Buddha Loving Eyes

tib. Chenrezig, sans. Avalokiteshvara

Avalokiteshvara is seen as the concentrated love and compassion of all Buddhas for all beings. In Tibetan Buddhism, Avalokiteshavara is the most significant and important Bodhisattva. His compassion is not limited to the human realm, but spreads on all levels where there is life and consciousness. Avalokiteshvara never denies his help when called upon. He appears in a variety of different forms. In Mahayana Buddhism for example, 108 forms are listed, all of which belong to the lotus family of the Buddha Amitabha.

Well-known form of Avalokiteshvara is his four-armed emanation. In this form, his body is white, and he sits in the vajra position. The hands of his first pair of arms surround the jewel of enlightened attitude in front of his heart. His second pair of hands holds a crystal mantra necklace on the right and a fully opened white lotus flower on the left. He wears the ornaments of the joy state consisting of five silk robes and eight kinds of jewellery, such as the five-jewelled Bodhisattva crown.

Avalokiteshvara's 6-syllable mantra, "Om Ma Ni Pe Me Hung" transforms the 6 disturbing emotions (the bases for rebirth in the 6 realms) into the 6 Buddha wisdoms. When meditating on Avalokiteshvara, one sees him as a Yidam and develops compassion, and simultaneously all other qualities of enlightenment.