The Goddess of Mercy

Kwan Yin

The term wise old man does not necessarily have to portray the physical appearance of a seventy-year-old man. In general, society does not have to always have that certain idea of what a wise old man is just because the media has inaccurately educated them about Asian culture.

“According to one legend, Kwan Yin, who is often referred to as the female Buddha, was a beautiful Indian princess who forsook marriage and the good life to live in a convent in order to become a truly enlightened human being, or bodhisattva”.

The name “Kwan Yin” is the meaning of a Chinese name for the goddess that is the energy of motherly compassion. She responds to the heartfelt needs and anguish of the people of earth regardless of background or belief. Specifically Yin is an example of what it means to become a wise old man however, knowing the fact that she is a female she breaks the stereotype of the wise old man. The media has inaccurately educated society by presenting the Asian wise old man simply for entertainment purposes. If they had included the wise old man stereotype with a female, society would have thought differently about the wise old man stereotype. They would have had that general understanding that it's okay for a woman to become a wise old man because the wise old woman can be equally as intelligent as the wise old man can be. The only aspect that would be different is that woman are more motherly and it relates to Kwan Yin because spiritually she will be there for anyone in need of emotional issues. She is accessible to anyone, regardless of social status, and will come to the emotional rescue of anyone who calls upon her in a time of crisis. If the media could start showing wise old women in films or TV shows, then it can alter the way society thinks about wise old men and partially eliminate the stereotype. Wise old woman also support the wise old man stereotype because a wise old woman has the same characteristics however, it is just expanding the idea of the wise old man stereotype by including females. Wise old women are similar to wise old men because both have gone through different experiences in life and have learned to overcome those experiences. They can both teach youth the difference between right and wrong and guide them to the right path. Adding females to the stereotype can positively impact the stereotype because it satisfies the female society and it shows that women can also be seen as a role model in society.