Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, known as Kuan Yin to the Japanese and Chinese, and Chenresig to the Tibetans, is the bodhisattva who most embodies compassion. The name Avalokitesvara has its root meaning as "he who observes the sounds o the world". The great vow o Avalokitesvara is to listen to the supplications, and cries or help rom those in di icult! in the world and to provide them with aid. "e takes man! di erent orms....male, emale, our# armed, thousand#armed, human, non# human, teacher, student...whatever e$pedient means are needed to help people most e ectivel!. Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, an emanation o Amida Buddha%s compassion, is the "&egarder o the Cries o the 'orld". (ometimes re erred to in the 'est as the )oddess o *erc!. +,ote- Avalokitesvara means "Kuan Yin" in (anskrit, the language o earl! .ndia, rom an earlier time when The Cr! &egarder was depicted as a male igure. "Kuan Yin" is Chinese/ "Kannon" is Japanese.0 B! the most popular and beloved o the *aha!ana bodhisattvas. The name Avalokitesvara also means something like " the 1ord who looks down on the 'orld" or according to another interpretation " the &egarder o the Cries o the 'orld". This

+Top # .mage o Avalokitesvara0

bodhisattva is irst mentioned in the 1otus (utra +appro$. 2st centur! A30 which together with the Karandav!uha (utra describe him as rescuing rom all kinds o distress and danger an!one who calls out his mantra, 4m *ani 5adme "um +4m the Jewel in the 1otus "um0. This desire and abilit! to help all without distinction is due to Avalokitesvara%s great compassion, indeed he is seen as the ver! embodiment o the Buddha%s compassion. Avalokitesvara is also an emanation o Amitabha6s compassion and with Amitabha6s igure represented in his headdress. "e guards the world in the interval between the departure o the historical Buddha, (ak!amuni, and the appearance o the uture Buddha, *aitre!a. .n .ndia Avalokitesvara was usuall! portra!ed as a handsome !oung prince with the Buddha nestled in his crown, or sometimes as an ascetic, iconographicall! ver! similar to the "indu god (iva. "e was also given some o (iva%s names # the Blue Throated 4ne, *ahesvara etc. .n Tibet he is o ten portra!ed with a thousand arms, each hand with an e!e in it, s!mbolising the seeing and reaching out to help those in distress. .n China however Avalokitesvara is more usuall! represented as a beauti ul white robed woman and is known as Kwan Yin. 7rom *ongolia to (ri 1anka, rom A ghanistan to .ndonesia, the worship o Avalokitesvara has long been popular, even ervent, and has inspired some o the most beauti ul e$amples o Buddhist art.

5raise To Kwan Yin Bodhisattva

)wan Yin Bodhisattva%s compassion or all beings is so vast and inconceivable, our gratitude cannot comprehend nor ull! e$press the magnitude o her blessings. "er bod! and garments o brilliant, translucent 'hite 1ight. "er adornments, a white vase o Compassionate 'ater in her le t hand, The (acred 'illow Branch in her right hand.

8nlightened through in inite acts o compassion countless li etimes ago. "er eet rest upon a ragrant red lotus lower above a vast ocean. "er brows curved and radiant like the crescent o an autumn moon. 'ith the sweet dew drops she sprinkles rom her vase, (he relieves the su ering o beings ever!where and alwa!s, or countless autumns. 5ra!ers or help arise rom thousands o hearts, and thousands o pra!ers are answered b! her vow o eternal compassion- Beings in (amsara, who sail the ocean o su ering, (he will guide and deliver sa el! to the ultimate shore o enlightenment.

Bene its in &eciting and "olding The )reat Compassion *antra

8$cerpts rom The 3harani (utra 8nglish translation b! the Buddhist Te$t Translation (ociet!, 3harma &ealm Buddhist 9niversit!, 9(A . humans and gods recite and hold the phrases o the )reat Compassion *antra, then when the! approach the end o li e, all the Buddhas o the ten directions will come to take them b! the hand to rebirth in whatever Buddhaland the! wish, according to their desire. (hould an! living beings who recites and holds the spiritual mantra o )reat Compassion all into the three evil paths, . vow not to realise the right enlightenment. (hould an! living being who recites and holds the spiritual mantra o )reat Compassion not be reborn in an! Buddhaland, . vow not to realise the right enlightenment. (hould an! living being who recites and holds the spiritual mantra o )reat Compassion not obtain unlimited samadhis and elo:uence, . vow not to realise the right enlightenment. (hould an! living being who recites and holds the spiritual mantra o )reat Compassion not obtain the ruits o whatever is sought in this ver! li e, then he cannot have been making proper use o the 3harani o the )reat Compassion "eart. 5eople and gods who recite and hold the )reat Compassion *antra will obtain i teen kinds o good birth and will not su er i teen kinds o bad death. The bad deaths are-

