Thousand-armed Eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan Buddhist Deity)

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There are several versions of the legend explaining his eleven heads, but they all resolve themselves into the following:

Avalokiteshvara, the all pitying one, descended into hell, converted the wicked, liberated them, and conducted them to Sukhavati, the paradise of his spiritual father, Amitabha.

He discovered, however, to his dismay, that for every culprit converted and liberated, another instantly took his place. Legend claims that his head split into ten pieces from grief and despair on discovering the extent of wickedness in the world, and the utter hopelessness of saving all mankind. Amitabha caused each piece to become a head, and placed the heads on the body of his spiritual son, Avalokitesvara. Nine of the heads have benign faces and are depicted in three rows; the tenth has an angry face, while the head at the top is that of Amitabha.

All the heads, except that of Amitabha, is crowned. In contrast to the floral crowns of the three rows of heads, the top wrathful head is adorned with a crown of skulls.

At a symbolic level, eight of the heads represent the cardinal directions and their intermediate points, and the other three signify the zenith, the center, and the nadir.

Fascinating as this myth is, it probably disguises an earlier myth of cosmic creation in which a primal being created the universe by disintegrating his own person.

Amitabha further said to Avalokiteshvara that there was still another way to accomplish his goal. Mahakala, the wrathful aspect of Avalokiteshvara, was then created to fight against negative forces with compassion and to destroy obstacles in the path towards righteousness, thereby helping all sentient beings reach enlightenment. The tenth wrathful head is thus that of Mahakala.

In addition Avalokiteshvara is given a thousand arms, which form a mandala around his body and symbolize his pervasiveness. The palm of each hand is marked with an eye, the 'eye of mercy', to see the sufferings of all beings, and to help sentient beings overcome them.

The two central arms hold a wish-fulfilling gem; one main right arm is holding the wheel of combined spiritual teaching and benevolent governance; another upraised right hand holds the rosary. a left hand holds a bow and arrow, their pairing symbolizes the coincidence of wisdom and method, or the union of wisdom and concentration. Another upraised left hand holds a lotus in full bloom. This is a symbol of purity, renunciation, and divinity.

Of Related Interest:

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Chenrezig: The Embodiment of Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism

Out of all the deities of Avalokiteshvara in the Tibetan Pantheon of Buddhism, Chenrezig is the most renowned. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is believed to be an incarnation of this Bodhisattva, a living symbol of boundless compassion. Chenrezig is conceptualized and visualized in various forms, with many faces and arms. He sits on a full-blown lotus crossing his legs. He is usually depicted having four arms that represent the four immeasurables; Immeasurable Compassion, Immeasurable Kindness, Immeasurable Joy, and Immeasurable Equanimity. His two arms join together at the heart in a prayer position holding a wish-fulfilling gem in between. With his upper left arm, he holds a lotus flower and with his other right arm, he holds a crystal rosary (mala) which he uses to count the repetitions of the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”, which means “Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus, which is capable of liberating all beings from their suffering”. His meditation is practiced by all the great Buddhists in the lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He is always depicted clad in the clothes of a Bodhisattva and wears the skin of an antelope on his shoulders. Bearing a soft smile on his beautiful face, he looks down upon the sentient beings with his eyes full of love and compassion.

What does Chenrezig represent?

The Bodhisattva Chenrezig is seen as and considered the embodiment of compassion and enlightenment. He appears on earth and looks upon every living being with immense compassion in his eyes and benefits them by turning the wheel of enlightened activity. Scholars believe that although Chenrezig appears in the material world, he is not affected by the modes of material nature and always remains pure and stainless just as a lotus flower remains free from the stains of mud. Chenrezig has all the good qualities that a Buddhist practitioner wishes to develop within himself. Thus, those who meditate upon the image of Chenrezig, gradually awaken those same qualities in themselves.

Can we keep Chenrezig statue at home?

According to Buddhist followers, keeping the statue of Chenrezig at home is highly auspicious. You can keep the statue anywhere in your home; be it your living room, meditation room, or area of worship. Since Chenrezig is very merciful and empathetic toward all living beings, he guides and inspires us from within, to walk the path of spirituality or self-realization. If you wish for a life full of enlightenment, joy, and spiritual bliss, free from anxiety and perplexity, you may meditate upon the glorious form of Chenrezig and chant his name in complete silence until you experience your heart open and your mind peaceful.