Chinese Goddess Brings Her Healing Ways To Wahiawa

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This 8-foot, 3-ton statue of Kuan Yin, goddess of compassion, healing and mercy, has arrived at Opportunities for the Retarded in Wahiawa. A gift to ORI, the statue is carved from a solid piece of white jadestone dating back to the Han Dynasty. Photo from McNeil Wilson.

A 6,600-pound white jade statue of the Buddhist goddess of compassion, Kuan Yin, has been donated to ORI Anuenue Hale, a facility serving adult clients with mental disabilities.

The donors are friends of the agency’s founder and president, Susanna Cheung. The statue will be placed in a garden at ORI’s 40-acre complex just north of Wahiawa.

“Kuan Yin’s name translates to ‘the one who hears the cries of the world,’ complementing our mission to help those who are disadvantaged,” explained Cheung. “The statue represents the efforts of everyone at ORI Anuenue Hale toward bettering and improving the lives of those in need.”

The nonprofit Opportunities for the Retarded Inc. has been operating on Oahu since 1980.