Quan Am, the Compassionate Protectress of Children by Amy

Quan Am, the Compassionate Protectress of Children by Amy - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

The moon beamed on me as I made my way to a temple in Vietnam. When I walked past a village, I heard a faint cry from a baby. I looked back and kept walking. The second my feet touched the outskirts of the Vietnamese temple, the ghost of Quan Am, the Compassionate Protectress of Children, appeared and gazed at my shoulders. We exchanged greetings and I asked her if we could sit down and eat dinner together. She agreed. We sat and I quickly started talking to her so that the nerves would not flourish, and I adjusted my shoulders. My first question to the ghost of Quan Am was, “What made you such a compassionate person?” She then explained how she devoted herself to understanding and sending guidance and kindness to those who wronged her. She went into detail about her life in the monastery, into which she had been accepted disguised as a young man, so that she could study the dharma. At the monastery, she threw herself into spiritual practice, and everyone wanted to be near her and experience the calming, loving grace of her presence. She became known for her wisdom, equanimity, and radiance in all she did. Then, an hour had passed and the ghost withered away.
Blankly sitting at the table, I went back to the temple and reflected on all her answers. The ghost and I spoke about passion. It was passion along with her compassionate spirit that motivated Quan Am to help others and spread her love and grace. She focused on her own heart, her own practice, and on living humbleness herself, and that example had an impact. I recognized my passion: teaching. I desire to spread my knowledge and my love inside a classroom to a room full of children. Just like Quan Am who was able to create a loving environment, I want to create a comfortable and friendly environment inside the classroom for children.