InBuddhism,Avalokiteśvara (meaning "the Lord who looks down",[1]IPA:/ˌʌvəloʊkɪˈteɪʃvərə/[2]), also known asLokeśvara ("Lord of the World") andChenrezig (in Tibetan), is aBodhisattva associated with GreatCompassion (mahākaruṇā).[3] Avalokiteśvara has a vast number of manifestations (e.g., the 108 forms of Avalokiteśvara) and is depicted in various forms and styles across Buddhist traditions of different cultures. In some texts, he is considered to be the source and divine creator of allHindu deities (such asVishnu,Shiva,Brahma,Saraswati,Bhudevi,Varuna, etc.).[4][5] InMahayana andVajrayana Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara is also considered a manifestation ofAmitabha Buddha for the purpose of Dharma teaching,[6] and an emanation fromVairocana Buddha as an embodiment of the Miraculous Observing Wisdom (妙觀察智).[7][8]
InEast Asian Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara is known as觀音 (an abbreviation for 觀世音), pronouncedGwoon Yaam in Cantonese,Guanyin in Mandarin Chinese,Kannon in Japanese,Gwaneum in Korean, andQuan Âm in Vietnamese. In the traditional cultures of these Asian countries, there is a female form of Avalokiteśvara depicted as a divine mother in a white robe, called White-Robed Avalokiteśvara or Southern Sea Avalokiteśvara. This female form of Avalokiteśvara is worshiped widely inEast Asian religions includingTaoism andChinese folk religion.[9]
The nameAvalokiteśvara combines the verbal prefixava "down",lokita, a past participle of the verblok "to look, notice, behold, observe", here used in an active sense, and finallyīśvara, "lord", "ruler", "sovereign", or "master". In accordance withsandhi (Sanskrit rules of sound combination),a+īśvara becomeseśvara. Combined, the parts mean "lord who gazed down (at the world)". The wordloka ("world") is absent from the name, but the phrase is implied.[11] It does appear in the Cambodian form of the name,Lokesvarak.
The earliest translation of the nameAvalokiteśvara into Chinese by authors such asXuanzang was asGuānzìzài (Chinese:觀自在;pinyin:Guān zìzài), not the form used inEast Asian Buddhism today, which isGuanyin (Chinese:觀音;pinyin:Guānyīn). It was initially thought that early translators, lacking fluency inSanskrit, mistookAvalokiteśvara forAvalokitasvara ("who looked down upon sound",i.e., the cries ofsentient beings who need help) and thus mistranslatedAvalokiteśvara asGuānyīn.[12] It is now understood thatAvalokitasvara was the original form[13][14] and is also the origin ofGuanyin "perceiving sound, cries". This translation was favored by the tendency of some Chinese translators, notablyKumārajīva, to use the variantGuānshìyīnChinese:觀世音;pinyin:Guānshìyīn "who perceives the world's lamentations"—whereinlok was read as simultaneously meaning both "to look" and "world" (Sanskritloka;Chinese:世;pinyin:shì).[12] The original form of Guanyin's name appears in Sanskrit fragments from the fifth century.[15]
The original meaning of the name fits the Buddhist understanding of the role of a bodhisattva. The reinterpretation presenting him as anīśvara shows a strong influence ofHinduism, as the termīśvara was usually connected to the Hindu notion ofVishnu (inVaishnavism) orShiva (inShaivism) as theSupreme Lord, Creator, and Ruler of the world. Some attributes of such a god were transmitted to the bodhisattva, but the mainstream of those who venerated Avalokiteśvara upheld the Buddhist rejection of the doctrine of any creator god.[16]
In Sanskrit, Avalokiteśvara is also referred to asLokeśvara ("Lord of the World"). InTibetan, Avalokiteśvara isChenrézig (Tibetan:སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་). The etymology of the Tibetan name Chenrézik isspyan "eye",ras "continuity", andgzig "to look". This gives the meaning of one who always looks upon all beings (with the eye of compassion).[17]
