by Dr. Mario Castelán Editor's note: Archetypes are universal forces originating at the highest levels of creation to shape the physical world of Nature as well as the human soul. Larger than a single “thing,” they are the prototypes or patterns that emanate from the spiritual world and are revealed in symbols, images, gestures, energetic patterns and qualities in both nature and human culture. The ability to become articulate in this language is a fundamental practitioner skill in flower essence therapy. Following is an archetypal character study written by Dr. Mario Castelán as part of his requirements for the FES Certification Program.
Kwan Yin is probably the most popular female deity in the Orient. The aim of this essay is to relate Kwan Yin with the archetype of the
Categories are necessary for structuring reality, for communicating to each other, for finding a common ground. From the moment we are born, however, society starts cutting us into small pieces that have to fit into predefined boxes, practically dictating what our lives should be. Gender, race, nationality, social status, religion: we are immediately tattooed with expectations on what we should become. Soon we learn how to judge good from bad. We later transfer this judgement to other humans. You are bad, I am good. You are good, I am bad. The victim, the victimizer. The cheater husband, the ungrateful son, the abnegated mother. We start taking sides. We learn how to separate. This separation is fertile soil for fear, anguish, loneliness, distrust, guilt, and the list of emotions seeking for a space to transcend towards comprehension beyond categorization seems endless. The most painful illusion of humanity is separation. Separation is not only noticeable at the individual level, but at the collective level. News about death and destruction are becoming more frequent: carnages, famines, brutal repression of our governments, wars. Before the horror occurring around the world, it is impossible not to question ourselves about where we are heading as humanity. Is there really a better world?
It depends on the decisions we take each instant of our lives. There lies the power of the individual over the collective. That is the true strength of our decisions. Reality is conformed by decisions, step by step, an almost imperceptible sequence, as subtle as the flutter of the wings of a butterfly.
Where are you directing your flutter at? There is no separation. There is no difference at the core. We all breathe the same oxygen, we are all given heat by the same sun, covered by the same moon, fed by the same earth. The same blood unites us. Such is the basis of compassion . The great pain of humanity is a reflection of the great pain of each individual.
We have the power to decide our individual actions with the clarity of a consciousness which no longer separates, but is capable of resonating at unison with the vibration of thousands of millions of other human beings.
May I reach
The mother who hearsMariposa means butterfly in Spanish. In the first part of this essay, the butterfly effect and the collective consciousness are introduced as the doors of compassion. This section is dedicated to Mother Kwan Yin, whose name, a short for Kwan Shi Yin, means “She who hears the cries of the world.”
Imagine being a newborn whose crying is not heard by anyone. This feeling is prevailing on Earth more than ever. Violence, racism and prejudice combined with the immediacy and impersonality of social media have created a collective energy of disconnection from each other.
Without flowers, butterflies die. We have to go one step beyond love. This is what the archetype of Kwan Yin represents: infinite compassion .
Kuan Yin (also spelled as Quan Yin, Kwan Yin, Guan Yin, Gwan Yin) is the Bodhisattva of mercy and compassion. It is said that her compassion towards sentient beings exceeds that of all the other Bodhisattvas combined. She is considered to be a source of unconditional love and a savior of sentient beings, not only humans, but animals and plants.
The legend says that Kwan Yin chose Mount Putuo in China as her bodhimanda, a term used in Buddhism meaning the “position of awakening,” a place used as a seat, where the essence of enlightenment is present.
Dancing with butterflies
Usually, Mother Kwan Yin is symbolized with pearls, meaning the purity of light; and a vase, where she holds the nectar of compassion and wisdom.
Here is a personal meaning for the mantra: My intention is to become light. I seek wisdom and find the jewel of compassion as the path towards Unity. I imagine mother Kwan Yin blessing humanity while she visualizes every human being as a flying butterfly. She carefully listens to the subtle fluttering of her children and silently sends her blessings. She delivers the soothing balm of compassion and embraces us with her immense mother butterfly wings, resembling the petals of Splendid Mariposa Lily. Our butterfly mother waits for her children to become light. While she tenderly kisses billions of baby butterflies, she dances in the midst of hope and forgiveness. About Mario Castelan Dr. Mario Castelán lives in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico and holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of York, UK. In addition to his scientific activity, he is dedicated to flower essence therapy. He is interested in contributing to flower therapy from the scientific perspective, for example, with bio-energetic systems of testing response or through experiments with water. Dr. Castelán has a diploma in Bach flowers and has obtained two certifications from the Flower Essence Society – Practitioner Certification and Advanced Studies.
1 This story is from Wikipedia. Most online sources agree on the story as well as on further references about Avalokitesvara and Mount Putuo.
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