{"id":6147,"date":"2026-05-19T11:18:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T11:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/kannon\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:26:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:26:36","slug":"kannon","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/","title":{"rendered":"Kannon"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"6147\" class=\"elementor elementor-6147 elementor-3025 elementor-bc-flex-widget\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-77d1f93 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"77d1f93\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f94ff8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5f94ff8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-411924d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"411924d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7663302 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7663302\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Kannon, Japanese goddess of compassion<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17cf579 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"17cf579\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Kannon is the Japanese goddess of compassion, who turns toward those who suffer in many forms and grants comfort. Kannon, with the full name Kanzeon-Bosatsu (Japanese) or Guanyin (Chinese), is the central figure of compassion and boundless mercy in East Asian Buddhism.<\/p><p>As the Japanese name for the Indian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Mahayana Buddhism, an enlightened being who postpones their liberation for the sake of teaching other beings.\" tabindex=\"0\">bodhisattva<\/span> Avalokite\u015bvara, Kannon unites several layers of religious history: the Indian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Great Vehicle; one of the three main traditions of Buddhism, with the bodhisattva ideal.\" tabindex=\"0\">Mahayana<\/span> <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The passing on of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">tradition<\/span>, Chinese folk <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">religion<\/span>, the Japanese Tendai and Shingon schools, and medieval <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Religiosity as lived in everyday life, often alongside the official doctrine.\" tabindex=\"0\">popular piety<\/span>. In no other figure of the Japanese <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">pantheon<\/span> is the soteriological idea of vicarious compassion embodied so directly.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-532b537 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"532b537\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a4d66ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"a4d66ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-pill-row\"><span class=\"iwg-klasse-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"God \/ goddess: personified supreme power in the pantheon of a culture, with clear domains: forces of nature, fate, war, fertility. Venerated through cults, sacrifices, and temple institutions.\">God<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/japan\/\" class=\"iwg-kultur-badge\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"Japanese Shinto kami and Buddhist-yokai worlds.\">Japan<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a690d59 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a690d59\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eada4fb elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"eada4fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;Es wurden keine \\u00dcberschriften auf dieser Seite gefunden.&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;,&quot;rendered_tag&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-circle\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 512 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8z\\&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\/path&gt;&lt;\\\/svg&gt;&quot;},&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__eada4fb\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__eada4fb\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__eada4fb\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5fa61e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d5fa61e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b22f8c iwg-hero-image elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1b22f8c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon-683x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-6148\" alt=\"Kannon - gods from the Japanese tradition, historical and illustrative\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30556d0 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"30556d0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-acda165 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"acda165\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d1dd9b9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d1dd9b9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Etymology and Identification<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-466fdd2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"466fdd2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Sanskrit name Avalokite\u015bvara is composed of &#8220;avalokita&#8221; (looking down, observing) and &#8220;\u012b\u015bvara&#8221; (lord) and means &#8220;the lord who looks down.