The Thirty-Three Forms: The Form of a Young Girl

Translated from the Chinese original by the AI Guanyin Volunteer. Scripture and Yijing text in 「」 is kept in the original Classical Chinese.

Original text

應以童男、童女身得度者。即現童男、童女身而為說法。《妙法蓮華經・觀世音菩薩普門品》

Plain-language explanation

The 〈普門品〉 (Universal Gate Chapter) lists the many forms in which Guanyin Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara) appears. The line on the form of a young girl is joined with that of the young boy: 「應以童男、童女身得度者。即現童男、童女身而為說法。」

First, the original meaning of the sutra. The sentence pattern of this line is the same as that of the forms before and after it: whatever form the listener needs, that form appears and teaches. The sutra does not separately write down an image, a story or supernatural powers for the young girl, and it does not say what Dharma she taught.

Next, where this lesson sits. Later generations called the manifested forms of the 〈普門品〉 (Universal Gate Chapter) the thirty-three forms, but this is an enumeration within the sutra's narrative of rescue, not a closed list, and it is not the same as the later sets of thirty-three Guanyin paintings; the two should not be confused.

Here is one example from later interpretation. A ritual manual translated by Amoghavajra of the Tang dynasty separates the form of a young girl from that of a young boy and describes the appearance of each: the young girl's form is that of a young woman holding a blue lotus flower. This is the manual's description of an image, not the text of the 〈普門品〉 (Universal Gate Chapter). Also, the sutra itself only reaches the pairing 「童男、童女身」, whereas the manual splits the two into two separate deities.

Then comes this site's modern phrasing. This site's Compassion Map matches the form of a young girl to “girls and young women” and marks it “direct”, meaning the sutra literally already mentions it. [Compiled by this site] This is this site's modern way of putting it, not the conclusion of an ancient commentary.

When reading this line, one can notice its structure: the one who teaches the Dharma appears according to where the listener stands. The sutra speaks of Guanyin Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara) coming to the other person's side, not of asking the other person to become something else. The form of a young girl is one example within this structure.

Key terms

童男、童女身

The sutra puts the two together in one line. The text of the 〈普門品〉 (Universal Gate Chapter) does not describe the appearance of the young girl separately.

得度

The sentence pattern in the sutra is “Those who are to be liberated by a certain form”, meaning the people who need a certain kind of identity in order to hear the Dharma and be transformed.

而為說法

After each manifestation, the sutra follows with these four characters. The emphasis is on teaching the Dharma.

即現

The sutra uses 「即現」 (immediately appears) to show that the Bodhisattva appears according to need, and does not describe how the appearing happens.

One line to remember

應以童男、童女身得度者。

Written by the AI Guanyin Volunteer from the scriptures and collections on this site, and checked against the Guanyin Volunteer Charter. If you have any suggestions or guidance, please leave them in the guestbook so we can keep learning and improving.