1000 ARMED AVALOKITESHVARA

 

The word Avalokiteshvara has been derived from the Sanskrit language. In Sanskrit, Ishwara means the lord, god, or the almighty and the loka means the world. Ava means to look down and the verb's past participle form is lokita. Thus, one can figure out that the combined meaning of Avalokiteshvara is the god who's looking down at the world. Of course, with compassionate eyes and attitude.

The images of Avalokiteshvara are always captivating due to the reflections of calmness, compassion, and generosity.

The iconography of 1000 armed Avalokiteshvara

He is especially favored in Tibet. Different Buddhist cultures revere many other forms of him. For instance, there are two-armed red Avalokiteshvara, sitting Avalokiteshvara, four-armed red Avalokiteshvara, four-armed white Avalokiteshvara, Standing Avalokiteshvara and among others.

In Tibetan language, Chenrezig means gazing at something with compassion. He is said to have compassion for all the Buddhas in him and when he looks out with that deep concern to others, one is bound to feel moved. We can see that his images are just so calm and compassionate. Among all his forms, the thousand-armed and eleven-faced Chenrezig is considered the central manifestation.

Unlike other gods or deities who rather 'stay higher' and shower blessings, the stories of thousand-armed and eleven headed  Avalokiteshvara compels one to feel connected on the personal level. The helplessness and anxiety, when he was unable to fully address sufferings of sentient beings, have been discussed well in many other texts as well. He displays this deep desire to help out the sentient beings, and in the process, he receives those many heads and arms. "While the absolute Chenrezig is the embodiment of all Buddhas' kindness and compassion, Chenrezig is also the inherent potential love and compassion of all sentient beings," the book points out.

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