The Thousand Hand Guan-Yin Summary

The Thousand Hand Guan-yin is the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion and Mercy. She was a woman who reached Nirvana, who is believed to have stayed behind on earth to help others reach Nirvana.. In the video performance of the thousand hand Guan-Yin the people were all wearing the same color. This represents the unity among the differences that is representational of the Guan-Yin and the Buddhist beliefs about peace in Nirvana, despite the outside world’s state of being. The videos use of males and females shows the fluidity of the Guan-Yin who is believed to be neither male nor female. The many hands moving behind one body towards the beginning of the video show the power of the Guan-Yin, whom is believed to have a thousand hands to help others. If she only had two

The people’s movements are representative of the Guan-Yin, her power and, her ability to do many things at once. It may be wondered how the Thousand Hand Guan-Yin can be and not be all of these things at once. The video tells us through dance and music that she cannot be put into any category of being because she just is. The Buddhists see her as “the absolute”, and “the absolute” cannot be put into the categories of reality that we are bound to here on earth. Therefore we cannot understand how she is able to do the things she is believed to do or be the things she is believed to be. We can only understand what the Buddhists believe about her. Other aspects of this performance that told information about the Guan-Yin are the kind of outfits and jewelry the performers are wearing, which are representative of the beauty that is associated with Guan-Yin, not in appearance but in her inner being. The video used very peaceful music as well, to represent what Buddhism and the Guan-Yin are about, which is reaching Nirvana and having peace within