Avalokiteśvara

In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, described, and portrayed in different cultures as either male or female. In East Asian Buddhism, he has evolved into a female form called Guanyin.

Etymology

The name ''Avalokiteśvara'' combines the verbal prefix ''ava'' "down", ''lokita'', a past participle of the verb ''lok'' "to notice, behold, observe", here used in an active sense; and finally ''īśvara'', "lord", "ruler", "sovereign" or "master". In accordance with sandhi (Sanskrit rules of sound combination), ''a''+''īśvara'' becomes ''eśvara''. 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. It does appear in the Cambodian form of the name, ''Lokesvarak''.

The earliest translation of the name ''Avalokiteśvara'' into Chinese by authors such as Xuanzang was as ''Guānzìzài'' (), not the form used in East Asian Buddhism today, '' Guanyin'' (). It was initially thought that this was due to a lack of fluency, as ''Guanyin'' indicates the original Sanskrit form was instead ''Avalokitasvara'', "who looked down upon sound", ''i.e.'', the cries of sentient beings who need help. Pine, Red. ''The Heart Sutra: The Womb of the Buddhas'' (2004) Shoemaker 7 Hoard. pg 44-45 It is now understood ''Avalokitasvara'' was the original form, and is also the origin of ''Guanyin'' "Perceiving sound, cries". This translation was favored by the tendency of some Chinese translators, notably Kumārajīva, to use the variant ''Guānshìyīn'' "who perceives the world's lamentations"—wherein ''lok'' was read as simultaneously meaning both "to look" and "world" (Sanskrit ''loka''; ). The original form ''Avalokitasvara'' appears in Sanskrit fragments of the fifth century.Studholme p. 52-57.

This earlier Sanskrit name was supplanted by the form containing the ending ''-īśvara'' "lord"; but ''Avalokiteśvara'' does not occur in Sanskrit before the seventh century.

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 Hinduism, as the term ''īśvara'' was usually connected to the Hindu notion of Vishnu (in Vaishnavism) or Shiva (in Shaivism) as the Supreme 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.

In Sanskrit, Avalokiteśvara is also referred to as ''Lokeśvara'' ("Lord of the World"). In Tibetan, Avalokiteśvara is ''Chenrézig'', () and is said to emanate as the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa and other high lamas. An etymology of the Tibetan name Chenrézik is ''spyan'' "eye", ''ras'' "continuity" and ''gzig'' "to look". This gives the meaning of one who always looks upon all beings (with the eye of compassion).

Origin

Mahayana account

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 time been accepted to be the earliest literature teaching about the doctrines of Avalokiteśvara. These are found in Chapter 25 of the ''Lotus Sutra:'' Universal Gate of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (). 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 the ''Avalokiteśvara Sūtra'' (), and is commonly recited or chanted at Buddhist temples in East Asia.

When the Chinese monk Faxian traveled to Mathura in India around 400 CE, he wrote about monks presenting offerings to Avalokiteśvara.Ko Kok Kiang. ''Guan Yin: Goddess of Compassion.'' 2004. p. 10 When Xuanzang traveled to India in the 7th century, he provided eyewitness accounts of Avalokiteśvara statues being venerated by devotees from all walks of life: kings, to monks, to laypeople.

In Chinese Buddhism and East Asia, Tangmi practices for the 18-armed form of Avalokiteśvara called Cundī are very popular. The popularity of Cundī is attested by the three extant translations of the ''Cundī Dhāraṇī Sūtra'' from Sanskrit to Chinese, made from the end of the seventh century to the beginning of the eighth century.Studholme, Alexander (2002). ''The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ: A Study of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra'': p. 175 In late 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.

In the Tiantai school, six forms of Avalokiteśvara are defined. Each of the bodhisattva's six qualities are said to break the hindrances respectively of the six realms of existence: hell-beings, pretas, animals, humans, asuras, and devas.

And also according to prologue of Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī Sūtra, Gautama Buddha told a disciple Ānanda that Avalokiteśvara had become a Buddha from countless previous incarnations ago, alias "Wisdom of Right Dharma Tathāgata", also had Ten titles of Buddha include Tathāgata (Thus Come One), Arhat (One Worthy of Offerings), Saṃyak-saṃbuddha (One of Proper and Universal Knowledge), Vidyacaraṇa-Saṃpaṇṇa (One Perfect in Clarity and Practice), Sugata (Well Gone One), Lokavid (Unsurpassed One Who Understands the World), Anuttarā (Unsurpassed Knights), Purusa-damya-sarathi (Taming Heroes), Sastā deva-manuṣyanam (Teacher of Gods and Humans), Buddha-lokanātha or Bhagavat (World-Honored One). Because of his great compassion, because he wanted to create proper conditions for all the Bodhisattva ranks, because he wanted to bring happiness and peacefulness to sentient living beings, he became a Bodhisattva, the title of Quan Avalokiteshvara, often abiding in the Sahā world. At the same time, Avalokiteśvara is also the attendant of Amitabha Buddha, assisting Amitabha Buddha to teach the Dharma in his Pure Land.

