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Avalokitesvara is likely the bodhisattva most widely revered among Buddhists; this is especially true considering the distinctively East Asian form known as Guan Yin or Kannon, which is covered in a separate article. In Vajrayana Buddhism Avalokitesvara is also known as Padmapani, the Holder of the Lotus.
The exact origin of the religious practices relating to Avalokitesvara is unclear. Some Western scholars have suggested that the concept of Avalokitesvra, along with many other supernatural beings in Buddhism, was based on a Hindu deity absorbed by Mahayana teaching as an aspect of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The word avalokita means "seeing or gazing down" and isvara means "lord" in Sanskrit. Isvara is also an alternate name for the Hindu god Shiva, who seems to also have acted as an inspiration for some of Avalokitesvara's depictions in art.
According to Mahayana doctrine, Avalokitesvara was a person who has made a great vow to listen to the prayers of all sentient beings in times of difficutly, and to postpone his own Buddhahood until he has helped every being on earth achieve enlightenment. Sutras associated with Avalokitesvara include the Lotus Sutra, particularly the 25th chapter, which is sometimes referred to as the Avalokitesvara Sutra, and the Heart Sutra.
Avalokitesvara (known as Chenrezig in TibetanThe Tibetan language is typically classified as member of the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan linguistic family. It is a mildly tonal language using two to four tones depending on dialect. It is described as primarily isolating but agglutinative) is an important deity in Tibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. It is a school within Tantric Buddhism (also called V. In particular, the Dalai LamaAlternative meaning: Dalai Lama (song The Dalai Lama belongs to the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The current and 14th Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso. Every other Buddhist sect in Tibet recognises the Dalai Lama as the religious and political leader of all is held to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara.
Other manifestations popular in Tibet include Sahasra-bhuja (a form with a thousand arms) and Ekadasmukha (a form with eleven faces).
In Tibetan Buddhism, White TaraIn Hinduism the goddess Tara (meaning "star") is a manifestation of the queen of time, Kali. As the star is seen as a beautiful but perpetually self-combusting thing, so Tara is at core the absolute, unquenchable hunger that propels all life. In Greater P acts as the consort and energizer of Avalokitesvara. According to popular belief, Tara came into existence from a tear of Avalokitesvara. When the tear fell to the ground, it created a lake, and a lotus opening in the lake revealed Tara.
Tibetan Buddhism relates Avalokitesvara to the six-syllable mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.