Chenrezig

http://Buddhism.2be.net/Chenrezig

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

Avalokiteśvara or Avalokiteshvara (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. In East Asia, the bodhisattva is known as Kuan Yin or Kannon, both of which are female manifestations. In Tibetan Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara is known as Chenrezig, and also as Padmapāni ("Holder of the Lotus"). In Mongolia, he is Xongsim Bodisadv-a as well as Nidüber Üjegči. In the Theravada tradition of Southeast Asia, Avalokiteśvara is known as Lokesvara ("Lord of the World").

Tibetan Buddhism also relates Chenrezig to the foremost mantra, the six-syllable Om Mani Padme Hum. Thus Chenrezig is also called Shadakshari ("Lord of the Six Syllables").

The Mahā Karuna Dhāranī, also known as the Great Compassion Mantra in the Mahayana text-Mahā Karuna Dhāranī Sutra, includes the 82 syllable mantra spoken by Avalokiteśvara to the assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and extols the merits of chanting the mantra. This mantra is popular in China, Japan and Taiwan.

Etymology

The name Avalokiteś(h)vara is made of four parts: the verbal prefix ava, which means "down"; the noun lok, which means "the world"; the suffix ita, which changes the verb avalok into a noun, "one who looks down upon the world"; and finally īśvara, "lord" or "master". In accordance with the rules of sound combination, iś(h)vara becomes eshvara. Combined, the four parts mean "Lord Who Gazes Downward". The name emphasizes the bodhisattva's primary characteristic, compassion. Śhvara does not and has never meant sound. Śvara means sounds. Only in the Chinese buddhist tradition it is translated as "Look upon Sound 観音", then it would be "Avalokitaśvara" rather than "Avalokiteś(h)vara".

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 Śhiva, Visnu, or combined bodies of Visnu(Hari)/Śhiva(Hara), namely, Hari-Hara Lokaśvarā. Yogīśvara (Lord of the Yogis)is another epithet of Śhiva. Lengend says that Āvalokiteśvarā of Potala(Mount Potalaka)sometimes appears as a yogi smeared with ashes, in all probability that Nīlakantha Lokeśvara and Potalaka Āvalokiteśvarā are identical. The appellation Īśvara, "lord", is sometimes used to refer to Śhiva and Vishnu as well as Avalokiteśvara. Avalokiteśvara itself is a Sanskrit word, supporting a common origin in cultural Hinduism. However, other scholars suggest that since Vedas were orally preserved till 8th century, there is a good chance that Avalokiteśvara was originally a Buddhist deity who was later included within Hinduism. Representations of these deities may have been inspirations for some of Avalokiteśvara's depictions in art.

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.

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.

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.

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

Avalokiteśvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibetan) is an important deity in Tibetan Buddhism, and is regarded as a Buddha. The Dalai Lama is considered by the Gelugpa sect and many other Tibetan Buddhists to be the primary earthly manifestation of Chenrezig.

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, 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:

| Amoghapāśa | 不空羂索 | fukūkenjaku | Holder of the Infallible Lasso

| Cintāmani-cakra | 如意輪 | nyoirin | Holding the Jewel and Wheel | Holds the jewel Cintamani

| Ekādaśamukha | 十一面 | jūichimen | Eleven-Faced | Additional faces to teach all in 10 planes of existence

| Hayagrīva | 馬頭 | bato | Horse-Headed | Wrathful form; simultaneously bodhisattva and a Wisdom King

| Pāndaravāsinī | 白衣 | byakue | White and Pure | the direct forbear of Guan Yin

| Sahasra-bhuja Sahasra-netra | 千手千眼 | senjūsengan | Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed | Very popular form: see and helps all

External links

• The Origin of Avalokiteshvara of Potala
• Avalokiteshvara - The Buddha of Compassion
• An Explanation of the Name Avalokiteshvara
• The Bodhisattva Ideal - Buddhism and the Aesthetics of Selflessness
• The Bodhisattva of Compassion and Spiritual Emanation of Amitabha - from Buddhanature.com
• Avalokiteshvara - The Buddha of Compassion