Guan Yin is the bodhisattva of compassion, revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy.
Her name is short for Guan Shi Yin. Guan means to observe, watch, or monitor; Shi means the world; Yin means sounds, specifically sounds of those who suffer. Thus, Guan Yin is a compassionate being who watches for, and responds to, the people in the world who cry out for help. (toaism.net)
The bewitching performance of Thousand-hand Bodhisattva dance performed at the 2005 CCTV Spring Festival Gala by 21 hearing impaired girls and boys with the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe (CDPPAT) in Beijing caused a nationwide sensation.
The movements were of breathtaking precision. The marvelous choreography, lavish costumes and perfect lighting were a thrilling experience. The audience never stopped wondering at the extraordinary accuracy of the 21 dancers’ “thousand hands” gesticulating as if they belonged to one body.
The dance was led by Tai lihua and choreographed and directed by Zhang Jigang. On September 28, 2004 at the Closing Ceremony of the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games the eight-minute debut of Thousand-hand Bodhisattva as a “theme song” wonderfully shocked the whole world. (information c/o www.tradebit.com)
Holy Cow That’s Amazing!
It reminds me of a post By Jonathan Fields that I read the other day. (http://www.careerrenegade.com/what-sells-better-hope-fear-or-susan-boyle/)
The conversation revolved around what is most motivating- fear, hope, or what he terms as “dream manifestation” I am not sure who exactly conceived this beautiful spectacle but one thing is for certain, it is the manifestation of somebody’s dream.
Think about all the hard work that went into this performance. The rehearsals, costumes, lighting, the offstage personel that cue the dancers, the producers, the event staff, the cleaning crew, box office, and each and every person who participated by showing up to watch. In fact five years later we are still in awe as this travels across the internet in emails, blogs, facebook, and twitter posts-!!
It moves me, motivates me, and encourages me to reach higher than I have ever imagined. These are the shared experiences that life is all about. It is indeed true that no man is an island. This is an outpouring of Love.
A prayer for today…
As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart
A thousand hands will naturally come to your aid
As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart
You will reach out with a thousand hands to help others
May each of you feel the thousand hands of Guan Yin emanating from you in the service of others. May each of you feel the thousand hands of Guan Yin reaching out for you in your time of need. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!