&#8221; The Chinese translation Guanshiyin (observer of the world&#8217;s sounds) was later shortened to Guanyin. The Japanese reading Kanzeon (written \u89b3\u4e16\u97f3) or Kannon (\u89b3\u97f3) follows this line.<\/p><p>In the Mahayana sutras, Avalokite\u015bvara first appears in the &#8220;Sukh\u0101vat\u012b-vy\u016bha&#8221; (1st to 2nd century) as the chief attendant of the Buddha Amitabha; the &#8220;Saddharma-Pundarika-<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span>&#8221; (Lotus <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span>) devotes a separate text to him in its 25th chapter (&#8220;Samantamukha-parivarta&#8221;), which circulated independently in East Asia as the &#8220;Kannongy\u014d.&#8221;<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fff39e4 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fff39e4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08d241e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"08d241e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">From Indian Bodhisattva to Chinese-Japanese Figure<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4be836e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4be836e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In the Indian tradition, Avalokite\u015bvara is male, often depicted with gestures of gentleness and protection. In China, a change of gender took place from the Tang period onward (7th to 9th century): Guanyin came to be venerated increasingly in female form, a development much discussed in the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">study of religion<\/span>.<\/p><p>In &#8220;Kuan-yin. The Chinese Transformation of Avalokite\u015bvara&#8221; (2001), Ch\u00fcn-fang Y\u00fc showed that this transformation is connected with the adoption of indigenous Chinese goddesses, with the Lotus <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span> <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of religious acts of veneration directed toward a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span>, and with the folk <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An edifying narrative, usually about the lives of saints.\" tabindex=\"0\">legend<\/span> of Princess Miao-shan.<\/p><p>In Japan, the gender attribution long remained ambivalent. The official Heian <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A structure serving the veneration of one or more deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temples<\/span> show Kannon mostly as androgynous, often youthfully male; folk religion tends toward the female reading, especially under the influence of the Chinese Guanyin cult.<\/p><p>Joseph Kitagawa and Inken Prohl emphasize that this duality poses no <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic study of God and the doctrines of a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">theological<\/span> problem but corresponds to the fundamental idea of the bodhisattva&#8217;s infinite capacity for transformation: the Lotus <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span> enumerates 33 manifestations in which Kannon rescues living beings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46c52de e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"46c52de\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b6000c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7b6000c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The 33 Transformations and the Six Kannon<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7dd1d5a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7dd1d5a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The &#8220;Samantamukha-parivarta&#8221; describes 33 &#8220;gates&#8221; or forms of appearance in which Kannon meets beings, depending on which form can bring them salvation.<\/p><p>In Japan this catalogue was fixed liturgically and linked with the 33 <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A religiously motivated journey to a sacred site.\" tabindex=\"0\">pilgrimage<\/span> sites of the Saigoku pilgrimage route in the Kansai region, a pilgrimage circuit documented since the 11th century that to this day attracts hundreds of thousands of believers each year.<\/p><p>Alongside this, Japanese <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The study of pictorial content and its meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">iconography<\/span> recognizes six principal forms, the &#8220;Roku-Kannon,&#8221; which in Shingon and Tendai Buddhism are each assigned to one of the six realms of existence (hells, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, gods).<\/p><p>The most important are: Sh\u014d-Kannon (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the divine and thereby withdrawn from everyday use.\" tabindex=\"0\">Holy<\/span> Kannon, the basic form), Senju-Kannon (the thousand-armed), Juichimen-Kannon (the eleven-faced), Nyoirin-Kannon (wish-fulfilling jewel and wheel), Bato-Kannon (horse-headed Kannon, protector of animals), and Jundei-Kannon (purity).