In China, Kuan Yin is the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion and is also the Protectress of Children. In India, she is represented as a male deity known as Avalokitesvara, “The One Who Hearts the Cries of the World.”

This figure is represented in the posture of Royal Ease inside a Lotus petal on a crest of waves and Lotus flowers. There is also a Lotus supporting the left foot, which may represent the footprints of the Buddha.

When shown arising from water, the Lotus symbolizes one’s physical existence firmly established against the sea of possibility. The Lotus also represents purity and divine birth.
Avalokitesvara is shown wearing the rosary with 3 end beads, which represent the Buddhist Trinity (Buddha, The Word and The Priesthood).