With your donation to One Earth Sangha of $500 or more, we will send you a hand-made one of a kind banner like those that were carried through the streets of New York City at the People’s Climate March in 2015.
The image on the banner is that of Guan Yin, also spelled Guan Yim, Kuan Yim, Kwan Im, or Kuan Yin, and is a short form for Kuan-shi Yin, meaning “She who hears the cries of the world.” In Chinese Buddhism, Guan Yin is generally depicted in female form and yet is equivalent to the male form, Boddhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the embodiment of compassion.
One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokiteśvara vowing never to rest until he had freed all sentient beings from saṃsāra. Despite strenuous effort, he realizes that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, his head splits into eleven pieces. Amitābha, seeing his plight, gives him eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokiteśvara attempts to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that his two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitābha comes to his aid and invests him with a thousand arms with which to aid the suffering multitudes. – Venerable Shangpa Rinpoche. “Arya Avalokitesvara and the Six Syllable Mantra” Dhagpo Kagyu Ling.
These banners originated in connection to the People’s Climate March of September, 2014. They were designed by Kristin Barker and made in collaboration with Eleanor Hancock for the Buddhist and mindfulness community to carry through the streets of New York City as part of that mass mobilization. Many more have since been used in demonstrations and displayed in Dharma centers to represent a call and a way for all of us to engage in social issues.
We aspire to embody the multifaceted heart, mind and skill of Avalokiteśvara through the membership of One Earth Sangha.
If you haven’t yet donated and are interested in a banner, please do so first and then return here.
This banner with the slogan “Embody Fierce Compassion” is approximately 2’x3′, silk screened on linen. As these are made by hand, each is slightly different. The cost of materials and shipping within the continental US is $60 so your donation to our organization will be valued at $440. For international shipping, we’ll need to charge the difference so just send us an email and we’ll work it out. Your banner will be made and shipped within 10 weeks.