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40882cf e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"40882cf\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e9668a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6e9668a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Iconography and Symbols<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ddc0f2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ddc0f2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most common Japanese depiction is the Senju-Kannon, the &#8220;thousand-armed&#8221; Kannon, who with her many arms can draw beings out of the multitude of human distress.<\/p><p>The most famous group of sculptures stands in the Sanj\u016bsangen-d\u014d in Kyoto (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A structure serving the veneration of one or more deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> of the thirty-three-fold resounding, founded in 1164): a thousand life-size Senju-Kannon statues in ten long rows, at the center an eleven-meter-high seated principal statue, created by the sculptor Tankei (1254).<\/p><p>The sculpture group is regarded as one of the most significant ensembles of Buddhist art in the world.<\/p><p>The eleven-faced Juichimen-Kannon shows eleven heads that look in all directions and symbolize all-encompassing compassion.<\/p><p>The most famous statue of this type stands in Hokke-ji in Nara (8th century) and is regarded as a portrait of Empress K\u014dmy\u014d. The Nyoirin-Kannon, seated with one leg drawn up and holding a wish-fulfilling jewel (Chint\u0101ma\u1e47i), is one of the forms that foster meditation and is frequently seen in Shingon temples.<\/p><p>Bato-Kannon, with a horse-head crown, is the only wrathful form of Kannon and the patron protector of horses and livestock.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0c560ce e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0c560ce\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b947c25 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b947c25\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Myths, Legends, and Miracles<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c57c576 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c57c576\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Japanese &#8220;Konjaku Monogatari&#8221; (early 12th century) and the &#8220;Samb\u014d ekotoba&#8221; (984) gather numerous miracle tales in which Kannon appears to rescue people from mortal danger: the shipwrecked in storms, the pursued before robbers, those lost in the mountains, the sick and the dying.<\/p><p>This narrative literature shapes the folk-religious image of Kannon to this day and has its parallels in the Chinese &#8220;Guanyin-jing yan-ji&#8221; (collection of Guanyin miracles, 4th to 8th century).<\/p><p>The most popular Japanese <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An edifying narrative, usually about the life of saints.\" tabindex=\"0\">legend<\/span> is that of the &#8220;Asakusa-Kannon&#8221;: in 628, the brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari are said to have found a small Kannon statue in their net while fishing on the Sumida River. From this find grew the Sens\u014dji <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A structure serving the veneration of one or more deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> in Tokyo-Asakusa, today the oldest and most visited <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A structure serving the veneration of one or more deities.\" tabindex=\"0\">temple<\/span> in Tokyo.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c79ddb9 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c79ddb9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-271c251 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"271c251\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Pilgrimage Routes and Cult Sites<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79d8a36 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"79d8a36\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Three great Japanese pilgrimage routes are <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Handed over to the sacred through a religious act and thereby set apart from the everyday.\" tabindex=\"0\">dedicated<\/span> to Kannon: the Saigoku-Sanj\u016bsansho with 33 stations in the Kansai region (main center: Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto), the Band\u014d-Sanj\u016bsansho with 33 stations in Kant\u014d (main center: Sens\u014dji in Tokyo), and the Chichibu-Sanj\u016bshisho with 34 stations in Saitama.<\/p><p>Together they form the 100 Kannon pilgrimage sites (&#8220;Hyakkasho&#8221;), whose complete accomplishment is regarded as an extraordinary religious merit.<\/p><p>The most important individual temples are Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto (798, Senju-Kannon), Sens\u014dji in Tokyo (628, Sh\u014d-Kannon), Sanj\u016bsangen-d\u014d (1164), Hase-dera in Kamakura (seated eleven-faced), Ishiyama-dera on Lake Biwa (Nyoirin-Kannon, where Murasaki Shikibu is said to have written the &#8220;Genji-Monogatari&#8221;), and Hase-dera in Nara (eleven-faced).