Hello Flint, my gratitude goes out to you, rather, for your viewership and interest. Don't be a stranger; feel absolutely free to drop whatever comments and questions on the topic that come to mind. My door is always open.

I'm overjoyed to hear of your close relationship with Guan Yin; may you know no less than a lifetime of sacred bliss in her care. My late maternal grandfather was the family's die-hard Guan Yin devotee; my allegiances lie elsewhere, as you no doubt know by now, but I deeply respect her and continue to maintain the altar he set up in her honour. Below is its centrepiece - a Guan Yin statue that has been with us for more than fifty years.



Zhun Di and Guan Yin are two similar female aspects of the sexless Avalokitesvara. I regard them as being sisters of sorts, which isn't entirely wrong, I would think. While Guan Yin personifies compassion, Zhun Di symbolises enlightenment, wisdom and courage. She is a more dynamic and martial individual than Guan Yin, signified by the fact that she can often be seen wielding divine weapons and making sacred mudras with her hands to shield/protect her followers, actively ward off evil and dispel the dark clouds of doubt. By contrast, Guan Yin is a strict pacifist.



Ma Zu is an entirely different goddess with no connection to either of the abovementioned Bodhisattvas. I have spoken about her earlier in the thread; here is the relevant post: