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Avalokitesvara, Chenrizig, the Dalai Lama:
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Avalokiteśvara
Names
Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर
IAST: Avalokiteśvara
Tibetan script: སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས
Tibetan: Chenrezig
Mongolian: Migjid Janraisig
Wylie: spyan-ras-gzigs
Avalokiteśvara or Avalokiteshvar, अवलोकितेश्वर (Sanskrit, lit. "Lord who
looks down") is the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.
He is the most widely revered bodhisattva in Buddhism. Avalokiteśvara is
also referred to as Padmapāni ("Holder of the Lotus") or Lokeśvara ("Lord of
the World"). In East Asia, Avalokiteśvara is known as 觀音 Guan Yin or Kannon/Kanzeon
and is generally represented as female. In Tibetan, Avalokiteśvara is known
as Chenrezig, and he is said to be incarnated in the Dalai Lama.[1] In
Mongolia, he is called Migjid Janraisig, Xongsim Bodisadv-a, or Nidüber
Üjegči.
It is said that Japanese company Canon Inc has been derived from the
Japanese name of the deity [2].
Etymology
The name Avalokiteśvara is made of the following parts: the verbal prefix
ava, which means "down"; lokita, a past participle of the verb lok ("to
notice, behold, observe"), here used in an active sense (an occasional
irregularity of Sanskrit grammar); and finally īśvara, "lord", "ruler",
"sovereign" or "master". In accordance with the rules of sound combination,
iśvara becomes eśvara. Combined, the parts mean "lord who gazes down (the
world)". The word loka ("world") is absent from the name, but is implied.
Lokeśvara-rāja 盧迦委斯諦 'King of world sovereignty' is another epithet of
Avalokiteśvara. The Chinese interpretation of Lokeśvara-rāja 世自在王 is 'World
Sovereign King'. īśvara 自在 n. lord, adj. free; unrestrained; unrestricted;
liberated. In Chinese Dharma-character school 法相宗, 自在 vb. means 主宰 to
dominate; to dictate; to govern; to predominate; to rule or to reign.
But according to recent research, the original form and meaning of the name
was quite different. It was Avalokitasvara with the ending -svara ("sound,
noise"), "Avalokitasvara" undoubtedly means 'who has perceived sound', a
Brahmi compound with a passive participle as first member. That is, 'avalokita'
is 'that which has been perceived', and the compound is very literally 'he
who has sound perceived'", i.e. perceiver of the suffering sound of the
worlds (6 realms). This is the exact equivalent of the Chinese translation
Guan Yin. This name was later supplanted by the form containing the ending -īśvara,
which does not occur in Sanskrit before the seventh century. The original
form Avalokitasvara already appears in Sanskrit fragments of the fifth
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 Shaivism, as the term īśvara was usually connected to
the Hindu notion of a creator god and ruler of the world. Attributes of such
a god were transmitted to the bodhisattva, but the mainstream of the
Avalokiteśvara worshippers upheld the Buddhist rejection of the doctrine of
a primordial creator god.
Origin
Western scholarship
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 Hindu deities, in particular Shiva or
Vishnu. In Theravada, Lokeśvara (饒王, 世自在王, 世饒王佛), 'the lord, ruler or
sovereign beholder of the world’, name of a Buddha; probably a development
of the idea of Brahmā, Vishnu or Śiva as lokanātha, 'lord of worlds'. In
Indo-China especially it refers to Avalokiteśvara, whose image or face, in
masculine form, is frequently seen, e.g. at Angkor. A Buddha under whom
Amitābha, in a previous existence, entered into the ascetic life and made
his forty-eight vows.
Mahayana account
According to Mahayana doctrine, Avalokiteśvara is the bodhisattva who has
made a great vow to listen to the prayers of all sentient beings in times of
difficulty, and to postpone his own Buddhahood until he has assisted every
being on earth in achieving nirvana. Mahayana sutras associated with
Avalokiteśvara include the Heart Sutra (as disciple of the historical Buddha
Shakyamuni) and the Lotus Sutra, particularly the 25th chapter, which is
sometimes referred to as the Avalokiteśvara Sutra.
Six forms of Avalokiteśvara in Mahayana (defined by Tian-tai, terrace)
天臺六觀音: 1. 大悲觀音great compassion, 2. 大慈觀音great loving-kindness, 3.
獅子無畏觀音lion-courage, 4. 大光普照觀音universal light, 5. 天人丈夫觀音leader amongst gods
and men, 6. 大梵深遠觀音, 大梵至聖觀音 the great omnipresent Brahma. Each of this
bodhisattva's six qualities of pity, etc., breaks the hindrances 三障
respectively of the (6 realms) hells, pretas (hungry ghost), animals, asuras
(demi god), men, and devas.
Vajrayana account
In the Tibetan tradition, Avalokiteśvara is seen as arising from two
sources. One is the relative source, where in a previous eon (kalpa) a
devoted, compassionate Buddhist monk became a bodhisattva, transformed in
the present kalpa into Avalokiteśvara. That is not in conflict, however,
with the ultimate source, which is Avalokiteśvara as the universal
manifestation of compassion. The bodhisattva is viewed as the
anthropomorphised vehicle for the actual deity, serving to bring about a
better understanding of Avalokiteśvara to humankind.
