The Tibetan term for the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is "Chenrezig"—"he who looks with a merciful eye"—who is highly regarded due to his boundless compassion for all living things. As the highest embodiment of a Bodhisattva's compassion, Chenrezig gives up his ultimate liberation to aid Buddhists in bridging the ocean of life by remaining eternally in the human realm. After his powerful mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum," the four-armed form of Avalokiteshvara is also referred to as "Shadakshari" (he who has six or shada, syllables, or akshara).
Shadakshari Lokeshvara or Avalokiteshvara appears in this masterpiece Nepalese copper statue with gilding. On an ornate Vishvapadmasana or double-layered lotus throne where each petal has been meticulously crafted, Lokeshvara appears in a meditative pose, with his primary hands joined in front of his heart, holding the Chintamani or wish-fulfilling jewel, and other hands carrying a rosary and flower. He wears a brocaded scarf that flows around his form, highlighting it as a stylized aureole, heavy earrings, tresses that fall gracefully on his shoulder, and the skin of an antelope, visible on the left shoulder. The mesmerizing youthful appeal of the countenance of Avalokiteshvara is a striking feature of this statue.
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