The name Avalokiteśvara first appeared in theAvatamsaka Sutra, a Mahayana scripture that precedes theLotus Sutra.[18] On account of its popularity in Japan and as a result of the works of the earliest Western translators of Buddhist Scriptures, the Lotus Sutra, however, has long been accepted as the earliest literature teaching about the doctrines of Avalokiteśvara. These are found in Chapter 25 of theLotus Sutra: The Universal Gate of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Chinese:觀世音菩薩普門品;pinyin:Guānshìyīn púsà pǔ mén pǐn). This chapter is devoted to Avalokiteśvara, describing him as a compassionate bodhisattva who hears the cries of sentient beings and who works tirelessly to help those who call upon his name. A total of 33 different manifestations of Avalokiteśvara are described, including female manifestations, all to suit the minds of various beings. The chapter consists of both a prose and a verse section. This earliest source often circulates separately as its own sutra, called theAvalokiteśvara Sūtra (Chinese:觀世音經;pinyin:Guānshìyīn jīng), and is commonly recited or chanted at Buddhist temples in East Asia.[19]
When the Chinese monkFaxian traveled toMathura in India around 400 CE, he wrote about monks presenting offerings to Avalokiteśvara.[20] WhenXuanzang traveled to India in the 7th century, he provided eyewitness accounts of Avalokiteśvara statues being venerated by devotees from all walks of life, from kings to monks to laypeople.[20]
InChinese Buddhism and East Asia,Tangmi practices for the 18-armed form of Avalokiteśvara calledCundī are very popular. The popularity of Cundī is attested by the three extant translations of theCundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra from Sanskrit to Chinese, made from the end of the seventh century to the beginning of the eighth century.[21] Inlate imperial China, these early esoteric traditions still thrived in Buddhist communities. Robert Gimello has also observed that in these communities, the esoteric practices of Cundī were extremely popular among both the populace and the elite.[22]
In theTiantai school,six forms of Avalokiteśvara are defined. Each of the bodhisattva's six qualities is said to break the hindrances in one of the six realms of existence: hell-beings,pretas, animals, humans,asuras, anddevas.
According to Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī Sūtra,[23]Gautama Buddha told his disciple Ānanda that Avalokiteśvara had become a Buddha countless eons ago, with the name Samyaka Dharma-Vidya Tathāgata meaning "Tathāgata who clearly understands the right Dharma". Out of great compassion, he wants to help all other Bodhisattvas to achieve the highest Awakenment, and bring happiness and peacefulness to all sentient beings, therefore he appears as a Bodhisattva, taking the name Avalokiteshvara and often abides in theSahā world.
Another Mahayana Sutra, Tathagata's Unimaginable State Sutra,[24][25] reaffirms that Avalokiteśvara is actually a Buddha. In the Sutra it is written that whenSakyamuni Buddha attained the highest Awakenment, countless Buddhas from other worlds, appearing as Bodhisattvas, came to our world to congratulate him and assist his Dharma-teaching work, and Avalokiteśvara was one of those Buddhas who appeared as Bodhisattvas.
In Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara is one of theFour Great Bodhisattvas (四大菩薩) who areMañjuśrī,Samantabhadra, Avalokiteśvara, andKṣitigarbha.[26] Avalokiteśvara is also a close assistant ofAmitabha Buddha, helping Amitabha Buddha to preach the Dharma of the Pure Land.[27]
Bronze statue of Avalokiteśvara fromSri Lanka, c. 750 CE
Veneration of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva has continued to the present day inSri Lanka.
In times past, bothTantrayana andMahayana have been found in some of theTheravada countries, but today the Buddhism ofSri Lanka (formerly, Ceylon),Myanmar (formerly, Burma), Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia is almost exclusivelyTheravada, based on the Pali Canon. The onlyMahayana deity that has entered the worship of ordinary Buddhists in Theravada Buddhism isBodhisattva Avalokitesvara. In Sri Lanka, he is known asNatha-deva and is believed by the majority to be the Buddha yet to come,Bodhisattva Maitreya. The figure ofAvalokitesvara is usually found in the shrine room near the Buddha image.[28]
In more recent times, some western-educated Theravādins have attempted to identify Nātha with Maitreya Bodhisattva; however, traditions and basic iconography (including an image of Amitābha Buddha on the front of the crown) identify Nātha as Avalokiteśvara.[29] Andrew Skilton writes:[30]
... It is clear from sculptural evidence alone that the Mahāyāna was fairly widespread throughout Sri Lanka, although the modern account of the history of Buddhism on the island presents an unbroken and pure lineage of Theravāda. (One can only assume that similar trends were transmitted to other parts of Southeast Asia with Sri Lankan ordination lineages.) Relics of an extensive cult of Avalokiteśvara can be seen in the present-day figure of Nātha.
Avalokiteśvara is popularly worshipped inMyanmar, where he is calledLokanat or lokabyuharnat, andThailand, where he is calledLokesvara. The bodhisattva goes by many other names. In Indochina and Thailand, he isLokesvara, "The Lord of the World". In Tibet, he isChenrezig, also spelled Spyan-ras gzigs, "With a Pitying Look". In China, the bodhisattva takes a female form and is calledGuanyin (also spelled Kwan Yin, Kuanyin, or Kwun Yum), "Hearing the Sounds of the World". In Japan, Guanyin isKannon or Kanzeon; in Korea,Gwaneum; and in Vietnam,Quan Am.[31]
Avalokiteśvara is worshipped as Nātha in Sri Lanka. TheTamil Buddhist tradition developed inChola literature, such as Buddamitra'sVirasoliyam, states that theVedic sageAgastya learned Tamil from Avalokiteśvara. The earlier Chinese travelerXuanzang recorded a temple dedicated to Avalokitesvara in the south IndianMount Potalaka, a Sanskritization ofPothigai, where Tamil Hindu tradition places Agastya as having learned the Tamil language fromShiva.[32][33][34] Avalokitesvara worship gained popularity with the growth of theAbhayagiri vihāra'sTamraparniyan Mahayana sect.
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 byMahayana Buddhism of one or more deities fromHinduism, in particular Shiva orVishnu. This seems to be based on the name Avalokiteśvara.[15]
On the basis of Buddhist scriptures, ancientTamil literary sources, and field surveys, Japanese scholar Shu Hikosaka proposes the hypothesis that ancient Mount Potalaka, the residence of Avalokiteśvara described in theGaṇḍavyūha Sūtra and Xuanzang'sGreat Tang Records on the Western Regions, isMount Potigai inAmbasamudram,Tirunelveli, at theTamil Nadu-Kerala border.[35] Shu also said that Mount Potalaka has been a sacred place for the people ofSouth India since time immemorial. It is the traditional residence ofSiddharAgastya atAgastya Mala. With the spread of Buddhism in the region beginning at the time of the great kingAśoka in the third century BCE, it became a holy place also for Buddhists, who gradually became dominant as a number of their hermits settled there. The local people, though, mainly remained followers of the Tamil animist religion. The mixed Tamil-Buddhist cult culminated in the formation of the figure of Avalokiteśvara.[36]
The name Lokeśvara should not be confused with that ofLokeśvararāja, the Buddha under whom Dharmakara became a monk and made forty-eight vows before becomingAmitābha.
Avalokiteśvara's six armed manifestation asCintāmaṇicakra is also widely venerated in East Asia. TheCintāmaṇicakra Dharani (Chinese:如意寶輪王陀羅尼;pinyin:Rúyì Bǎolún Wáng Tuóluóní) is another popular dharani associated with the bodhisattva.[37][38]
Clay images of Amoghapasha Lokesvara flanked byArya Tara andBhrikuti Tara enshrined at the side wing of Vasuccha Shil Mahavihar, Guita Bahi,Patan: This set of images is popular in traditional monasteries ofKathmandu Valley,Nepal.ChineseTang dynasty (618–907) statue ofEkādaśamukha (Eleven faced) AvalokiteśvaraSong dynasty (960-1279) painting of the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara. Avalokiteśvara is depicted with a total of 32 heads, with the topmost head being that of the BuddhaAmitābha. He stands atop a lotus pedestal supported by theFour Heavenly Kings with two attendant bodhisattvas flanking him on each side, while theEight Legions of Devas and Nāgas stand before him with their hands clasped in reverence. A group of Buddhas sit in the clouds above. Ink and colors on silk. 79.2 x 176.8 cm. Held at theNational Palace Museum inTaiwan.[39]Statue of Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara inSanjūsangen-dō, Kyoto, Japan.White-Robed Avalokiteśvara with nine lotusHorse Head Wisdom King in Japanese BuddhismAmogha-pasa AvalokitesvaraA painting of Avalokitesvara's 108 forms. The biggest central figure is Creator Avalokitesvara, considered the root of all other manifestations of Avalokitesvara.
Avalokiteśvara has an extraordinarily large number of forms, emanations or manifestations, including wisdom goddesses (vidyās) directly associated with him in images and texts.
Furthermore, at least two separate female Buddhist deities,Cundī andTara also later came to be associated with Avalokiteśvara (and were even seen as manifestations of him).
According toŚūraṅgama Sūtra, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva had achieved perfect mastery of Buddhist Dharma and hence can manifest countless forms with different numbers of heads, arms and eyes.[40]
Some of the more commonly mentioned forms include:[41][42][43]
Saint Avalokitesvara
Noble Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Ārya-Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 聖觀自在菩薩) is the root form of Avalokiteśvara. According toMahayana Sublime Treasure King Sutra,NobleAvalokitesvara Bodhisattva gave birth to the Sun and the Moon from his eyes, and gave birth to many great deities from different locations of his body.[5] The Bodhisattva's body is of super-cosmic scale, in every pore of his body there is a boundless pure world within which innumerable Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or sentient beings reside.[44]
Four-Armed Avalokitesvara
Four-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Sanskrit: Catur-bhuja Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 四臂觀音) is theOriginal Lord ofOm Mani Padme Hum. This form of the Bodhisattva has four arms, two of them inanjali, one hand holds a lotus, the other hand holds amala. This form is also called Sadakṣarī-Lokeśvara and is considered to be the embodiment of theSix Syllable Dharani.
Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara
Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 千手千眼觀音) is theOriginal Lord ofGreat Compassion Dharani. This form of the Bodhisattva is often depicted as having eleven heads and countless arms with eyes on the palms, and is calledEleven-faced Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. According to Great Compassion Dharani Sutra, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva had achieved Buddhahood countless eons ago, but out of compassion, he appears as a Bodhisattva to save living beings.
Southern Sea Avalokitesvara
Southern Sea Avalokitesvara (Chinese: 南海觀音) is a female appearance of Avalokitesvara popular in East Asia. Many other forms of the Bodhisattva such asWhite Robe Avalokitesvara(白衣觀音),Children-giving Avalokitesvara(送子觀音),Water-Moon Avalokitesvara(水月觀音), etc., are based on this form.
Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara
Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Ekādaśa-mukha Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 十一面觀音) is an appearance of the Bodhisattva that has eleven heads. The ten heads atop the Bodhisattva's head awaken living beings in the ten realms of existence.
Blue-necked Avalokitesvara
Blue-necked Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Nīlakaṇṭha Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 青頸觀音) is a form of Avalokitesvara whose neck is blue in color. In order to protect living beings the Bodhisattva swallowed poison sprayed by a demon, causing his neck to turn blue.
Wish Fulfilling Wheel Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
Wish Fulfilling Wheel Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Cintā-maṇi-cakra Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 如意輪觀音) is a manifestation of Avalokitesvara that turns the Dharma Wheel to awaken living beings while granting them wishes.
Infallible lasso Avalokitesvara
Infallible lasso Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Amogha-pāśa Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 不空罥索觀音) is a powerful savior who uses his infallible lasso to capture living beings drifting in the ocean of suffering and settle them on the shore of Liberation. This manifestation of the Bodhisattva is widely worshiped across different Buddhist traditions and is categorized as one of theSix forms of Avalokitesvara inTendai school. The popularMantra of Light is associated with Amoghapāśa, and is found in numerousAmoghapāśa sūtras.
Lion's Roar Avalokitesvara
Lion's Roar Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Siṃhanāda Avalokiteśvara;Chinese: 獅吼觀音) is a form of Avalokitesvara riding a roaring lion.
Lotus Hand Bodhisattva
Lotus Hand Bodhisattva (Sanskrit: Padma-pani;Chinese: 蓮華手菩薩) is another name for Avalokitesvara. This form of the Bodhisattva is often depicted as holding a vase or a lotus in his hand.
Horse Head Wisdom King
Horse Head Wisdom King (Sanskrit: Hayagrīva;Chinese: 馬頭明王) is a wrathful manifestation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, also known asHorse Head Vajra (馬頭金剛) andHorse Head Avalokitesvara (馬頭觀音).
Creator Avalokitesvara
Creator Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Sṛṣṭikartā-Lokeśvara or Śṛṣṭikānta-Lokeśvara) is a super-cosmic manifestation of Avalokiteśvara that emanates all heavenly gods from his body during the process of creation. This form of Avalokitesvara is worshiped inNepalese Buddhism and is the same asSaint Avalokitesvara inMahayana Buddhism.
Triple Hari Riding Avalokitesvara
Triple Hari Riding Avalokitesvara (Sanskrit: Hariharihari-vāhana-Lokeśvara) is a form of Avalokitesvara popular inNepalese Buddhism. In this manifestation Avalokitesvara sits on the shoulders ofVishnu, who rides his mountGaruda, who is carried by a lion. The threeHaris (Vishnu, Garuda, and the lion) serve as three great vehicles (towards Awakenment), and Avalokitesvara is above all of them, symbolizing that his Way to the Ultimate Awakenment is superior to all the others.
One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokiteśvara vowing never to rest until he had freed all sentient beings fromsaṃsāra. Despite strenuous effort, he realizes that many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, his head splits into eleven pieces.Amitābha, seeing his plight, gives him eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokiteśvara tries to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that his two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitābha comes to his aid and invests him with a thousand arms with which to aid the suffering multitudes.[45]
This manifestation of Avalokiteśvara is known as Sahrasasbhuja Avalokiteśvara ("Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara), and is among the bodhisattva's most popular iconographic forms across China, Japan and Korea.[46][47][48]
Avalokiteśvara as a cosmic maheśvara ("Great Lord of Creation")
Sṛṣṭikartā Lokeśvara (Avalokiteshvara in the process of creation), in which the bodhisattva takes on the form of Sṛṣṭikartā (creator) and emanates all theHindu gods for the benefit of sentient beings
According to various Mahayana sources, numerousHindu deities are considered to be emanations of Avalokiteshvara. For example, in theKāraṇḍavyūhasūtra (4th–5th century CE), Great universal deities calledVishnu,Shiva,Brahma andSaraswati are all said to have emerged from Avalokiteshvara bodhisattva's body.[4] The passage states:
In a similar manner, Hindu deities likeNīlakaṇṭha andHarihara are cited in theNīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī, possibly as forms of Avalokiteshvara or as associated bodhisattvas (the text is not clear, though traditionally these have been interpreted as various names or forms of Avalokiteshvara).[50]
Alexander Studholme writes that these sources are influenced byPuranicHinduism, and its concepts of anĪśvara ("lord") and Maheśvara ("great lord"), both of which are terms that refer to a transcendent and all pervasive being.[51] The name Maheśvara is also applied to Avalokiteshvara three times in the Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra, and some passages he is described as acosmic man, similar to how the Puranas depict Vishnu or Shiva.[51] However, this Buddhist myth only focuses on how Avalokiteshvara gives birth to all the gods (devas), and he is not depicted as a trueCreator God (who creates the cosmos, like the HinduĪśvara), instead he is depicted as a great cosmic being that manifests in myriad ways as askillful means to guide living beings to Buddhahood.[52]
InTibetan Buddhism, the central mantra is the six-syllablemantraOṃ maṇi padme hūṃ (Sanskrit:ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ, also called the Mani mantra. Due to his association with this mantra, one form of Avalokiteśvara is calledṢaḍākṣarī ("Lord of the Six Syllables") inSanskrit. The Mani mantra is also popular inEast Asian Mahayana, such asChinese Buddhism. There are also different variations of the mani mantra, the most common which isOṃ maṇi padme hūṃ hrīḥ.[53] Hrīḥ is the seed syllable of the LotusBuddha family and the BuddhaAmitabha.
Recitation of this mantra while usingprayer beads is the most popular religious practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Another popular religious practice associated with om mani padme hum is the spinning ofprayer wheels clockwise, which contains numerous repetitions of thismantra and effectively benefits everyone within the vicinity of the practitioner.[54]
The connection between this famous mantra and Avalokiteśvara is documented for the first time in theKāraṇḍavyūhasūtra. This text is dated to around the late 4th century CE to the early 5th century CE.[55] In this sūtra, a bodhisattva is told by the Buddha that recitation of this mantra while focusing on the sound can lead to the attainment of eight hundredsamādhis.[56]
Another mantra for Avalokiteśvara commonly recited in East Asian Buddhism is "three and a half syllables" (ardhacaturthākṣara) heart-mantra: "oṃ ārolik svāha" (or sometimes justĀrolik oroṁ ārolik), which is found (in many forms and variations likeārolika,arulika, etc.) in numerous pre-tenth-century Indian texts, including the 7th century Chinese translation of theDhāraṇīsaṁgraha, theSusiddhikarasūtra,theMañjuśriyamūlakalpa, and theGuhyasamājatantra.[57]
One text (Taisho Tripitaka no. 1031) describes a visualization practice done after reciting oṁ ārolik svāhā seven times which includes meditating on the meanings of the four letters of ārolik which are:[57]
a: all dharmas are originally unborn (ādyanutpanna);
ra: all dharmas are dissociated from defilement (rajas);
la: characteristics (lakṣaṇa) are inapprehensible in all dharmas;
ka: all dharmas are without action (kārya).
The Ārolik mantra has also been found engraved on a few sculptures found in north India. One of these begins with "ārolik oṁ hrīḥ". Another one of these found inBihar also included other mantras, includingye dharma hetu, followed by"namo ratnatrayāya namo Āryāvalokiteśvarāya bodhisatvāya mahāsatvāya mahākāruṇikāya Ārolok Oṁ hriḥ hriḥ".[57]
Another longer mantra appears in a translation byAmoghavajra (T. 1033, 20: 9b1–7):[57]
namoratnatrayāya | nama āryāvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya | tadyathāpadmapāṇi sara sara ehy ehi bhagavann āryāvalokiteśvara ārolik |
In Chinese,oṃ ārolik svāha is pronouncedǍn ālǔlēi jì suōpóhē (唵 阿嚕勒繼 娑婆訶). In Korean, it is pronouncedOm aroreuk Ge Sabaha (옴 아로늑계 사바하). In Japanese, it is pronouncedOn arori kya sowa ka (おん あろりきゃ そわか).
TheKāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra also features the first appearance of thedhāraṇī ofCundī, which occurs at the end of the sūtra text.[21] After the bodhisattva finally attains samādhi with the mantra "oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ", he is able to observe 77 koṭīs of fully enlightened buddhas replying to him in one voice with the Cundī Dhāraṇī:namaḥ saptānāṃ samyaksaṃbuddha koṭīnāṃ tadyathā, oṃ cale cule cunde svāhā.[64]
In East Asian Buddhism, the most popular form of Avalokiteśvara is the feminine white robedGuanyin. A common phrase which is widely chanted and recited by East Asian Buddhists is:
Homage to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (南無 being borrowed from Sanskrit नमो namo)
There are also longer chants, usually termed "White Robe Avalokitesvara" (Baiyin Guanyin) sutras (jing) or mantras (zhou).[65] The most well known is the "Divine White-robed Avalokiteśvara Mantra" (c. 11th century).[65] This longer mantra is as follows:[66]
Heavenly deities and earthly deities, may people be free from difficulties, may their hardships disappear, may all disasters and calamities turn to dust
南無 摩訶 般若波羅蜜
Námó Móhē Bōrěbōluómi
Naam4 mou4 mo1 ho1 bun1 joek6 bo1 lo4 mat6
Homage to Mahāprajñāpāramitā
Another popular dharani of Guanyin is associated with her power over children and childbirth. This is called the "Dharani Sutra of White-Robed Guanyin's Heart of Five Seals".[65]
InJapanese Buddhism, a popular longer chant to Kannon or Kanzeon (Guanyin) is thejikku kan'on gyō (十句觀音經), the "10 Verse Kannon Sutra". It is the following:[67]
Japanese Kanji
Japanese Romaji
Translation
觀世音
kan ze on
Kanzeon
南無佛
na mu butsu
Homage to Buddha
與佛有因
yo butsu u in
forged a causal connection with Buddha,
與佛有縁
yo butsu u en
a karmic affinity with Buddha,
佛法僧縁
butsu ho so en
a karmic affinity with Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
常樂我淨
jo raku ga jo
thus attaining permanence, ease, selfhood, and purity.
In Tibetan Buddhism,Tãrã came into existence from a single tear shed by Avalokiteśvara.[9] 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 Avalokiteśvara. In either version, it is Avalokiteśvara's outpouring of compassion which manifests Tãrã as a being.[69][70][71]
Certain livingtulku lineages, including theDalai Lamas and theKarmapas, are considered by many Tibetan Buddhists to also be manifestations of Avalokiteśvara.[72][73][74]
In Tibetan iconography, Avalokiteśvara (Chenrezig) is occasionally depicted wearing a deer-skin—tinasara orkrishnasara कृष्णसार (kṛṣṇasāra) in Sanskrit, andཀྲཱིཤྣ་སཱ་ར (krī-shna-sā-ra) orཁྲི་སྙན་སཱ་ར། in Tibetan—draped over his left shoulder. This attribute serves as a layered symbol of renunciation, deep compassion, and yogic practice. Historically, Indian ascetics used deer-skins as meditation seats or garments to support austere retreat and concentration.
The iconographic tradition may trace back to theRuru Jātaka (Jātaka tale No. 482), also known as the 'Golden Deer' story, in which the bodhisattva was once born as a splendid golden deer endowed with compassion and the ability to speak human languages. He saved a man from drowning and, when the king later hunted him, he offered himself to protect his followers. His act of selflessness moved the king to prohibit hunting throughout the realm—thus embodying compassion that transforms society.
This convergence of yogic renunciation, mythic compassion, and visual representation makes the tinasara a powerful emblem in Chenrezig's devotional art.
This wooden statue of Quan Âm Nghìn Mắt Nghìn Tay (Quan Âm Bodhisattva with 1000 eyes and 1000 hands) was fashioned in 1656 inBắc Ninh Province, northernVietnam. It is now located in the History Museum inHanoi.
Tibetan statue of Avalokiteśvara with eleven faces
Japanese painting of Avalokiteśvara meditating. 16th century CE.
