Avalokiteshvara – Chenrezig (Tib.)
The embodiment of all buddhas’ compassion, Chenrezig – He Who Looks with an Unwavering Eye – is considered Tibet’s patron and The Dalai Lama his reincarnation. The bodhisattva of great compassion, Chenrezig’s vast vows to save all beings from suffering are said to be inconceivable.
Chenrezig is shown as a bodhisattva, dressed in silk royal robes, seated on a lotus cushion. Adorned with the jeweled ornaments symbolizing his master of the perfections, he has the skin of a wild deer draped over his shoulder symbolizing his kind, gentle nature and his ability to subdue the untamed delusions.
As recommended to ancient yogis of India in order to improve concentration, Chenrezig is seated on on a deer skin serving as a reminder of the importance of meditative concentration. His hair is black and worn long, partially piled up in a princely fashion, symbolizing that just as a prince is the son and heir to a royal king, so is Chenrezig the spiritual son and heir to the king-like buddhas. On his head is a crown adorned with five jewels representing the five buddha families.
With his compassionate gaze, Chenrezig looks upon the beings in all realms of cyclic existence with the heartfelt wish that they be separated from all mental and physical suffering.
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