<\/p><p>A special role is played by the great-Buddha-statue complex of the Kannon statue of Sendai (100 meters high, 1991), which ranks among the largest statues in the world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f27a896 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f27a896\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e5f2b57 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e5f2b57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Significance in the History of Religion and Syncretisms<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-23405a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"23405a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>With the rise of Pure Land Buddhism (J\u014ddo-sh\u016b, J\u014ddo-Shinsh\u016b) in the 12th and 13th centuries, Kannon became closely bound up with Amida (Amitabha): Kannon and Seishi (Mah\u0101sth\u0101mapr\u0101pta) are regarded as the two chief attendants of Amida who accompany him at the &#8220;Raig\u014d&#8221; (welcoming appearance) of a dying person.<\/p><p>This triad shapes the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The study of pictorial content and its meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">iconography<\/span> of the Raig\u014d pictures, which became one of the most important religious image genres in Heian and Kamakura Buddhism.<\/p><p>In honji-suijaku thought, Kannon was repeatedly identified with <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span>, especially with Kumano-Gongen and with Hachiman in his bodhisattva form. In the Shingon school, Kannon belongs to the Lotus realm of the Garbhadh\u0101tu <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A circular diagram that depicts the cosmos in Hinduism and Buddhism.\" tabindex=\"0\">mandala<\/span>.<\/p><p>In Zen Buddhism, Kannon is understood above all as an object of meditation and as the epitome of non-dual compassion; D\u014dgen devotes the chapter &#8220;Kannon&#8221; in the &#8220;Sh\u014db\u014dgenz\u014d&#8221; to him.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e00530f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e00530f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8797448 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8797448\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Kannon in Modern Religiosity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-89788a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"89788a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Helen Hardacre and Inken Prohl have shown that Kannon retains an unbroken central position in modern Japanese religious history. In the &#8220;Mizuko-Kuy\u014d&#8221; rites for aborted and stillborn children, Kannon is the most frequently <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The petitioning or invoking address to a deity or power.\" tabindex=\"0\">invoked<\/span> figure; this practice has spread strongly since the 1970s and has been intensively discussed in research (William LaFleur, &#8220;Liquid Life,&#8221; 1992).<\/p><p>In the movement of the &#8220;New Religions&#8221; (Reiy\u016b-kai, Rissh\u014d K\u014dsei-kai, S\u014dka Gakkai), the Lotus <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span>, and thus the Kannon chapter, remains central.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-600fd6d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"600fd6d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78400ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"78400ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Cross-References<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff481ed elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ff481ed\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In interreligious comparison, Kannon is frequently paralleled with Mary; the city of Nagasaki knows the &#8220;Maria-Kannon,&#8221; Madonna figures in the form of Kannon that were venerated as Mary in the hidden world of the age of Christian persecution (16th to 19th century).<\/p><p>In Indian Buddhism, the Tibetan Tara is closely connected with Avalokite\u015bvara and is regarded as his female companion figure. In the tradition of Tibet, the Dalai Lama is the incarnation of Avalokite\u015bvara.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a21fb94 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a21fb94\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-deec4c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"deec4c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Sources<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc0b67e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fc0b67e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-nosnippet=\"true\"><p>&#8220;Saddharma-Pundarika-<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span>&#8221; (Lotus <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span>), chapter 25, German translation by Margareta von Borsig, Freiburg 2009. &#8220;Sukh\u0101vat\u012b-vy\u016bha&#8221; (1st to 2nd century). &#8220;Kannongy\u014d,&#8221; independent tradition of the 25th Lotus chapter. &#8220;Konjaku Monogatari&#8221; (early 12th century), translation by Marian Ury, Berkeley 1979. &#8220;Samb\u014d ekotoba&#8221; (984). D\u014dgen, &#8220;Sh\u014db\u014dgenz\u014d,&#8221; chapter &#8220;Kannon,&#8221; translation by Gudo Wafu Nishijima.<\/p><p>Ch\u00fcn-fang Y\u00fc, &#8220;Kuan-yin. The Chinese Transformation of Avalokite\u015bvara,&#8221; New York 2001. William LaFleur, &#8220;Liquid Life. Abortion and Buddhism in Japan,&#8221; Princeton 1992. Joseph Kitagawa, &#8220;Religion in Japanese History,&#8221; New York 1966. Helen Hardacre, &#8220;<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span>.