Another story describes Guan Yin as the daughter of a cruel king who
wanted her to marry a wealthy but uncaring man.
The story is usually ascribed to the research of the Buddhist monk
Chiang Chih-ch'i in 1100AD.
The story is likely to have a Taoist origin.
Chiang Chih-ch'i, when he penned the work, believed that the Guan Yin we
know today was actually a Buddhist princess called Miao Shan
(åŠå), who had a religious following on Fragrant
Mountain.
Despite this, however, there are many variants of the story in Chinese
mythology.
According to the story, after the king asked his daughter Miao Shan to
marry the wealthy man, she told him that she would obey his command, so
long as the marriage eased three misfortunes.
The king asked his daughter what were the three misfortunes that the
marriage should ease.
Miao Shan explained that the first misfortune the marriage should ease
was the suffering people endure as they age.
The second misfortune it should ease was the suffering people endure
when they fall ill.
The third misfortune it should ease was the suffering caused by death.
If the marriage could not ease any of the above, then she would rather
retire to a life of religion forever.
When her father asked who could ease all the above, Miao Shan pointed
out that a doctor was able to do all these.
Her father grew angry as he wanted her to marry a person of power and
wealth, not a healer.
He forced her into hard labor and reduced her food and drink but this
did not cause her to yield.
Every day she begged to be able to enter a temple and become a nun
instead of marrying.
Her father eventually allowed her to work in the temple, but asked the
monks to give her very hard chores in order to discourage her.
The monks forced Miao Shan to work all day and all night, while others
slept, in order to finish her work.
However, she was such a good person that the animals living around the
temple began to help her with her chores.
Her father, seeing this, became so frustrated that he attempted to burn
down the temple.
Miao Shan put out the fire with her bare hands and suffered no burns.
Now struck with fear, her father ordered her to be put to death.
In one version of this legend, when she was executed, a supernatural
tiger took Guan Yin to one of the more hell-like realms of the dead.
However, instead of being punished by demons like the other inmates,
Guan Yin played music, and flowers blossomed around her.
This completely surprised the head demon.
The story says that Guan Yin, by merely being in that hell, turned it
into a paradise.
A variant of the legend says that Miao Shan allowed herself to die at
the hand of the executioner.
According to this legend, as the executioner tried to carry out her
father's orders, his axe shattered into a thousand pieces.
He then tried a sword which likewise shattered.
He tried to shoot Miao Shan down with arrows but they all veered off.
Finally in desperation he used his hands.
Miao Shan, realising the fate the executioner would meet at her father's
hand should she fail to let herself die, forgave the executioner for
attempting to kill her.
It is said that she voluntarily took on the massive karmic guilt the
executioner generated for killing her, thus leaving him guiltless.
It is because of this that she descended into the Hell-like realms.
While there she witnessed firsthand the suffering and horrors beings
there must endure and was overwhelmed with grief.
Filled with compassion, she released all the good karma she had
accumulated through her many lifetimes, thus freeing many suffering
souls back into Heaven and Earth.
In the process that Hell-like realm became a paradise.
It is said that Yanluo, King of Hell, sent her back to Earth to prevent
the utter destruction of his realm, and that upon her return she
appeared on Fragrant Mountain.
Another tale says that Miao Shan never died but was in fact transported
by a supernatural tiger, believed to be the Deity of the Place, to
Fragrant Mountain.
The Legend of Miao Shan usually ends with Miao Chuang Yen, Miao Shan's
father, falling ill with jaundice.
No physician was able to cure him.
Then a monk appeared saying that the jaundice could be cured by making a
medicine out of the arm and eye of one without anger.
The monk further suggested that such a person could be found on Fragrant
Mountain.
When asked, Miao Shan willingly offered up her eyes and arms.
Miao Chuang Yen was cured of his illness and went to the Fragrant
Mountain to give thanks to the person.
When he discovered that his own daughter had made the sacrifice, he
begged for forgiveness.
The story concludes with Miao Shan being transformed into the Thousand
Armed Guan Yin, and the king, queen and her two sisters building a
temple on the mountain for her.
She began her journey to heaven and was about to cross over into heaven
when she heard a cry of suffering from the world below.
Turned around and saw the massive suffering endured by the people of the
world.
Filled with compassion, she returned to earth, vowing never to leave
till such time as all suffering has ended.
After her return to Earth, Guan Yin was said to have stayed for a few
years on the island of Mount Putuo where she practised meditation and
helped the sailors and fishermen who got stranded.
Guan Yin is frequently worshipped as patron of sailors and fishermen due
to this.
She is said to frequently becalm the sea when boats are threatened with
rocks.
After some decades Guan Yin returned to Fragrant Mountain to continue
her meditation.