Avalokitesvara
In Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokitesvara  or Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit: Avalokiteśvara) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.
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 Padmapāni, the Holder of the Lotus. In Theravada Southeast Asia, Avalokitesvara is known as Lokesvara.
Origin of the concept
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 īśvara means "lord" in Sanskrit. Īśvara is also an alternate name for the Hindu deities Shiva and Vishnu who seem to also have acted as inspirations for some of Avalokitesvara's depictions in art.
According to Mahayana doctrine, Avalokitesvara is a 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 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.
Tibetan Buddhism
Avalokitesvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibetan) is an important deity in Tibetan Buddhism. In particular, the Dalai Lama is held to be a manifestation of Avalokitesvara.
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 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. Another version of this tale tells
that Tara emerged from the heart of Avalokitesvara. In both, it is
Avalokitesvara's outpouring of compassion which manifests Tara as a
being.
Tibetan Buddhism relates Avalokitesvara to the six-syllable mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, also spelled Om Mani Peme Hung and Om Mani Padme Hon. It is for this reason that Avalokitesvara is also called Shadakshari, Lord of the Six Syllables.
In the Tibetan tradition, Avalokitesvara is seen as arising from two
sources. One is the relative source, where in a previous kalpa (era), a
devoted, compassionate Buddhist monk became a Bodhisattva, thus giving
the present kalpa its form of Avalokitesvara. That is not in conflict,
however, with the ultimate source view, which is Avalokitesvara as the
universal manifestation of compassion. In brief, it may be said that
the Bodhisattva is the anthropomorphised vehicle for the actual deity,
serving to bring about a better understanding of Avalokitesvara to
humankind.
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