<\/p><p>A History,&#8221; Oxford 2017. Inken Prohl, &#8220;Religi\u00f6se Innovationen,&#8221; Berlin 2006. Klaus Vollmer, &#8220;Shint\u00f4 und Buddhismus,&#8221; Munich 2002. Bernhard Scheid, &#8220;Religion-in-Japan,&#8221; Vienna, ongoing. John Holt, &#8220;Buddha in the Crown. Avalokite\u015bvara in the Buddhist Traditions of Sri Lanka,&#8221; New York 1991.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b1da94 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4b1da94\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08247a9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"08247a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Avalokite\u015bvara in India and Tibet<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8d6d4ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8d6d4ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The origin of Avalokite\u015bvara lies in Indian Mahayana Buddhism of the first to third centuries CE. In the early texts of Pure Land Buddhism (Sukh\u0101vat\u012b-vy\u016bha) he appears as one of the chief attendants of the Buddha Amitabha, together with Mah\u0101sth\u0101mapr\u0101pta.<\/p><p>In the &#8220;K\u0101ra\u1e47\u1e0da-vy\u016bha-<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span>&#8221; (4th century) he is raised to an independent cosmic savior figure, whose <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sacred syllable or formula repeatedly spoken in Hinduism and Buddhism.\" tabindex=\"0\">mantra<\/span> &#8220;O\u1e43 ma\u1e47i padme h\u016b\u1e43&#8221; is to this day the most widespread <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sacred syllable or formula repeatedly spoken in Hinduism and Buddhism.\" tabindex=\"0\">mantra<\/span> of Tibetan Buddhism.<\/p><p>The iconographic diversity, with two-, four-, or thousand-armed forms, arose in this phase and was carried on to Central Asia, China, and finally Japan.<\/p><p>In Tibetan Buddhism, Avalokite\u015bvara, as Chenr\u00e9zig, is the patron protector of Tibet and is regarded as the country&#8217;s central bodhisattva. The Dalai Lamas are traditionally understood as incarnations of Chenr\u00e9zig. John Holt (&#8220;Buddha in the Crown,&#8221; 1991) and Lokesh Chandra have comparatively reconstructed the developmental history of Avalokite\u015bvara across the Buddhist cultures.<\/p><p>The Japanese form Kannon is thus the result of a more than thousand-year migration of this conception of the divine from northern India by way of Central Asia and China to Japan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aadf113 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aadf113\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-600df7f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"600df7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Early Adoption in Japan<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b879610 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b879610\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The first Kannon images in Japan date from the Asuka period (6th to 7th century). The famous Kudara-Kannon in H\u014dry\u016b-ji (early 7th century) is a slender, almost oversized wooden figure in the Korean-Paekche tradition and is one of the oldest surviving Japanese Buddhist sculptures.<\/p><p>The Yumedono-Kannon, a hidden statue likewise in H\u014dry\u016b-ji, was kept veiled for centuries and was made accessible again only in 1884 by Ernest Fenollosa and Okakura Tenshin. These early statues document the great importance of the Kannon cult already in the early phase of Japanese Buddhism.<\/p><p>In the Nara period (710 to 794), Kannon became the principal figure of the T\u014ddai-ji complex and of numerous other state temples. The monumental dry-lacquer statue of the thousand-armed Kannon in T\u014dsh\u014ddai-ji, which the Chinese monk Ganjin and his workshop created in the 8th century, shows the combination of Chinese workshop tradition and Japanese appropriation.<\/p><p>The Heian period, with the rise of Tendai and Shingon, brought a further differentiation of the Kannon pantheon, in which the six Roku-Kannon forms were liturgically articulated.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6aa0b83 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6aa0b83\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8893eb6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8893eb6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Sanj\u016bsangen-d\u014d and the Workshop Tradition<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-22de21e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"22de21e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Sanj\u016bsangen-d\u014d (&#8220;hall of the thirty-three bays&#8221;) in Kyoto, founded in 1164 by Taira no Kiyomori on behalf of Emperor Goshirakawa, houses the largest surviving Kannon ensemble in Japan: a thousand life-size Senju-Kannon statues in ten long rows, an eleven-meter-high seated principal figure, and 28 accompanying sculptures of the guardian gods.<\/p><p>After a fire in 1249, the complex was rebuilt between 1251 and 1266, with about 124 of the original statues preserved and integrated into the new building. The remaining statues were newly created by the workshop of the sculptor Tankei (1173 to 1256) and his pupils.<\/p><p>Tankei belonged to the Kei school, which shaped Japanese sculpture in the late 12th and 13th centuries and reached its stylistic peak particularly in Kamakura Buddhism.