Theravāda account

Veneration of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva has continued to the present day in Sri Lanka:

In times past both ''Tantrayana'' and ''Mahayana'' have been found in some of the ''Theravada'' countries, but today the Buddhism of Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia is almost exclusively ''Theravada'', based on the Pali Canon. The only ''Mahayana'' deity that has entered the worship of ordinary Buddhists in ''Theravada'' countries is ''Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara''. In Ceylon he is known as ''Natha-deva'' and mistaken by the majority for the Buddha yet to come, ''Bodhisattva Maitreya''. The figure of ''Avalokitesvara'' usually is found in the shrine room near the Buddha image.

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. Andrew Skilton writes:

Avalokiteśvara is popularly worshiped in Myanmar, where he is called ''Lokanat'' or lokabyuharnat, and Thailand, where he is called ''Lokesvara''. The bodhisattva goes by many other names. In Indochina and Thailand, he is ''Lokesvara'', "The Lord of the World." In Tibet he is ''Chenrezig'', also spelled Spyan-ras gzigs, "With a Pitying Look." In China, the bodhisattva takes a female form and is called ''Guanyin'' (also spelled Kwan Yin, Kuanyin or Kwun Yum), "Hearing the Sounds of the World." In Japan, Guanyin is ''Kannon'' or Kanzeon; in Korea, ''Gwan-eum''; in Vietnam, ''Quan Am''.

Modern scholarship

Avalokiteśvara is worshipped as Nātha in Sri Lanka. Tamil Buddhist tradition developed in Chola literature, such as in Buddamitra's ''Virasoliyam '', states that the Vedic sage Agastya learnt Tamil from Avalokiteśvara. The earlier Chinese traveler Xuanzang recorded a temple dedicated to Avalokitesvara in the South Indian Mount Potalaka, a Sanskritzation of Pothigai, where Tamil Hindu tradition places Agastya having learnt the Tamil language from Shiva. Avalokitesvara worship gained popularity with the growth of the Abhayagiri vihāra's Tamraparniyan 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 by Mahayana Buddhism of one or more deities from Hinduism, in particular Shiva or Vishnu. This seems to be based on the name Avalokiteśvara.

On the basis of study of Buddhist scriptures, ancient Tamil literary sources, as well as field survey, the Japanese scholar Shu Hikosaka proposes the hypothesis that, the ancient mount Potalaka, the residence of Avalokiteśvara described in the '' Gaṇḍavyūha Sūtra'' and Xuanzang’s '' Great Tang Records on the Western Regions'', is the real mountain Pothigai in Ambasamudram, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Shu also says that mount Potalaka has been a sacred place for the people of South India from time immemorial. It is the traditional residence of Siddhar Agastya, at Agastya Mala. With the spread of Buddhism in the region beginning at the time of the great king Aśoka 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.

The name Lokeśvara should not be confused with that of Lokeśvararāja, the Buddha under whom Dharmakara became a monk and made forty-eight vows before becoming Amitābha.

Hindu tradition

In Hindu tradition, he has been depicted as an emanation of Shiva. He is strongly venerated by the Hindus of Nepal, Java and Bali.

Mantras and Dharanis

Mahāyāna Buddhism relates Avalokiteśvara to the six-syllable mantra .

In Tibetan Buddhism, due to his association with this mantra, one form of Avalokiteśvara is called ''Ṣaḍākṣarī'' "Lord of the Six Syllables" in Sanskrit. Recitation of this mantra while using prayer beads is the most popular religious practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Another popular religious practice associated with om mani padme hum is the spinning of prayer wheels clockwise which contains numerous repetitions of this mantra which effectively benefits everyone within the vicinity of the practitioner. The connection between this famous mantra and Avalokiteśvara is documented for the first time in the '. This text is dated to around the late 4th century CE to the early 5th century CE. 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 hundred samādhis. The ' also features the first appearance of the dhāraṇī of Cundī, which occurs at the end of the sūtra text. 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:

Another mantra for Avalokiteśvara commonly recited in East Asian Buddhism is ''Om Arolik Svaha''. In Chinese, it is pronounced ''Ǎn ālǔlēi jì suōpóhē'' (唵 阿嚕勒繼 娑婆訶). In Korean, it is pronounced ''Om aroreuk Ge Sabaha'' (옴 아로늑계 사바하). In Japanese, it is pronounced ''On arori kya sowa ka'' (おん あろりきゃ そわか).

The Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī is an 82-syllable dhāraṇī for Avalokiteśvara.

Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara

One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokiteśvara vowing never to rest until he had freed all sentient beings from saṃsāra. 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.

The Bao'en Temple located in northwestern Sichuan has an outstanding wooden image of the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara, an example of Ming dynasty decorative sculpture.

Tibetan Buddhist beliefs

Avalokiteśvara is an important deity in Tibetan Buddhism. He is regarded in the Vajrayana teachings as a Buddha.

In Tibetan Buddhism, Tãrã came into existence from a single tear shed by Avalokiteśvara. 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.

Manifestations

Avalokiteśvara has an extraordinarily large number of manifestations in different forms (including wisdom goddesses (vidyaas) directly associated with him in images and texts). Some of the more commonly mentioned forms include:

Gallery

File:Avalokitesvara Gandhara Musée Guimet 2418 1.jpg, Gandhāran statue of Avalokiteśvara, abhaya- mudrā. 3rd century CE.
File:Bodhi Ajanta.jpg, Indian cave wall painting of Avalokiteśvara. Ajaṇṭā Caves, 6th century CE.
File:Avalokitesvara - Basalt - ca 11th-12th Century CE - Pala Period - Chowrapara Rajshahi - ACCN 9015-A25200 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2016-03-06 1506.JPG, Avalokitesvara, ca 11th-12th Century CE, Pala Period
File:Bihar, bodhisattva avalokitesvara, periodo pala, XI secolo ca.jpg, Avalokitesvara, Pala period
File:1000 armed Avalokiteshvara at Saspol cave DSCN7053 1.jpg, 1000-armed Avalokiteśvara dated 13th - 15th century AD at Saspol cave (Gon-Nila-Phuk Cave Temples and Fort) in Ladakh, India
File:The Sanchi Torso.JPG, Torso of Avalokiteśvara from Sanchi in the Victoria and Albert Museum
File:Guimet 5887 Avalokiteshvara.jpg, Cambodian statue of Avalokiteśvara. Sandstone, 7th century CE.
File:Avalokiteshvara-statue.png, Avalokiteśvara sandstone statue, late 7th century CE.
File:Avalokitesvara Plaosan.jpg, Padmapani holding a lotus. 8th-9th century Sailendran art, Plaosan temple, Java, Indonesia.
File:Cambodian - Eight-armed Avalokiteshvara - Walters 542726.jpg, Eight-armed Avalokiteśvara, ca. 12th-13th century (Bàyon). The Walters Art Museum.
File:Avalokiteshvara Bingin Jungut Srivijaya.JPG, Avalokiteśvara from Bingin Jungut, Musi Rawas, South Sumatra. Srivijayan art (c. 8th-9th century CE)
File:Bodhisattava Avalokiteshvara, Chaiya Art พระอวโลกิเตศวรโพธิสัตว์ ศิลปะไชยา 01.jpg, The bronze torso Avalokiteshvara of Chaiya, 8th century CE Srivijayan art, Chaiya District, Surat Thani Province, Southern Thailand.
File:Privy Seal of King Rama VIII (Ananda Mahidol).svg, The Privy Seal of King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand show a picture of a Bodhisattva, based on a Srivijayan sculpture of Avalokiteśvara Padmapani which was found at Chaiya District, Surat Thani Province.
File:Avalokiteshvara head Aceh Srivijaya 1.JPG, The stone head of Avalokiteśvara, discovered in Aceh. Srivijaya, estimated 9th century.
File:Muzium Negara KL66.JPG, Malaysian statue of Avalokiteśvara. Bidor, 8th-9th century CE.
File:Kuan-yan bodhisattva, Northern Sung dynasty, China, c. 1025, wood, Honolulu Academy of Arts.jpg, Chinese statue of Avalokiteśvara looking out over the sea, c. 1025 CE.
File:Guanyin acolytes.jpg, Chinese hanging scroll depicting Shancai, Avalokiteśvara and Longnü, Yuan Dynasty.
File:Standing Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokitesvara), Heian period, Japan.jpg, Standing Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokitesvara), 12th century, Heian period, Tokyo National Museum, Japan.
File:Sanjusangendo Thousand-armed Kannon.JPG, Senju Kannon by Tankei, 13th century, Sanjūsangen-dō, Japan.
File:Bodhisattva Cintāmaṇicakra, Kamakura period, Japan.jpg, Nyoirin Kannon, 1275, Tokyo National Museum, Japan
File:Goryeo-Avalokiteshvara-1310-kagami Jinjya Temple.jpg, Korean painting of Avalokiteśvara. Kagami Jinjya, Japan, 1310 CE.
File:White avalokiteshvara.jpg, Nepalese statue of Avalokiteśvara with six arms. 14th century CE.
File:La statue de Quan Am dans la pagode But Thap 2.jpg, Avalokiteśvara of One Thousand Arms, lacquered and gilded wood. Restored in 1656 CE. Bút Tháp Temple, Bắc Ninh Province, Vietnam
File:8O3temple-icon1.jpg, Tibetan statue of Avalokiteśvara with eleven faces.
File:Kano White-robed Kannon, Bodhisattva of Compassion.jpg, Japanese painting of Avalokiteśvara meditating. 16th century CE.
