慈航真人

Ci Hang Da Shi (慈航大使), Yuan Tong Zi Zai Tian Zun (圆通自在天尊), Guan Yin (观音)

像以金丝楠木为之。

The statue is made of precious timber called gold phoebe nanmu (金丝楠木)

慈航真人

Ci Hang Zhen Ren

又称慈航大士、圆通自在天尊。像两面,前面男身,后显女身,盖经中所述“当以何身得度即显何身”之意也。据《历代神仙通监》卷记载,普陀落伽岩潮音洞中有一女真,相传商王时修道于此,已得神通三昧,发愿欲普度世间男女。尝以丹药及甘露水济人,南海人称之曰慈航大士。因纣王无道,常将百姓致残,以取妲己欢心;欲要慈航之母手眼,慈航主动献出了自己手眼,其孝心感动上天。女娲娘娘传慈航千手千眼之术,指引其拜师于元始天尊,传说元始天尊传授慈航一本天书——道德天尊(也称太上老君)的《道德心经》,让其在普陀山修道成仙,称为慈航真人,又称千手神仙。为广传道法,前去西游,后归来助周伐纣,慈航真人的诞辰为二月十九。

Deity Ci Hang Zhen Ren is manifested as a male in the front and a female at the back. This deity will come to rescue in an image that is most appropriate to the victim. According to an old literature, Ci Hang Zhen Ren used to stay in a cave called Chao Yin (潮音洞) in Pu Tuo (普陀) to practise Taoism during the Shang Dynasty (商代). After attaining certain remarkable spiritual achievements, she used medicine and dew to save people’s lives. Emperor of the time was Zhou (纣), an extremely ruthless ruler, who wanted Ci Hang’s mother’s eye and hand to please his wife Dan Ji (妲己). Ci Hang volunteered to sacrifice her own eye and hand, and her behaviour touched the Heaven. Nu Wa (女娲), a high deity in Taoism, awarded Ci Hang with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands; and introduced her to Yuan Shi Tian Zun (元始天尊), the immortal master. Legend has it that Yuan Shi Tian Zun passed a secret book to Ci Hang known as Dao De Xin Jing (道德心经); and made her stay in Pu Tuo Mountain (普陀山) to practice Tao. She finally achieved immortality and became a deity of a thousand hands. Ci Hang’s birthday is on February 19th of the Chinese calendar.