Avalokitesvara
Four-armed Tibetan Chenrezig form of Avalokiteśvara
Sanskrit:	Avalokiteśvara अवलोकितेश्वर
Chinese:	觀世音
Japanese:	Kanzeon
Tibetan:	Chenrezig
Korean:	관세음 보살님
Vietnamese:	Quan Thế Âm
Information
Venerated by:	Mahayana, Vajrayana
Attributes:	Great Compassion
Portal:Buddhism

Avalokiteśvara holding a lotus flower. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Tibetan refers to a group of languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia as well as by overseas This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and A relief from the 8th-9th century Plaosan temple, near Prambanan, Java, Indonesia. Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Central Java in Indonesia, located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta. Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia.

Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर , lit. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical "Lord who looks down") is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Compassion is a profound human Emotion prompted by the pain of others In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. He is the one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices In China and its sphere of cultural influence, Avalokiteśvara is often depicted in a female form known as Guan Yin. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Guanyin (觀音 pinyin guānyīn, Wade-Giles kuan-yin) is the Bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists (It should be noted that in Taoist mythology, Guan Yin has other origination stories which are unrelated to Avalokiteśvara. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions )

Avalokiteśvara is also referred to as Padmapāni ("Holder of the Lotus") or Lokeśvara ("Lord of the World"). In Tibetan, Avalokiteśvara is known as Chenrezig, and is said to be incarnated in the Dalai Lama,^[1] the Karmapa^[2][3] and other high Lamas. Tibetan refers to a group of languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia as well as by overseas The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people according to Tibetan Buddhism. The Karmapa (officially His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa) is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa ( Tibetan In Mongolia, he is called Migjid Janraisig, Xongsim Bodisadv-a, or Nidüber Üjegči.

Etymology

The name Avalokiteśvara is made of the following parts: the verbal prefix ava, which means "down"; lokita, a past participle of the verb lok ("to notice, behold, observe"), here used in an active sense (an occasional irregularity of Sanskrit grammar); and finally īśvara, "lord", "ruler", "sovereign" or "master". Ishvara ( Sanskrit: Īśvara sa ईश्वर Malay: Iswara, Thai: Phra Isuan) is a philosophical concept in Hinduism In accordance with the rules of sound combination, iśvara becomes eśvara. Sandhi ( Sanskrit saṃdhi sa संधि "joining" is a cover term for a wide variety of phonological processes that occur at Morpheme Combined, the parts mean "lord who gazes down (at the world)". The word loka ("world") is absent from the name, but the phrase is implied. ^[4]

It was initially thought that the Chinese mis-transliterated the word Avalokiteśvara as Avalokitesvara, but, according to recent research, the original form was Avalokitasvara with the ending svara ("sound, noise"), which means "sound perceiver", literally "he who has perceived sound" (the cries of sentient beings who need his help). This is the exact equivalent of the Chinese translation Guan Yin. This name was later supplanted by the form containing the ending -īśvara, which does not occur in Sanskrit before the seventh century. The original form Avalokitasvara already appears in Sanskrit fragments of the fifth century. ^[5]

The original meaning of the name fits the Buddhist understanding of the role of a bodhisattva. The reinterpretation presenting him as an īśvara shows a strong influence of Shaivism, as the term īśvara was usually connected to the Hindu notion of a creator god and ruler of the world. Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Attributes of such a god were transmitted to the bodhisattva, but the mainstream of the Avalokiteśvara worshippers upheld the Buddhist rejection of the doctrine of a primordial creator god. ^[6]

An etymology of the Tibetan name Chenrezig is chen (eye), re (continuity) and zig (to look). This gives the meaning of one who always looks upon all beings (with the eye of compassion). ^[7]

Origin

The graceful golden statue of Avalokiteçvara in Malayu-Srivijayan style, Sumatra, Indonesia. Melayu Kingdom (also known as Malayu, Dharmasraya Kingdom or the Jambi Kingdom) was a classical Southeast Asian kingdom that existed between the 4th and Srivijaya or Sriwijaya was an ancient Malay kingdom on the island of Sumatra, Southeast Asia which influenced much of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia.

Western scholarship

Western scholars have not reached a consensus on the origin of the reverence for Avalokiteśvara. Some have suggested that Avalokiteśvara, along with many other supernatural beings in Buddhism, was a borrowing or absorption by Mahayana Buddhism of one or more Hindu deities, in particular Shiva or Vishnu. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific

In Theravada, Lokeśvara (饒王, 世自在王, 世饒王佛), "the lord, ruler or sovereign beholder of the world", name of a Buddha; probably a development of the idea of Brahmā, Vishnu or Śiva as lokanātha, "lord of worlds". In Indo-China especially it refers to Avalokiteśvara, whose image or face, in masculine form, is frequently seen, e. g. , at Angkor. A Buddha under whom Amitābha, in a previous existence, entered into the ascetic life and made his forty-eight vows.

