The Gracious Lord Avalokiteshvara

The gracious Lord Avalokiteshvara is watching over (avalokita) ihaloka from His parlokiya abode. He sits in the chalice of a gigantic golden lotus, His legs gathered in the Bodhisattva’s padmasana. His anterior hands are gathered afore His chest as if fused into one, while in His posterior hands He bears a rosary and fresh lotus bloom. From the five-spired crown to the karnakundalas and the sashes that flank His face and figure, this sculpture shows traditional Nepalese influences.

Revered alike in the Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana traditions, Lord Avalokiteshvara is the finest of the divine Bodhisattvas. He watches over His devotees, is torn asunder with compassion for their suffering, and recuperates by His resolve to be of service to them. Note the half-shut eyes beneath the albatross brow, the long nose, and the pursed lips, set in that handsomely sculpted face. The unmistakable composure of awareness and solicitude marks His countenance.