Avalokitesvara with a 1,000 arms, part of the Dazu Stone Carvings at Mount Baoding, Dazu County, Chongqing, China.

In Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokitesvara or Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit: Avalokiteśvara) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. An ancient image of Avalokitesvara. ... An ancient image of Avalokitesvara. ... Dazu Stone Carvings on Mount Baoding The Dazu Stone Carvings are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back as far as the 7th century A.D., depicting and influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist beliefs. ... Chongqing (Simplified Chinese: 重庆; Traditional Chinese: 重慶; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Chungking) is the largest and most populous of the Peoples Republic of Chinas four provincial-level municipalities, and the only one in the less densely populated western half of China. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in Devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. ... Compassion (in Pali: Karuna) is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering; to show special kindness to those who suffer. ... A stone image of the Buddha. ...

Avalokitesvara is likely the bodhisattva most widely revered among Buddhists; this is especially true considering the distinctively East Asian form known as Guan Yin or Kannon, which is covered in a separate article. In Vajrayana Buddhism Avalokitesvara is also known as Padmapāni, the Holder of the Lotus. In Theravada Southeast Asia, Avalokitesvara is known as Lokesvara. In Mongolia Avalokitesvara is also known as Janraisag, Chenreseg or Chenrezig. The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in Devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... Geographic scope of East Asia East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ... Kuan Yin (Pinyin: Guanyin; also written Kwan Yin or in other variants which hyphenate or remove the space between the two words) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ...

Avalokitesvara and the thousand arms

One Buddhist legend presents Avalokitesvara as vowing to never rest until he had freed all sentient beings from samsara. Despite strenuous effort, he realized that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, his head split into eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing his plight, gave him eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokitesvara attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that his two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to his aid and appointed him a thousand arms with which to aid the many. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara skilfully upholds the Dharma, each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific ones give varying accounts of this number. In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and other related religions, samsara or saṃsāra refers to the concept of reincarnation or rebirth in Indian philosophical traditions. ... The Big Buddha or Daibatsu in Kamakura, an image of Amitabha Amitābha or Amida (阿彌陀佛 Ch. ...

Origin of the concept

The exact origin of the religious practices relating to Avalokitesvara is unclear. Some Western scholars have suggested that the concept of Avalokitesvra, along with many other supernatural beings in Buddhism, was based on a Hindu deity absorbed by Mahayana teaching as an aspect of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The word avalokita means "seeing or gazing down" and īśvara means "lord" in Sanskrit. Īśvara is also an alternate name for the Hindu deities Shiva and Vishnu who seem to also have acted as inspirations for some of Avalokitesvara's depictions in art. Basic beliefs What can be said to be common to all Hindus is the belief in Dharma (duties and obligations), Samsara (Reincarnation/rebirth), Karma (actions, leading to a cause and effect relationship), and Moksha (salvation) of every soul through a variety of paths, such as Bhakti (devotion), Karma (action) and... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Lord Åšiva. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ...

According to Mahayana doctrine, Avalokitesvara is a Bodhisattva who has made a great vow to listen to the prayers of all sentient beings in times of difficulty, and to postpone his own Buddhahood until he has helped every being on Earth achieve enlightenment. Sutras associated with Avalokitesvara include the Lotus Sutra, particularly the 25th chapter, which is sometimes referred to as the Avalokitesvara Sutra, and the Heart Sutra. Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. ... Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. ... The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit: Saddharmapundarīka-sūtra; 妙法蓮華經 Cn: Miàofǎ Liánhuā Jīng; Jp: Myōhō Renge Kyō) is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sutras in East Asia and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism... The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra (Sanskrit: Prajñāpāramitā Hridaya SÅ«tra, Chinese: 般若波羅蜜多心經, Buorebuoluomituo Xinjing) is a well known Mahāyāna Buddhist sutra. ...

Tibetan Buddhism

Avalokitesvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibetan) is an important deity in Tibetan Buddhism. In particular, the Dalai Lama is held to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara. The Tibetan language is typically classified as member of the Tibeto-Burman which in turn is thought by some to be a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. ... Tibetan Buddhism — formerly (and incorrectly) also called Lamaism, after their religious gurus known as lamas — is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the successive Dalai Lamas (taa-lai bla-ma) form a tulku lineage of Gelugpa leaders which trace back to 1391. ...

Other manifestations popular in Tibet include Sahasra-bhuja (a form with a thousand arms) and Ekādaśamukha (a form with eleven faces).

In Tibetan Buddhism, White Tara acts as the consort and energizer of Avalokitesvara. According to popular belief, Tara came into existence from a tear of Avalokitesvara. When the tear fell to the ground, it created a lake, and a lotus opening in the lake revealed Tara. Another version of this tale tells that Tara emerged from the heart of Avalokitesvara. In both, it is Avalokitesvara's outpouring of compassion which manifests Tara as a being. In Hinduism the goddess Tara (meaning star) is a manifestation of the queen of time, Kali. ...

Tibetan Buddhism relates Avalokitesvara to the six-syllable mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, also spelled Om Mani Peme Hung and Om Mani Padme Hon. It is for this reason that Avalokitesvara is also called Shadakshari, Lord of the Six Syllables. Om Mani Padme Hum, written in Tibetan, on a rock outside the Potala Palace in Tibet. ... Shadakshari Lokeshvara is a common name for the Four armed form of Avalokiteshvara. ...

In the Tibetan tradition, Avalokitesvara is seen as arising from two sources. One is the relative source, where in a previous kalpa (era), a devoted, compassionate Buddhist monk became a Bodhisattva, thus giving the present kalpa its form of Avalokitesvara. That is not in conflict, however, with the ultimate source view, which is Avalokitesvara as the universal manifestation of compassion. In brief, it may be said that the Bodhisattva is the anthropomorphised vehicle for the actual deity, serving to bring about a better understanding of Avalokitesvara to humankind.

Mantras

Main Article: Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum, written in Tibetan, on a rock outside the Potala Palace in Tibet. ...

"Om Mani Padme Hum" is probably the most famous mantra in Buddhism, the six syllabled mantra of Avalokiteshvara. The mantra is particularly associated with Chenrezig. The Dalai Lama is said to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, so the mantra is especially revered by his devotees. A mantra is a religious syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. ... The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in Devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the successive Dalai Lamas (taa-lai bla-ma) form a tulku lineage of Gelugpa leaders which trace back to 1391. ...

In the Maha Karuna Dharani Sutra, it also states the 82 syllable mantra that she spoke to the assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the merits from chanting the mantra. The mantra is popular in China, Japan and Taiwan.

Manifestations

Avalokitesvara has an extraordinarily large number of manifestations in different forms. Some of the more commonly mentioned forms include:

Mahamayuri the Peacock Wisdom Queen, c. ... Kuan Yin (Pinyin: Guanyin; also written Kwan Yin or in other variants which hyphenate or remove the space between the two words) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists. ...

External links

• The Bodhisattva Ideal - Buddhism and the Aesthetics of Selflessness
• The Bodhisattva of Compassion and Spiritual Emanation of Amitabha - from Buddhanature.com
• Mongolian Page on Chenrezig / Janraisag

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