Seven forms of Avalokiteśvara in esoteric Buddhism 密教七觀音: 1. 不空羅索觀音not empty
(or unerring) net, or lasso. Amoghapāśa. 2. 千手千眼面觀音1000-hand and 1000-eye,
vara-sahasrabhuja-locana/Sahasrabhujasahasranetra, 3. 馬頭觀音horseheaded,
Hayagriva, 4. 十一面觀音11-faced, Ekadasamukha, 5. 准提觀音 Cundi, 6. 如意輪觀音wheel of
sovereign power, Cintamani-cakra; 7. 聖觀音, 正觀音holy one, 聖觀自在arya Lokiteśvara,
the Holy sovereign beholder of the world (loka), a translation of īśvara,
means ‘ruler’ or ‘sovereign’.
Mantras
Tibetan Buddhism relates Chenrezig to the six-syllable mantra Om Mani Padme
Hum. Thus, Chenrezig is also called Shadakshari ("Lord of the Six
Syllables"). The connection between this famous mantra and Avalokiteśvara
already occurs in the Karandavyuha Sutra (probably late fourth or early
fifth century), one of the first Buddhist works to have reached Tibet
(before the end of the fifth century).
In Shingon Buddhism, the mantra used to praise Avalokiteśvara is On
Aro-rikya Sowaka (Oh, Unstained One, Hail!), but Om Mani Padme Hum is
occasionally used as well.
The Great Compassion Mantra is a 82 syllable mantra spoken by Avalokiteśvara
to the assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and extolling the merits of
chanting the mantra. This mantra is popular in China, Japan and Taiwan.
The thousand arms of Avalokiteśvara
One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokiteśvara vowing to never rest
until he had freed all sentient beings from samsara. Despite strenuous
effort, he realizes that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved.
After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, his head splits into
eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing his plight, gives him eleven heads
with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and
comprehending them, Avalokiteśvara attempts to reach out to all those who
needed aid, but found that his two arms shattered into pieces. Once more,
Amitabha comes to his aid and invests him with a thousand arms with which to
aid the suffering multitudes.[3]
Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which
Avalokiteśvara skilfully upholds the dharma, each possessing its own
particular implement, while more Chinese-specific ones give varying accounts
of this number.
Tibetan Buddhist beliefs concerning Chenrezig
Avalokiteśvara is an important deity in Tibetan Buddhism, and is regarded in
the Vajrayana teachings as a Buddha. In the Mahayana teachings he is in
general regarded as a high-level Bodhisattva. The Dalai Lama is considered
by the Gelugpa sect and many other Tibetan Buddhists to be the primary
earthly manifestation of Chenrezig. The Karmapa is considered by the Karma
Kagyu sect to be Chenrezig's primary manifestation. It is said that
Padmasambhava prophesied that Avalokiteśvara will manifest himself in the
Tulku lineages of the Dalai Lamas and the Karmapas. Another Tibetan source
explains that Buddha Amithaba gave to one of his two main disciples,
Avalokiteśvara, the task to take upon himself the burden of caring for
Tibet. That's why he as manifested himself not only as spiritual teachers in
Tibet but also in the form of kings (like Trisong Detsen) or ministers.
Other manifestations popular in Tibet include Sahasra-bhuja (a form with a
thousand arms) and Ekādaśamukha (a form with eleven faces).
In Tibetan Buddhism, White Tara acts as the consort and energizer of
Avalokiteśvara/Chenrezig. According to popular belief, Tara came into
existence from a single tear shed by Chenrezig. 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 Chenrezig. In
either version, it is Chenrezig's outpouring of compassion which manifests
Tara as a being.
Manifestations
Avalokiteśvara has an extraordinarily large number of manifestations in
different forms. Some of the more commonly mentioned forms include:
Sanskrit Chinese Japanese Meaning Description
Aryavalokitesvara 聖觀自在 Sho Kannon Sacred Avalokitesvara The root form of the
Bodhisattva
Ekādaśamukha 十一面 jūichimen Eleven Faced Avalokitesvara Additional faces to
teach all in 10 planes of existence
Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra 千手千眼 senjūsengan Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed
Avalokitesvara Very popular form: see and helps all
Cintāmani-cakra 如意輪 nyoirin Wish Fulfilling Avalokitesvara Holds the jewel
Cintamani
Hayagrīva 馬頭 bato Horse Headed Avalokitesvara Wrathful form; simultaneously
bodhisattva and a Wisdom King
Cintâmanicakra 如意輪 Juntei Mother Goddess Avalokitesvara Cundi in Chinese
Amoghapāśa 不空羂索 fukūkenjaku Avalokitesvara with rope and net
Bhrkuti Fierce-Eyed
Pāndaravāsinī 白衣 byakue White and Pure the direct forbear of Guan Yin
Parnaśabarī Cloaked With Leaves
Rakta Shadaksharī Six Red Syllables
Śvetabhagavatī White-Bodied
Udaka-śrī Water Auspicious
Reference
* Alexander Studholme: The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum. Albany NY: State
University of New York Press, 2002 ISBN 0-7914-5389-8
Bibliography
* Kuan-Yin: The Chinese Transformation of Avalokitesvara (2001) by Chün-fang
Yü, ISBN-13: 978-0231120296, Columbia University Press
* Buddha in the Crown: Avalokitesvara in the Buddhist Traditions of Sri
Lanka (1999) by James P. McDermott, Journal of the American Oriental
Society, 119 (1): 195-
Notes
1. ^ [1]
2. ^ KWANON (Prototype). Retrieved on 7 July 2007.
3. ^ [2]
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