2. The! will not die o starvation or privation ;. The! will not die rom having been !oked, imprisoned, caned or otherwise beaten <. The! will not die at the hands o hostile enemies =. The! will not be killed in militar! battle >. The! will not be killed b! tigers, wolves, or other evil beasts ?. The! will not die rom the venom o poisonous snakes, black serpents, or scorpions @. The! will not drown or be burned to death A. The! will not be poisoned to death B. The! will not die as a result o sorcer! 2C. The! will not die o madness or insanit! 22. The! will not be killed b! landslides or alling trees 2;. The! will not die o nightmares sent b! evil people 2<. The! will not be killed b! deviant spirits or evil ghosts 2=. The! will not die o evil illnesses which bind the bod! 2>. The! will not commit suicide Those who recite and hold the spiritual *antra o )reat Compassion will not su er an! o these i teen kinds o bad death and will obtain the ollowing i teen kinds o good birth2. Their place o birth will alwa!s have a good king ;. The! will alwa!s be born in a good countr! <. The! will alwa!s be born at a good time =. The! will alwa!s meet good riends >. The organs o their bod! will alwa!s be complete ?. Their heart will be pure and ull in the wa! @. The! will not violate the prohibitive precepts A. Their amil! will be kind and harmonious B. The! will alwa!s have the necessar! wealth and goods in abundance 2C. The! will alwa!s obtain the respect and help o others 22. The! riches will not be plundered 2;. The! will obtain ever!thing the! seek 2<. 3ragons, gods, and good spirits will alwa!s protect them 2=. .n the place where the! are born the! will see the Buddha and hear the 3harma 2>. The! will awaken to the pro ound meaning o that 5roper 3harma which

the! hear. Those who recite and hold the )reat Compassion *antra will obtain these i teen kinds o good birth. All gods and people should constantl! recite and hold it, without carelessness.

Bene its o &eciting 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9*

b! 1ama Dopa &inpoche The bene its o reciting 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* are like the in inite sk!. 3epending on how per ectl! :uali ied one6s mind is and on one6s motivation, even reciting 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* one time can puri ! negative karma. 7or e$ample, a ull! ordained monk who has received all our de eats can completel! puri ! that ver! heav! negative karma b! reciting 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* one time. (o it is ver! power ul. &eciting 4ne Thousand *antras 8ach 3a! .n the teachings it is said the bene its o reciting 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* are so man! that the e$planation will never inish. .t is e$plained that i one recites 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* one thousand times ever! da!, then one6s children up to seven generations will not be reborn in the lower realms. (o i , or e$ample, parents recite one thousand mantras ever! da! then their children, their children6s children and so orth up to seven generations will never be reborn in the lower realms. (o parents have :uite a responsibilit!E This is one wa! that parents can bene it their children and grandchildren. . one recites the 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* mantra one thousand times ever! da!, then one6s bod! becomes blessed. (o when a person who recites one thousand 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* ever! da! goes into water, into a river or ocean or e$ample, that water becomes blessed. 'hoever that water touches ish, tin! or big animals, or tin! insects, the negative karma o all those sentient beings is puri ied and the! do not get reborn in the lower realms. . one recites one thousand 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9* ever! da!, then at the time o death, when the bod! is burnt, even the smoke that comes rom it puri ies the negative karma o whoever it touches or whoever smells it. The negative karma

o those sentient beings to be reborn in the lower realms is puri ied. 7i teen *aFor Bene its There are i teen maFor bene its, which are the same or both the long and the short mantra. Actuall!, there are so man! bene its but i one can remember these i teen, these are the most important, the integrated outlines. 2..n all li etimes, one will meet with virtuous kings # religious kings like "is "oliness the 3alai 1ama and other virtuous leaders # and b! being in such a place where there is a virtuous king one will have much opportunit! to practise 3harma. ;.4ne will alwa!s be reborn in virtuous places where there is a lot o 3harma practice, where there are lots o temples, where one can make lots o o erings, where there a lot o hol! obFects, statues, stupas and so orth. Being in a place where there are all these hol! obFects gives one the opportunit! to practise 3harma, to create the cause o happiness, to accumulate merit. And being in a place where there are man! in the cit! doing practice inspires onesel to practise 3harma, the cause o happiness. <.4ne will alwa!s meet with ortunate times and good conditions, which will help !our 3harma practice. "aving man! good things happen it inspires !ou to practise 3harma, to receive teachings and to meditate. =.4ne will alwa!s be able to meet with virtuous riends. >.4ne will alwa!s receive a per ect human bod!. ?.4ne6s mind will become amiliar with the path, with virtue. @.4ne will not allow one6s vows, one6s moralit! to degenerate. A.5eople around !ou # amil!, 3harma students, people in the o ice, and so one # will be kind and harmonious with !ou. B.You will alwa!s have wealth, the means o living.

2C.You will alwa!s be protected and served b! others. 22.Your wealth will not be stolen or taken awa! b! others. 2;.'hatever !ou wish will succeed. 2<.You will alwa!s be protected b! virtuous nagas and devas. 2=..n all li etimes, !ou will see Buddha and be able to hear the 3harma. 2>.B! listening to the pure 3harma, !ou will be able to actualise the pro ound meaning, emptiness. .t is said in the teachings that an!bod! who recites this mantra with compassion # devas or humans # will receive these virtues. .n addition, the mantra has the power to heal man! diseases and to protect rom an! harms. The Compassionate Buddha mani esting in the orm o the mantra leads us to enlightenment. .n relation to the "ol! Bod! o the Compassionate Buddha we make o erings, accumulate merit, puri ! and meditate. Then the Compassionate Buddha mani ests in the orm o the mantra 4* *A,. 5A3*8 "9*. &eciting this mantra uni ies our negative karma and causes us to actualise the whole path rom guru devotion through renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness up to the two stages o tantra. Then we are able to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment. That is how the mantra bene its us. .t is the Compassionate Buddha6s hol! speech mani esting in an e$ternal wa! in order to bene it us.

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