<\/p><p>The statues of the Sanj\u016bsangen-d\u014d are made of multi-part assembled hinoki wood (&#8220;yosegi-zukuri&#8221; technique) and finished with lacquer, gold, and gemstone inlays. In 2018, all thousand statues were declared National Treasures of Japan, a unique step in Japanese heritage conservation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c973c8a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c973c8a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4b8741 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c4b8741\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Kannon and the Soteriology of Women<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3bf5024 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3bf5024\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A significant theological line is the veneration of Kannon in the context of Buddhist soteriology for women. The Lotus <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span> (chapter 25) promises that Kannon grants a son to women who wish for a son, and a daughter to women who wish for a daughter.<\/p><p>This passage gave rise in Japanese folk Buddhism to a tradition of its own of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The pleading or invoking address to a deity or power.\" tabindex=\"0\">invoking<\/span> Kannon in matters of childbirth. The &#8220;Koyasu-Kannon&#8221; (&#8220;child-protecting Kannon&#8221;), a special form with a child figure, is represented in numerous temples and is sought out by expectant mothers to this day.<\/p><p>The already mentioned Mizuko-Kuy\u014d <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A fixed, recurring religious act.\" tabindex=\"0\">rite<\/span> for aborted or stillborn children has spread strongly since the 1970s. In it, small statues (&#8220;Jiz\u014d&#8221; or &#8220;Kannon&#8221;) are provided with little children&#8217;s clothes, toys, and stone pendants in order to care <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to a fixed sequence of religious actions.\" tabindex=\"0\">ritually<\/span> for the children who did not come into the world.<\/p><p>William LaFleur (&#8220;Liquid Life,&#8221; 1992) analyzed this practice from a sociology-of-religion perspective and pointed to its psychological protective function for the affected families.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0932288 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0932288\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b7880d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2b7880d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Kannon among the \"Hidden Christians\" (Kakure Kirishitan)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f657ad5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f657ad5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A complex of particular interest in the history of religion is the &#8220;Maria-Kannon&#8221; tradition of the &#8220;Kakure Kirishitan,&#8221; the hidden Japanese Christians during the persecution period of 1614 to 1873. In Nagasaki and on the surrounding islands (especially Ikitsuki and Goto), concealed Christian communities, officially registered as Buddhist families, preserved their veneration of Mary through the identification of Mary with Kannon.<\/p><p>Small Kannon statues, often with a hidden cross on the back, were venerated as images of Mary; the &#8220;Mizuko-Kannon&#8221; form was particularly suitable because the child figure on the arm recalled images of the Madonna.<\/p><p>This tradition became public only after the lifting of the ban on Christianity in 1873. Many families then returned to open Catholicism, while others preserved the syncretistic practice and remained with the Maria-Kannon form.<\/p><p>The cathedral of Nagasaki and the museum of the Kakure Kirishitan in Sotome document this special form of Japanese-Christian religiosity, which at the same time represents an extraordinary episode in the religious history of Kannon.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51d216d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"51d216d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-234b719 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"234b719\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Kannon in Contemporary Religiosity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ef16abb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ef16abb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Helen Hardacre and Inken Prohl have repeatedly emphasized that Kannon is at present the most important &#8220;accessible&#8221; Buddhist figure in Japan. While the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In the Indian religions, the teaching and the right order of conduct.\" tabindex=\"0\">Dharma<\/span> Buddha (Tath\u0101gata), as an abstract philosophical entity, remains little concrete for many worshippers, Kannon is immediately accessible through the vividness and emotional charge of the figure of compassion.<\/p><p>The &#8220;33-station pilgrimage routes&#8221; are experiencing a continuing revival, reinforced not least by touristic and wellness components, without losing their religious substance.<\/p><p>In the Japanese &#8220;New Religions&#8221; (&#8220;Shin Sh\u016bky\u014d&#8221;) such as Reiy\u016b-kai, Rissh\u014d K\u014dsei-kai, and S\u014dka Gakkai, the Lotus <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Hinduism and Buddhism, a teaching text in concise form.