Guan Yin is the bodhisattva of compassion,

revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy.

Her name is short for Guan Shi Yin.

Guan means to observe, watch, or monitor;

Shi means the world;

Yin means sounds, specifically sounds of those who suffer.

Thus, Guan Yin is a compassionate being

who watches for, and responds to, the people in the world

who cry out for help.

Bodhi means wisdom or enlightenment;

sattva means being or essence.

Put the two together and you get bodhisattva,

a being who is enlightened and ready to transcend

the cycles of birth and death,

but chooses to return to the material world

in order to help other people reach the same

level of enlightenment.

This is the ultimate demonstration of pure compassion.