♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 19th day of the 2nd lunar month♦
Originally named “Guanyin Bodhisattva,” “Guanyin” is the sacred name whole Ancestral Buddha is a folk honorific bestowed on the buddha. Guanyin’s sacred name was originally “Guanshiyin” but the sacred name was shortened during the Tang Dynasty to avoid using the same character shared in the name of Emperor Li Shimin. According to the Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures, some Bodhisattvas had already attained Buddhahood in ancient times. They appear in their Buddha form when they enter the mortal realm to enlighten the people and save them from suffering. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is among these. Buddhist scriptures describe Guanshiyin Bodhisattva as having a vast compassionate heart. When the name Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is evoked, the Bodhisattva would seek out those who call out to relieve their suffering and help them find joy, hence, people refer to “compassionate and benevolent Guanyshiyin Bodhisattva”, as the most renown of the major buddhas in Buddhism, with the accolade of “in every home Amitabha; in every family Guanshiyin.”