Ofuna Kannon

Shot at Ofuna Kannon-Ji, a Buddhist temple in Ofuna, Kanagawa.

This temple is built on the hill. And the big bust of Guanyin stood on the top of the hill. A woman stood right in front of the bust and prayed. It is believed that Guanyin brings in secular benefits. So I also prayed substantially after the woman finished praying.

Its face is well-fed and it puts a kind of shawl called 'Ten-e' on. Apparently, it is feminal. It is not clear about the sex of this Bodhisattva. Some people say Guanyin is male originally. Yet an Indian indigenous goddess was adopted into Buddhism supposedly. In fact, it is widely recognized as female in China. And the producer of this bust could make it as a female.

By the way, Dalai Lama is identified as an avatar of Guanyin.