Painting of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and taken from the book H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III
Avalokiteshvara or Kuan (Guan) Yin Bodhisattva is a well-known great Bodhisattva. She had attained buddhahood countless eons ago and was known as Zheng Fa Ming (Correct Dharma Realization or True Dharma Brightness) Tathagata. Based upon her holy bodhicitta and vows of compassion, she manifests in this earthly realm as a bodhisattva to help liberate living beings from all sufferings. Many disciples of H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu have reported seeing Kuan Yin at various times. One disciple was able to capture a picture of Her standing on the clouds. She appears in many forms–sometimes standing with two arms and sometimes sitting with four arms, as well as other forms including as a thousand arm being. John Blofeld, who was a professor of religion at the University of California at Berkeley and a Buddhist, tells of traveling with a Jesuit priest in Asia and meeting a shining apparition. The priest saw this other worldly being as Mary, the mother of Jesus, and John saw Kuan Yin. Although the Chinese refer to Kuan Yin in the feminine and the Indians (Avalokiteshvara), Tibetans (Chenrezig) and others see him as more masculine in form, he/she is neither male nor female.
Kuan Yin’s birthday is celebrated each year on or near the 19th day of the second lunar month of the Chinese calendar.