By far one of the most important objects of worship in the Buddhist traditions, the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is regarded as the embodiment of compassion. He has been widely revered throughout the Buddhist countries of Asia since the early centuries of the Common Era. While he was closely identified with the royalty in South and Southeast Asia, and the Tibetans continue to this day to view the Dalai Lamas as his incarnations, in China he became a she—Kuan-yin, the "Goddess of Mercy"—and has a very different history. The causes and processes of this metamorphosis have perplexed Buddhist scholars for centuries. In this groundbreaking, comprehensive study, Chün-fang Yü discusses this dramatic transformation of the (male) Indian bodhisattva Avalokitesvara into the (female) Chinese Kuan-yin—from a relatively minor figure in the Buddha's retinue to a universal savior and one of the most popular deities in Chinese religion. Focusing on the various media through which the feminine Kuan-yin became constructed and domesticated in China, Yü thoroughly examines Buddhist scriptures, miracle stories, pilgrimages, popular literature, and monastic and local gazetteers—as well as the changing iconography reflected in Kuan-yin's images and artistic representations—to determine the role this material played in this amazing transformation. The book eloquently depicts the domestication of Kuan-yin as a case study of the indigenization of Buddhism in China and illuminates the ways this beloved deity has affected the lives of all Chinese people down the ages.

Ucchu ma has a rich iconography in East Asia as the Fiery-head-vajra whose scrolls have been found at Tun-huang.The role of Agni or fire goes as far back as the Rgveda.Fire mythology can be seen in the exploits of Prometheus who brought fire from the gods and became a mythical benefactor.The Psycho- analysis of Fire by Gaston Bachelard is an entrancing modern approach:ithat which burns germinatesi (p.41). The several categorisations of u as,along with the texts from which they originate,are epiphanies of supreme knowledge seen in regal concepts,like sitatapatra ewhite parasol?,vijaya evictory?,abhyudgata eexalted highnessi. U arajas figure at the head of Vidyarajas (p.3744).U avijaya is the Goddess of Supreme Victory.She was invoked during the period of Shotoku Taishi when the Japanese State was emerging as a powerful unitary force.The oldest Sanskrit manuscript of the U avijaya-dhara comes from the Horyuji monastery (AD 609). The iconography of Vairocana shows 37 types with different attributes, running into 58 pages.The classification of Vairocana has been done for the first time and it invites a fresh consideration of the interface of texts and their graphic representations to comprehend the complex system of maalas.This volume has an extensive coverage of Vairocana.

"The publication of the handbook has been the occasion for the exhibition 'An educated eye: Princeton University Art Museum collections,' on view at the Princeton University Art Museum from February 23 through August 3, 2008"--T.p. vers