In the Chinese tradition, Quan Yin is the goddess of compassion.  Her name means “one who hears the cries of the world.”  She has a sweet and merciful disposition, and is recognized and loved all over the world.  Quan Yin is known as a bodhisattva, a being who chooses not to enter Nirvana in order to come to the aid of others.  The story is told that she was at the gate of enlightenment, Nirvana, which opened for her because she had led such a pure and virtuous life.  But as she stood before the threshold, she heard cries of suffering coming from the world’s beings.  She was so profoundly affected by this pain that her heart shook, and she could not yet leave the world behind.  She took the vow of a bodhisattva: “I will not reach final liberation until all other beings have been liberated.”