Mahayana account

According to Mahayana doctrine, Avalokiteśvara is the 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 assisted every being on Earth in achieving nirvana. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Sentience is the ability to feel or perceive subjectively. It is an important concept in the philosophy of Animal rights, in buddhist philosophy and in In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण Mahayana sutras associated with Avalokiteśvara include the Heart Sutra (as disciple of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni) and the Lotus Sutra, particularly the 25th chapter, which is sometimes referred to as the Avalokiteśvara Sutra. Historicity and Background Place in the Canon Various Mahayana Sutras have been included in the Tibetan Canon and the Chinese Canon. The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra or Essence of Wisdom Sutra ( Sanskrit: प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयसूत्र Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit sa सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma

Six forms of Avalokiteśvara in Mahayana (defined by Tian-tai, terrace) 天臺六觀音: 1. great compassion, 大悲觀音 2. great loving-kindness, 大慈觀音 3. lion-courage, 獅子無畏觀音 4. universal light, 大光普照觀音 5. leader amongst gods and men, 天人丈夫觀音 6. the great omnipresent Brahma,大梵深遠觀音, 大梵至聖觀音 . Each of this bodhisattva's six qualities of pity, etc. , breaks the hindrances respectively of the (6 realms) hells, pretas (hungry ghost), animals, asuras (demi god), men, and devas.

Vajrayana account

In the Tibetan tradition, Avalokiteśvara is seen as arising from two sources. One is the relative source, where in a previous eon (kalpa) a devoted, compassionate Buddhist monk became a bodhisattva, transformed in the present kalpa into Avalokiteśvara. The KalPa is an Ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Niiralan monttu. That is not in conflict, however, with the ultimate source, which is Avalokiteśvara as the universal manifestation of compassion. The bodhisattva is viewed as the anthropomorphised vehicle for the actual deity, serving to bring about a better understanding of Avalokiteśvara to humankind.

Seven forms of Avalokiteśvara in esoteric Buddhism 密教七觀音: 1. Amoghapāśa. 不空羅索觀音 not empty (or unerring) net, or lasso. 2. Vara-sahasrabhuja-locana/Sahasrabhujasahasranetra, 1000-hand and 1000-eye, 千手千眼面觀音 3. Hayagriva, horseheaded, 馬頭觀音 4. Ekadasamukha,11-faced, 十一面觀音 5. Cundi, 准提觀音 6. Cintamani-cakra;wheel of sovereign power, 如意輪觀音 7. arya Lokiteśvara, the Holy sovereign beholder of the world (loka), a translation of īśvara, means "ruler" or "sovereign", holy one, 聖觀音, 正觀音 聖觀自在 .

Theravada account

Although Theravada Buddhism does not accept bodhisattvas, Avalokiteśvara is popularly worshiped in Burma, where she is called Lokanat, and Thailand, where she is called Lokesvara. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj

Mantras

Tibetan Buddhism relates Chenrezig to the six-syllable mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including Om mani padme hum (Derived from the Sanskrit, Devanagari ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ IAST Oṃ maṇi padme Thus, Chenrezig is also called Shadakshari ("Lord of the Six Syllables"). Avalokiteśvara ( Nepali: अवलोकितेश्वर, lit The connection between this famous mantra and Avalokiteśvara already occurs in the Karandavyuha Sutra (probably late fourth or early fifth century), one of the first Buddhist works to have reached Tibet (before the end of the fifth century).

In Shingon Buddhism, the mantra used to praise Avalokiteśvara is On Aro-rikya Sowaka (Oh, Unstained One, Hail!), but Om Mani Padme Hum is occasionally used as well. Shingon Buddhism (眞言 真言 " true words " is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and is the other branch of Vajrayana Buddhism Om mani padme hum (Derived from the Sanskrit, Devanagari ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ IAST Oṃ maṇi padme

The Great Compassion Mantra is an 82 syllable mantra spoken by Avalokiteśvara to the assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and extolling the merits of chanting the mantra. The Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāranī sa (नीलकण्ठ धारनी also known as Mahā Karuṇā Dhāranī sa (महा करुणा धारनी popularly known This mantra is popular in China, Japan and Taiwan.