File:Shrine to a Tang dynasty (896 AD) stone statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin (千手觀音 Qianshou Guanyin) in Shengshui Temple (內江聖水寺 Neijiang Shengshui-si) in Neijiang, Sichuan, China Picture 2.jpg, Tang dynasty (896 AD) carved stone statue of Qianshou Guanyin in Shengshui Temple (內江聖水寺) in Neijiang, Sichuan, China
File:Kek Lok Si Goddess of Mercy.jpg, The world tallest octagonal pavilion to shelter the Guanyin statue in Kek Lok Si in Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.
File:Lingyin temple 18 armed cundi.jpeg, Esoteric Cundī form of Avalokiteśvara with eighteen arms in Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
File:Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara.jpg, Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara bronze statue from Tibet, circa 1750. Birmingham Museum of Art
File:Ulan Bator.- Gandan Monastery (3).JPG, Mongolian statue of Avalokiteśvara ( Migjid Janraisig). Tallest indoor statue in the world, 26.5-meter-high, 1996 ''rebuilt'', (1913)
File:Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Siddham Script.jpeg, Statue of Ruyilun Guanyin ( Cintamanicakra) in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Chinatown, Singapore.
File:Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara Ming Guimet.jpeg, Guanyin, Chinese Ming Dynasty, Guimet Museum
File:Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva in Daan Park, Taipei 20100102.jpg, Statue of Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) in Daan Park, Taipei, Taiwan
File:Avalokiteśvara-Ethno BHM 1967.263.1-P6141167-black.jpg, Statue of Avalokiteśvara, date unknown, bronze and gold
File:Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (BTLS. 591), the Museum of Vietnamese History.jpg, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara from the Museum of Vietnamese History
File:Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.jpg, Chinese Yuan/Ming dynasty wood carving of Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) seated in a relaxing position
File:Pelling Sky Walk 2.jpg, Statue of Chenrezig, Pelling, Sikkim, India
File:Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Nalanda.jpeg, Painting of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Sanskrit Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra manuscript written in the Ranjana script. Nalanda, Bihar, India. Circa 700-1100 CE
File:Buddha with Thousand Arms at Cham Shan Temple.jpg, Qianshou Guanyin at Cham Shan Temple in Hong Kong, China
File:Thousand Armed Avalokitesvara - Guanyin Nunnery - 2.jpeg, Qianshou Guanyin. Guanyin women's vihara, Anhui, China
File:Shrine to a statue of the Eleven-Headed Guanyin (十一面觀音 or 十一面观音; Shiyimian Guanyin) in the Drum Tower (鼓樓 or 鼓楼) of Qita Temple (七塔寺) in Yingzhou, Ningbo, China Picture 2.jpg, Shrine to a statue of Shiyimian Guanyin in the Drum Tower of Qita Temple (七塔寺) in Yingzhou, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
File:Shrine to a statue of the Eleven-Headed Guanyin (十一面觀音 or 十一面观音; Shiyimian Guanyin) in Huayan Temple (華嚴寺 or 华严寺); Datong, Shanxi, China.jpg, Statue of Shiyimian Guanyin flanked by two attendant bodhisattvas in Huayan Temple (華嚴寺); Datong, Shanxi, China
File:普陀山.不肯去观音院 - panoramio.jpg, Statue of Shiyimian Guanyin in Bukenqu Guanyin Yard (不肯去觀音院) in Putuoshan, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
File:Monastery of Ten Thousand Buddhas 萬佛寺 (5380241824).jpg, Statue of Shiyimian Guanyin in Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (萬佛寺) in Pai Tau Village, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
File:The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas' Avalokiteshvara statue.jpg, The wooden statue of thousand-armed and thousand-eyed Guanyin at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah, California.
File:FGSBM-Avalokitesvara.jpg, Thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

See also

* Guanyin
* Ishvara
* Pure Land Buddhism
* Ushnishasitatapattra
* Vishnu
* Dalai Lama

References

Sources

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External links

The Origin of Avalokiteshvara of Potala




* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070503150519/http://angkorblog.com/_wsn/page11.html Depictions at the Bayon in Cambodia of Avalokiteshvara as the Khmer King Jayavarman VII
Mantra Avalokitesvara

Avalokiteshvara
at Britannica.com

Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia

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Bodhisattvas
Buddhist tantras
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