\" tabindex=\"0\">Sutra<\/span>, and thus the Kannon chapter, remains central as the principal scripture.<\/p><p>In the S\u014dt\u014d Zen and Rinzai Zen tradition, too, Kannon is firmly anchored as an object of meditation and as a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A sign that stands in place of an idea or meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">symbol<\/span> of non-dual compassion. In the great temples of Pure Land Buddhism (especially Chion-in in Kyoto), Kannon remains the companion figure of Amida and shapes the liturgical practice of accompanying the dying.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kannon, Japanese goddess of compassion Kannon is the Japanese goddess of compassion, who turns toward those who suffer in many forms and grants comfort. Kannon, with the full name Kanzeon-Bosatsu (Japanese) or Guanyin (Chinese), is the central figure of compassion and boundless mercy in East Asian Buddhism. As the Japanese name for the Indian bodhisattva [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6148,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Kannon","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Kannon: Japanese Goddess of Compassion | iWell Guard","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Kannon is the Japanese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the most popular Buddha figure in Japan: Senju-Kannon and 33 manifestations.","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_angie_page":false,"gefaehrdungsstufe":"","wesen_kultur":"","wesen_klasse":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[86,27,55,92],"class_list":["post-6147","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gods","category-goetter","category-japan"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Kannon: Japanese Goddess of Compassion | iWell Guard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kannon is the Japanese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the most popular Buddha figure in Japan: Senju-Kannon and 33 manifestations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kannon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kannon is the Japanese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the most popular Buddha figure in Japan: Senju-Kannon and 33 manifestations.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"iWell Guard\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-04T09:26:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Kannon: Japanese Goddess of Compassion | iWell Guard\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-19T11:18:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-04T09:26:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"Kannon is the Japanese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the most popular Buddha figure in Japan: Senju-Kannon and 33 manifestations.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":1536,\"caption\":\"Gods from the Japanese tradition.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/kannon\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Start\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/home\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Kannon\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"iWell Guard\",\"description\":\"Schutz vor dunklen Einfl\u00fcssen\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ittermann electronic GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Ittermann-Logo-1182x237-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Ittermann-Logo-1182x237-1.png\",\"width\":1182,\"height\":237,\"caption\":\"Ittermann electronic GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/iwell-guard.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/pantip.com\\\/profile\\\/9367242\",\"https:\\\/\\\/micro.blog\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.diggerslist.com\\\/iwellguard\\\/about\",\"https:\\\/\\\/skitterphoto.com\\\/photographers\\\/2870314\\\/iwell-guard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/iwellguard.wordpress.com\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/06\\\/iwell-guard\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/hub.docker.com\\\/u\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/iwellguard\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/bit.ly\\\/m\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/entre-vos-mains.alsace.eu\\\/profiles\\\/iwellguard\\\/activity\",\"https:\\\/\\\/gravatar.com\\\/reallybeded8fd34\",\"https:\\\/\\\/naijamatta.com\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.goodreads.com\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/profile.hatena.ne.jp\\\/iwellguard\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/experiment.com\\\/users\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/wakelet.com\\\/@iWellGuard82270\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.chordie.com\\\/forum\\\/profile.php?id=2555664\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instapaper.com\\\/p\\\/17757966\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mapleprimes.com\\\/users\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/businesslistingplus.com\\\/profile\\\/iwell-guard\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/telegra.ph\\\/iWell