In the temple shrouded in mist, shadows dance in flame,
Piercing blue eyes gaze upon lost and wandering souls.
Four mighty arms wield the blades that sever desire,
A sacred mantra echoes, slicing through the dark.
On Korokoro Sendari Matogi Sowaka,
This burning wrath is a vow of compassion.
Cast away fear, break free from illusion,
The azure light will guide your way.
Thousand-Armed Kannon – The One with a Thousand Hands
Chapter 1: The Lotus King
A temple deep in the mountains shrouded in deep mist. There, the Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva, with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes, sits. His eyes are filled with compassion, and his hands are always open to save all living beings.
While the old monk is quietly praying, a traveler steps into the hall. His name is Shushin, and he has been confused for many years, searching for true salvation.
“Thousand-Armed Kannon… will it really save everyone?”
Shushin quietly asks, looking up at the statue. No one answers. The only thing that answers is the flickering lamp inside the hall, casting the Buddha’s shadow on the floor.
“Kannon Bodhisattva saves everyone, without exception.”
When the old monk says this, Shushin asks further.
“So, can someone like me be saved?”
“Kannon has a thousand hands. But not all of those hands are there to save someone. Her thousand eyes watch all living beings, but they don’t immediately lend a hand. What’s important is how you live your life.”
Shushin engraved those words in his heart and looked up at Kannon again. The thousand hands he saw were filled with boundless mercy, like the stars in the night sky.
Chapter 2: A Thousand Hands and a Thousand Eyes
The Thousand-Armed Kannon is said to have eleven faces and forty-two arms. Of the forty-two arms, forty are said to save twenty-five worlds each. In other words, it is an entity that reaches out to countless worlds. In its hands, it holds a variety of possessions, including a treasured sword, a skull staff, and a water bottle. These were symbols of Kannon’s infinite virtue.
One night, Shushin had a dream.
He was alone in the darkness. Shivering from the cold, he didn’t know where to go. But then, out of nowhere, a warm light shone in.
“On bazara tarama kilik…”
A familiar voice rang out. Shushin looked up, and there were countless hands outstretched. Each hand had an eye, and it gazed at him tenderly.
“Don’t get lost. Find the path you should take.”
When Shushin came to, he was sitting on the floor of the temple. The light of dawn filtered in, and the Thousand-Armed Kannon statue shone brightly.
“Kannon Bodhisattva… I don’t know anything yet. But I will find the path I should take.”
Having said this, he set off on his journey once again, watched over by the Thousand-Armed One.