Quán Âm (Avalokiteśvara) figurine, Bát Tràng kiln, Hanoi,Nguyễn dynasty, 19th century CE, white glazed ceramic - Vietnam National Museum of History, Vietnam
Painting of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Sanskrit Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra manuscript written in theRanjana script. Nalanda, Bihar, India. Circa 700–1100 CE
Qianshou Guanyin at Cham Shan Temple inHong Kong, China
^Bokar Rinpoche (1991).Chenrezig Lord of Love – Principles and Methods of Deity Meditation. San Francisco, California: Clearpoint Press. p. 15.ISBN0-9630371-0-2.
^Huntington, John (2003).The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art: p. 188
^Baroni, Helen (2002).The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism: p. 15
^abKo Kok Kiang.Guan Yin: Goddess of Compassion. 2004. p. 10
^abStudholme, Alexander (2002).The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra: p. 175
^Jiang, Wu (2008).Enlightenment in Dispute: The Reinvention of Chan Buddhism in Seventeenth-Century China: p. 146
^Suebsantiwongse, S. (2025). A Network of Compassion: The Transmission and Development of the Cult and Iconography of Cakravarticintāmaṇi Avalokiteśvara Across the Maritime Silk Routes.Religions,16(2), 178.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/2/178
^Chandra, Lokesh (1988).The Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara, pp. 130–133. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.ISBN81-7017-247-0.
^abStudholme, Alexander (2002).The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum: A Study of the Karandavyuha Sutra. State University of New York Press. p. 38.
^Studholme, Alexander (2002).The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum: A Study of the Karandavyuha Sutra. State University of New York Press. pp. 44–45.
^Bucknell, Roderick & Stuart-Fox, Martin (1986).The Twilight Language: Explorations in Buddhist Meditation and Symbolism. Curzon Press: London.ISBN0-312-82540-4, p. 15.
^Studholme, Alexander (2002).The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra: p. 2
^Studholme, Alexander (2002)The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha sūtra: p. 17
^Studholme, Alexander (2002).The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra: p. 106
^abcdNicolas Revire, Rajat Sanyal, Rolf Giebel. Avalokiteśvara of the “Three and a Half Syllables”: A Note on the Heart-Mantra Ārolik in India.Arts Asiatiques, 2021, Arts Asiatiques, 76, pp.5–30. ⟨10.3406/arasi.2021.2095⟩. ⟨halshs-04142356⟩
^安賽平; An, Saiping (2021).明末清初僧俗對密教咒語的詮釋與應用 [Interpretation and usage of mantras of "esoteric teaching" in late Ming and early Qing Buddhist community]. Department of Chinese Culture (Ph.D. thesis) (in Chinese). Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
^abcBerger, Patricia Ann; Foresman, Helen.Latter Days of the Law: Images of Chinese Buddhism, 850 – 1850, p. 172. University of Hawaii Press, Jan 1, 1994.
^"From Birth to Exile". The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved2007-10-17.
^Martin, Michele (2003)."His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa".Music in the Sky: The Life, Art, and Teachings of the 17th Karmapa. Karma Triyana Dharmachakra.Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved2007-10-17.
^"Glossary". Dhagpo Kundreul Ling. Archived fromthe original on 2007-08-08. Retrieved2007-10-17.
Holt, John (1991).Buddha in the Crown: Avalokitesvara in the Buddhist Traditions of Sri Lanka. New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN0195064186.
McDermott, James P. (1999). "Buddha in the Crown: Avalokitesvara in the Buddhist Traditions of Sri Lanka".Journal of the American Oriental Society.119 (1):195–196.doi:10.2307/605604.JSTOR605604.
Studholme, Alexander (2002).The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum. Albany NY: State University of New York Press.ISBN0-7914-5389-8.
Tsugunari, Kubo; Akira (tr.), Yuyama (2007).The Lotus Sutra(PDF) (Revised 2nd ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research.ISBN978-1-886439-39-9. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 2015-07-02.
Yü, Chün-fang (2001).Kuan-Yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokitesvara. Columbia University Press.ISBN978-0-231-12029-6.
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