Description
Guanyin, Kwanyin, Guanshiyin, or Guanyin Pusa is the Chinese interpretation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (the goddess of comfort and mercy). In Taoism, she is also considered immortal. The sacred scripture dedicated to her is the Dabeizhou. Guanyin is the goddess of compassion and the sea. Guanyin is also one of the Three Saints of the Western Paradise, along with Mahasthamaprapta and Amitabha Buddha. The Three Saints are primarily worshipped to save deceased loved ones from hell and grant them access to the Western Paradise with the help of the Three Saints. In traditional Chinese religion, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism, Guanyin is primarily invoked in prayers during times of danger, as the story goes that Guanyin saves people in danger. The goddess was actually a god when she first gained popularity in China, but when statues of her were created and she took on an increasingly feminine appearance, she became a goddess. In Korea and Japan, the image of Guanyin was adopted and also depicted as a goddess. Guanyin is often depicted in paintings with a child in her arms. It therefore resembles a Buddhist version of the Catholic Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus. Another common painting of her depicts Guanyin holding a vase containing saving water, which she pours onto the earth, saving people from danger. Guanyin also appears in the Chinese novel "Journey to the West," where she plays the role of savior of Sun Wukong, a brutal and vicious monkey whom Guanyin transforms into a peaceful monkey. The largest statue of this bodhisattva stands on the Chinese island of Hainan and is called Sanya's Guanyin of the Southern Sea.
Lava Stone
Lava is rock in liquid form. Once magma reaches the Earth's surface or the seabed, it is called lava. Due to differences in magma composition, outflow rate, temperature, and chemical and mineralogical composition, there are several types of lava, each with its own behavior and characterized by a porous structure. Lava can have a destructive effect, but at the same time, it also has a creative effect. For instance, new land can be formed by lava; this is how the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean were formed. Furthermore, cooled lava—after several centuries of weathering—is very fertile and can therefore be used effectively as agricultural land. The word 'lava' originates from the Italian language and is likely derived from the Latin word labes, which refers to the sliding or gliding of lava. The word was first used in its current meaning by Francesco Serao, a professor of medicine at the University of Naples, when he described the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the period from May 14 to June 4, 1737. Serao believed that lava was a mixture of sand and earth that had been melted by the heat of the volcanic fire. He described “a stream of fiery lava” in comparison to the water and mud that flow down the volcano after heavy rain. Cooling viscous lava often accumulates in a volcanic shaft. Due to this blockage and the presence of gases in the lava, pressure builds up in the shaft. Eventually, an eruption occurs, producing large clouds of volcanic ash and gas, as well as pyroclastic flows. The most explosive eruptions are followed by a quieter period during which lava is expelled. If the lava is rich in silica, a slowly growing lava dome forms—a large, cushion-like structure full of cracks and fissures. The top and edges of a lava dome are usually covered with rock fragments, breccia, and ash. The hardened rock that forms from lava is called extrusive rock. The appearance and composition of different extrusive rocks vary greatly. If a lava flow of rhyolite cools rapidly, it can become obsidian. However, if it is filled with gas bubbles, it can also become pumice. If the same lava cools slowly, it becomes a light-colored solid rock simply called rhyolite.