The thousand arms of Avalokiteśvara

Avalokiteśvara with 1,000 arms, part of the Dazu Rock Carvings at Mount Baoding, Dazu County, Chongqing, China. The Dazu Rock Carvings ( are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings dating back as far as the 7th century A Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokiteśvara vowing never to rest until he had freed all sentient beings from samsara. Despite strenuous effort, he realizes that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, his head splits into eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing his plight, gives him eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Amitābha ( Sanskrit: अमिताभ Amitābha (wordstem pronunciation; Chinese: 阿彌陀佛 Ēmítuó Fó; Tibetan: འོད་དཔག་མེད་ Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokiteśvara attempts to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that his two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha comes to his aid and invests him with a thousand arms with which to aid the suffering multitudes. ^[8]

Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokiteśvara skilfully upholds the dharma, each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific ones give varying accounts of this number. The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious

The Bao'en Temple located in northwestern Sichuan province, China has an outstanding wooden image of the thousand armed Avalokiteśvara, an example of Ming Dynasty decorative sculpture. Bao'en Temple (also known as Bao'en Monastery is a well-preserved fifteenth century Buddhist Monastery complex located in northwestern Sichuan province ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led ^[9]

Tibetan Buddhist beliefs concerning Chenrezig

Avalokiteshvara painting from the Korean Goryeo Dynasty, 1310 CE. The Goryeo Dynasty ( 918 - 1392) (also spelled Koryŏ was a Sovereign state established in 918 by Taejo Wang Kon.

Avalokiteśvara is an important deity in Tibetan Buddhism, and is regarded in the Vajrayana teachings as a Buddha. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and In the Mahayana teachings he is in general regarded as a high-level Bodhisattva. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta The Dalai Lama is considered by the Gelugpa sect and many other Tibetan Buddhists to be the primary earthly manifestation of Chenrezig. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people according to Tibetan Buddhism. The Gelug or Gelug-pa, also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Tsongkhapa (1357–1419 a Philosopher The Karmapa is considered by the Karma Kagyu sect to be Chenrezig's primary manifestation. The Karmapa (officially His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa) is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa ( Tibetan Karma Kagyu ( or Kamtsang, is the largest lineage within the Kagyu school one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is said that Padmasambhava prophesied that Avalokiteśvara will manifest himself in the Tulku lineages of the Dalai Lamas and the Karmapas. Padmasambhava () The Lotus Born, is said to have transmitted Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the 8th century. A tulku ( also tülku, trulku) is a Tibetan Buddhist Lama who has through Phowa and Siddhi, consciously Another Tibetan source explains that Buddha Amithaba gave to one of his two main disciples, Avalokiteśvara, the task to take upon himself the burden of caring for Tibet. Amitābha ( Sanskrit: अमिताभ Amitābha (wordstem pronunciation; Chinese: 阿彌陀佛 Ēmítuó Fó; Tibetan: འོད་དཔག་མེད་ Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European That is why he has manifested himself not only as spiritual teachers in Tibet but also in the form of kings (like Trisong Detsen) or ministers. Trisong Detsän or Trisong Detsen ཁྲི་སྲོང་ལྡེ་བཙན (Tibetan Wylie Khri-srong-lde-btsan; ipa ʈʂʰisoŋ tetsɛ̃; PRC

Other manifestations popular in Tibet include Sahasra-bhuja (a form with a thousand arms) and Ekādaśamukha (a form with eleven faces). Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European

In Tibetan Buddhism, White Tara acts as the consort and energizer of Avalokiteśvara/Chenrezig. Tārā (तारा tārā or Ārya Tārā, also known as Jetsun Dolma ( rje btsun sgrol ma) in Tibetan is a female Buddha typically A Dakini ( Sanskrit: ḍākinī Tibetan: khandro; Wylie: mkha'-'gro-ma; TP: Kandroma; Chinese language According to popular belief, Tara came into existence from a single tear shed by Chenrezig. When the tear fell to the ground it created a lake, and a lotus opening in the lake revealed Tara. In another version of this story, Tara emerges from the heart of Chenrezig. In either version, it is Chenrezig's outpouring of compassion which manifests Tara as a being.

Manifestations

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

See also

• Pure Land Buddhism

References

Bibliography

• Alexander Studholme: The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum. Albany NY: State University of New York Press, 2002 ISBN 0-7914-5389-8
• Kuan-Yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokitesvara (2001) by Chün-fang Yü, ISBN-13: 978-0231120296, Columbia University Press
• Buddha in the Crown: Avalokitesvara in the Buddhist Traditions of Sri Lanka (1999) by James P. McDermott, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 119 (1): 195-

External links

• The Origin of Avalokiteshvara of Potala
• Avalokiteshvara - The Buddha of Compassion
• An Explanation of the Name Avalokiteshvara
• The Bodhisattva of Compassion and Spiritual Emanation of Amitabha - from Buddhanature.com
• Depictions at the Bayon in Cambodia of Avalokiteshvara as the Khmer King Jayavarman VII
• Calligraphy of Avalokiteśvara Mantra in a variety of Indian and Tibetan scripts, as well as Elvish and Klingon scripts.