and culture system about Guanyin, the goddess of mercy in Buddhism. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that “ Amitabha in every family, Guanyin in every household.” "Guan-yin" (观音), also known as Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit, in direct translation, means inspecting all sounds in the world. She teaches the world with compassion, filial piety, and tolerance. Widely cited in novels, folk tales, traditional opera, and etc. Uniquely on the land of China has she transfigured into a goddess from a god. For thousands of years, she has embodies the feminine principle in Chinses culture.
Namo Avalokitesvara has great mercy.
Namo Avalokitesvara has great mercy.
Namo Avalokitesvara has great mercy.
Project 2. Her Life Near Railroad
Guan-yin (观音):
Title of the piece and the golden statue at the beginning. Guan-yin, the two Chinese characters, can be directly translated into “all-seeing, all-hearing”. The word refers to the popular Buddhism goddess of mercy, named Avalokitesvara in the Sanskrit language. Originally worshipped in India as a male bodhisattva, the personification of compassion and kindness was represented in China as a female figure. She has been introduced as a clear feminine principle into Chinese historical and contemporary culture, manifesting herself as a caring mother for all people.
Amitābha (阿弥陀佛):
Chanting in the background. Amitabha in Sanskrit means unbounded light and refers to the principal Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism. “Mahayana” refers to the path of the Bodhisattva seeking complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentients being. Amitabha is always personified as a male figure, the chanting is in the male voice. The background chanting is from the voice of Master Chin Kung, one of the most venerable monks of our time. His chanting is recorded into the Buddha machine and my grandma would have a Buddha machine 24 hours 7days a week. So the house would be filled with this sound all the time.
Chairman Mao (毛主席):
Portrait on the table. Mao Zedong was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founding father of the People's Republic of China. He ruled as the chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. My grandma was born during World War II and grows up during Chairman Mao’s rule. She would have this portrait of Chairman Mao tucked under the glass on the dining table beside a portrait of her young self. On the white bag beside the portrait of Chairman Mao, it wrote “Shanghai Lingshi Photo Studio; Female; 1.6in; No.57; 3 pm, April 11th, 1984”.
Broad-Leaved Epiphyllum (昙花):
The flower planted. A species of epiphytic plants in the cactus family that bears large, strongly fragrant flowers. It only blossoms for a single night every year. It is associated with transiency and auspiciousness in Chinese culture. Grandma used to grow Epiphyllum for years.
Project 3. Mandarin Orange
He reverses time
For her
Part 4. We will be there (Qingming Special Project)
[Qingming] It falls on the first day of the fifth, for the death
Part 5. We will be there (Qingming Special Project)
[Teaser] Project Guanyin: Chanting Group
Perpetual
Present
Process
Perpetual
Present
Process
Perpetual
Present
Process