Guanshiyin Bodhisattva holds a very important position in Buddhism. Some people say Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is Chinese, while others say he is another nationality. Some people say this Bodhisattva is a man, while others say the Bodhisattva is a woman. Now I will tell all of you: Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is neither Chinese nor any other nationality. Where is he from then? He can be found everywhere throughout space and the Dharma Realm, and yet there is no place where he is. He manifests in response to different kinds of beings, appearing in whatever form is most appropriate to speak Dharma for living beings. Therefore, his appearance is not fixed.

这观世音菩萨他也现佛身来度一切应该成佛的众生；他也现菩萨身来度一切应该成菩萨的众生；他也现天上的天王身来度一切众生。总而言之，这个众生应该以什么身得度的，观世音菩萨就现什么身，来给这一类的众生说法。

Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appears in the body of a Buddha to cross over all the living beings who are meant to become Buddhas. He also appears in the body of a Bodhisattva in order to cross over all the living beings who are meant to  become Bodhisattvas. He also manifests the body of a heavenly king to cross over all living beings. In general, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appears in whatever form a living being needs to see in order to be crossed over, and comes to speak Dharma for that kind of living being.

在佛教里头，观世音菩萨各处去教化众生，要度一切众生发菩提心。他先看这个众生欢喜什么，他先就投其所好，他一投其所好，这个人就欢喜了，所以他说什么法，这个人也都欢喜听，于是乎就把这个众生度了。所以说观世音菩萨，他也不一定是男身，也不一定是女身，他也是男身，也是女身，不过都是变化的。那么观世音菩萨的本体呢？他是如如不动的，和佛是一样的；并且观世音菩萨在很久以前，就已经成佛了。他的名字叫正法明如来，现在他化菩萨身来教化众生。

In Buddhism, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva goes everywhere to teach and transform living beings. He wants to cross over all living beings and cause them to bring forth the resolve for Bodhi. He first contemplates to see what a living being likes and then caters to his likings. When he caters to that person's likings, the person feels happy and is glad to listen to whatever Dharma he speaks. Thus he successfully crosses over that living being. So I said Guanshiyin Bodhi­sattva is not necessarily male or female; he is both male and female, but that's just his transformation. In his fundamental identity, Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is thus and unmoving, just like the Buddhas. What is more, Guanshiyin Bodhi­sattva became a Buddha a long time ago by the name of Light of Proper Dharma Tathagata. Now he is manifesting as a Bodhisattva to come teach and transform living beings.

在佛教里他现菩萨身；在外道里边，他也现外道的身。所以往往有一个穿着白衣服的，在耶稣教里就说她是圣母；其实这个圣母是谁？也就是观世音菩萨去教化那一类的众生，他去现那么一个穿白衣服的人的样子。一般的耶稣教说这是圣母，其实也就是观世音菩萨，去显现令这个众生来发心，无论早晚都会令他明白佛法；明白佛法之后，就要发菩提心。这是观世音菩萨他这种妙用无穷的一种不可思议境界。

He appears as a Bodhisattva in Buddhism, but he also appears in other religions as personages of those religions. There is a white-robed figure known in Christianity as the Holy Mother. Who was the Holy Mother in fact? She was just Guanshiyin Bodhisattva coming to teach and transform that class of living beings. He appeared as a person in white robes and the Christians all said that was the Holy Mother, but in fact it was Guanshiyin Bodhisattva appearing to inspire those living beings to bring forth resolves. Sooner and later, they would come to understand the Buddha­dharma, and after they understood the Buddhadharma, they would bring forth the Bodhi resolve. That's the inconceivable state of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's inexhaustible, wonderful functioning.

今天我就给各位讲一讲 “观世音菩萨”这几个字。

Today I will briefly explain the name of Guanshiyin Bodhi­sattva, the "Bodhisattva Who Contemplates the Sounds of the World."

怎么叫“观”呢？这“观”是一种 “观智”——能观的智慧；“世音”就是所观的境界。以这个能观的智慧，观这个所观的境界，观这个世间所有一切的境界，一切的音声。这音声有苦声，有乐声，有善声，有恶声，有好声，有坏声；观世音菩萨观看这世界种种的音声，他就遂心满愿。众生无论向观世音菩萨求什么，观世音菩萨一定就遂心满愿的。

What is contemplation? It refers to a contemplative wisdom, the wisdom that is able to contemplate. The sounds of the world are the state that is contemplated. The wisdom that is able to contemplate is used to contemplate the state that is contemplated—all the states within this world, all the sounds. The sounds include sounds of suffering, sounds of happiness, wholesome sounds, evil sounds, good sounds, bad sounds. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva observes all the various sounds of the world. He fulfills all wishes. No matter what living beings seek from Guanshiyin Bodhi­sattva, he will grant their wishes for sure.