A beautifully illustrated and inspired retelling of the Kuan Yin story from the perspective of her younger sister.
Van der Meer draws from the many Chinese legends about the daughter of a cruel king who finds she cannot abide by his ways. The book begins with the tender scene of young Princess Ling waking to find her older sister Miao Shan calmly meditating at the foot of her bed, emanating the fragrance of a lotus flower. The sisters share a special bond of understanding. When their father tries to force Miao Shan to marry, causing her to flee from the palace, it is Ling who knows to follow her sister’s familiar lotus scent to a spot in the dappled shade of a willow tree.
Van der Meer’s description of what happens next could be the basis for an imagery practice:
“There sat Princess Miao Shan, relaxed and natural, surrounded by a group of wild animals lying calmly at her feet. A faint orb of light encircled them all. Miao Shan looked up from her meditation and smiled, motioning for Ling to come closer.”
What a heartening image of peace and welcome! And the book continues in this vein, pulling us deeper and deeper into realms of compassion as Miao Shan — who becomes Kuan Yin — faces nearly impossible challenges with equanimity and overcomes them with the help of a tiger, a dragon, her own wits and inexhaustible vision, and her sister Ling’s loyalty.
What sends this book over the top as a true treasure are the illustrations of Wen Hsu, a Taiwanese-Costa Rican illustrator. She has had a personal connection with Kuan Yin ever since her father told her bedtime stories about the goddess and she visited Kuan Yin temples with her grandmother. In turquoise, orange, pink, blue, and gold that sparkles off the page, she gives us image after image of the beauty and grace of feminine power devoted to bringing happiness, ease, and peace to all creatures. Any of her images could sit atop an altar to enrich contemplation.