Avalokiteshvara — The Bodhisattva of Compassion

Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit: 'The Lord Who Looks Down') is the bodhisattva embodying mahakaruna (great compassion), the active dimension of bodhicitta directed toward the suffering of all sentient beings across the six realms. The Saddharmapundarika Sutra (Lotus Sutra), chapter 25 — known independently as the Avalokiteshvara Sutra — describes thirty-three nirmana-kaya (emanation forms) assumed to meet beings in whatever condition they inhabit, from deva to preta. In the Vajrayana tradition, Avalokiteshvara's sahasrabhuja (thousand-armed) form represents the simultaneous extension of upaya (skillful means) in all directions, while the six-syllable mantra 'Om mani padme hum' is understood to purify the kleshas corresponding to each of the six lokas. The Karandavyuha Sutra describes Avalokiteshvara's pranidhana (vow) to remain in samsara until every being has crossed to the other shore of nirvana.