-Guard-06-06\",\"https:\\\/\\\/pbase.com\\\/iwellguard\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/b.hatena.ne.jp\\\/iwellguard\\\/20260607#bookmark-4788405196491818882\",\"https:\\\/\\\/fliphtml5.com\\\/home\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/anyflip.com\\\/homepage\\\/cmiwl#About\",\"https:\\\/\\\/transfur.com\\\/Users\\\/iwellguard\",\"http:\\\/\\\/delphi.larsbo.org\\\/user\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/jobs.lajobsportal.org\\\/profiles\\\/8380803-iwell-guard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/md.chaosdorf.de\\\/s\\\/jfbe5SBdJD\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lingvolive.com\\\/en-us\\\/profile\\\/9ecaeaca-ce11-4e51-9e71-01d55e2bff36\\\/translations\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fitday.com\\\/fitness\\\/forums\\\/members\\\/iwellguard.html\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mymeetbook.com\\\/iwellguard\",\"https:\\\/\\\/pxhere.com\\\/en\\\/photographer-me\\\/5040798\",\"https:\\\/\\\/disqus.com\\\/by\\\/iwellguard\\\/about\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/pastelink.net\\\/hjwciqwq\",\"https:\\\/\\\/pubhtml5.com\\\/homepage\\\/scjhn\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bitchute.com\\\/channel\\\/2O2eOKzNqujT\",\"https:\\\/\\\/audiomack.com\\\/iwellguard\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Kannon: Japanese Goddess of Compassion | iWell Guard","description":"Kannon is the Japanese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the most popular Buddha figure in Japan: Senju-Kannon and 33 manifestations.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Kannon","og_description":"Kannon is the Japanese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the most popular Buddha figure in Japan: Senju-Kannon and 33 manifestations.","og_url":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/","og_site_name":"iWell Guard","article_modified_time":"2026-06-04T09:26:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":1536,"url":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/","url":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/","name":"Kannon: Japanese Goddess of Compassion | iWell Guard","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-19T11:18:36+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-04T09:26:36+00:00","description":"Kannon is the Japanese form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the most popular Buddha figure in Japan: Senju-Kannon and 33 manifestations.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon.webp","width":1024,"height":1536,"caption":"Gods from the Japanese tradition."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Start","item":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Kannon"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/","name":"iWell Guard","description":"Schutz vor dunklen Einfl\u00fcssen","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/#organization","name":"Ittermann electronic GmbH","url":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ittermann-Logo-1182x237-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ittermann-Logo-1182x237-1.png","width":1182,"height":237,"caption":"Ittermann electronic GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/pantip.com\/profile\/9367242","https:\/\/micro.blog\/iwellguard","https:\/\/www.diggerslist.com\/iwellguard\/about","https:\/\/skitterphoto.com\/photographers\/2870314\/iwell-guard","https:\/\/iwellguard.wordpress.com\/2026\/06\/06\/iwell-guard\/","https:\/\/hub.docker.com\/u\/iwellguard","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/iwellguard\/","https:\/\/bit.ly\/m\/iwellguard","https:\/\/entre-vos-mains.alsace.eu\/profiles\/iwellguard\/activity","https:\/\/gravatar.com\/reallybeded8fd34","https:\/\/naijamatta.com\/iwellguard","https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/iwellguard","https:\/\/profile.hatena.ne.jp\/iwellguard\/","https:\/\/experiment.com\/users\/iwellguard","https:\/\/wakelet.com\/@iWellGuard82270","https:\/\/www.chordie.com\/forum\/profile.php?id=2555664","https:\/\/www.instapaper.com\/p\/17757966","https:\/\/www.mapleprimes.com\/users\/iwellguard","https:\/\/businesslistingplus.com\/profile\/iwell-guard\/","https:\/\/telegra.ph\/iWell-Guard-06-06","https:\/\/pbase.com\/iwellguard\/iwellguard","https:\/\/b.hatena.ne.jp\/iwellguard\/20260607#bookmark-4788405196491818882","https:\/\/fliphtml5.com\/home\/iwellguard","https:\/\/anyflip.com\/homepage\/cmiwl#About","https:\/\/transfur.com\/Users\/iwellguard","http:\/\/delphi.larsbo.org\/user\/iwellguard","https:\/\/jobs.lajobsportal.org\/profiles\/8380803-iwell-guard","https:\/\/md.chaosdorf.de\/s\/jfbe5SBdJD","https:\/\/www.lingvolive.com\/en-us\/profile\/9ecaeaca-ce11-4e51-9e71-01d55e2bff36\/translations","https:\/\/www.fitday.com\/fitness\/forums\/members\/iwellguard.html","https:\/\/www.mymeetbook.com\/iwellguard","https:\/\/pxhere.com\/en\/photographer-me\/5040798","https:\/\/disqus.com\/by\/iwellguard\/about\/","https:\/\/pastelink.net\/hjwciqwq","https:\/\/pubhtml5.com\/homepage\/scjhn\/","https:\/\/www.bitchute.com\/channel\/2O2eOKzNqujT","https:\/\/audiomack.com\/iwellguard"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6147"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6151,"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6147\/revisions\/6151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}