AVALOKITESHAVARA
With 1,000 arms and eleven heads, Avalokiteshavara* is known for his compassion and efforts to help all beings that strive toward nirvana, or enlightenment. Inside each hand is an eye with which to view the world around him. Avalokiteshavara is a bodhisattva. Unlike a Buddha, a bodhisattva continues to stay on earth after reaching enlightenment and is reborn to help others reach nirvana. When Avalokiteshavara realized the extent of human suffering, he was granted eleven heads with which to hear their problems and 1,000 arms with which to help them. Hand gestures play an important role in Buddhism. These gestures, also known as mudras*, take many different forms, each with its own meaning. The center hands on this statue come together to form the namaskara mudra*, a gesture for prayer and devotion. Generally Buddhas do not perform this mudra as they are not required to show devotion to anyone since they have already achieved Buddhahood.
With 1,000 arms and eleven heads, Avalokiteshavara is known for his compassion and efforts to help all beings that strive toward nirvana, or enlightenment. Inside each hand is an eye with which to view the world around him. Avalokiteshavara is a bodhisattva. Unlike a Buddha, a bodhisattva continues to stay on earth after reaching enlightenment and is reborn to help others reach nirvana. When Avalokiteshavara realized the extent of human suffering, he was granted eleven heads with which to hear their problems and 1,000 arms with which to help them. Hand gestures play an important role in Buddhism. These gestures, also known as mudras, take many different forms, each with its own meaning. The center hands on this statue come together to form the namaskara mudra, a gesture for prayer and devotion. Generally Buddhas do not perform this mudra as they are not required to show devotion to anyone since they have already achieved Buddhahood.
