Kannon

InuYasha
The Goddess called Kannon made her first and only appeaance on InuYasha as an image on a powerful scroll. The Painting of Kannon.

It is believed that she has made many other appearances in InuYasha as statues and the like.

The scroll was used by monks to seal away the Salamander into a state of dormancy

Kannon and Her Name
She is considered to be the goddess of mercy and compassion.

Commonly known in English as the Mercy Goddess or Goddess of Mercy.

She's the Japanese version of China's Guan-Yin, who is really a female manifestation of India's Avalokitesvara.

In Japanese, the Chinese pronunciation of Guanyin is pronounced Kannon (観音), occasionally Kan'on, or more formally Kanzeon (観世音), the same characters as Guanshiyin); the spelling Kwannon, based on a pre-modern pronunciation, is sometimes seen. ==== The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World" . ====

Japanese Bearings
Kannon presides over her Pure Land in the South called Fudaraku, an island-mountain paradise. You can catch a glimpse of this magnificent place in paintings that depict the goddess descending the mountain to welcome those who seek her salvation. She is also prominent in sculpture, and her icons grace Buddhist temples all over Japan. Many of these icons have been designated national treasures.

Kannon is a Bodhisattva, which means she has prolonged her own eternal enlightenment to stay behind and help everyone who suffers in this world.

Those who partake of Kannon pilgrimages have thirty-three sites of worship, symbolizing the goddess’s thirty-three different appearances or forms she can take on to save people. Followers who visit 100 sites on combined Kannon pilgrimages can gain everlasting life. Even the founder of Zen Buddhism, Daruma (of Daruma doll fame) is considered to be an incarnation of Kannon.

Origins
Kannon personifies compassion and is one of the most widely worshipped divinities in Asia and Japan in both ancient and modern times. Kannon’s origins are unclear, but most scholars agree that Kannon worship began in India around the 1st or 2nd century AD and then spread to Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and most other Asian nations. Veneration of Kannon in Japan began in the late 6th century, soon after Buddhism reached Japan by way of Korea and China. In Japan, Kannon’s paradise is known as Fudarakusen. It is commonly said to be located at the southern tip of India (which supports theories of Kannon’s Indian origin).

Pure Land Sects


Kannon is an active emanation of Amida Buddha, and thus s/he occupies a major place in the liturgy of Japan’s Pure Land (Jōdo 浄土) sects, whose principal deity of worship is Amida. In Mahayana Buddhism throughout Asia, Kannon is the most important of Amida’s two main attendants (kyōji 脇侍). The other is Seishi Bosatsu. In Japan, the three appear in a popular grouping known as the Amida Sanzon (lit. = Amida Triad), with Amida in the center, Seishi (representing wisdom) on the right, and Kannon (representing compassion) on the left.

ENNICHI (Holy Day)
The 18th day of each month is considered Kannon’s Ennichi 縁日, literally "related day" or “day of connection.” This is translated as holy day, one with special significance to a particular Buddha or Bodhisattva. Saying prayers to the deity on this day is believed to bring greater merits and results than on regular days.

More Information
If you wish to seek more information unto Kannon follow the links provided below:

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanyin