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We are blessed to have this beautiful statue of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, in the main teaching room of our Page Street Guest House. At Zen Hospice Project, the basis of our caring for others is the compassion that views all beings, without exception, as wanting to be happy and wanting to avoid suffering. Avalokiteshvara is therefore an ideal companion to the work of Zen Hospice Project. Caring for people who are dying, and their loved ones, is a compassion practice. Whenever we are compassionate, or feel love for any person, creature, or aspect of the natural world, we experience a taste of our own natural connection with Avalokiteshvara.
The word 'Avalokiteshvara' is derived from the Pali verb oloketi, which means "to look at, to look down or over, to examine or inspect." The word avalokita has an active signification, and the name means, "the lord who sees (the world with pity)." Thus, the Sanskrit epithet Avalokiteshvara literally means Worldward-looking Lord. The word 'bodhisattva' itself is prone to a rich etymological analysis. It is composed of two words 'bodhi' and 'sattva' both of which indicate deeply spiritually meanings. Bodhi means "awakening" or "enlightenment," and sattva means "sentient being." Sattva also has etymological roots that mean "intention," meaning the intention to enlighten other beings. A bodhisattva is defined as an individual who discovers the source of the Ultimate Truth better known as nirvana, but postpones his or her own enlightenment until she or he has guided all fellow beings to this same source of fulfillment.
This deity is extremely popular in Tibet and India, where Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is depicted as male in Tibet and India. In China and other East Asian countries, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is depicted as female. Avalokiteshvara is likely the bodhisattva most widely revered among Buddhists; this is especially true considering her/his variety of forms: Guan Yin (Chinese), Kannon (Japanese), and Chenrezi (Tibetan). Often associated with great love and compassion, her name means “she who hears the cires of the world”. S/he is oten shown holding a vase containing the waters of compassion, the lotus flower of enlightentment, or the jewel of the three treasures.
The exact origin of the religious practices relating to Avalokiteshvara is unclear. Some scholars have suggested that the concept of Avalokiteshvara, along with many other supernatural beings in Buddhism, was based on a Hindu deity absorbed by Mahayana teaching as an aspect of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. Sutras associated with Avalokitesvara include the Lotus Sutra, particularly the 25th chapter, which is sometimes referred to as the Avalokitesvara Sutra, and the Heart Sutra.
According to Mahayana doctrine, Avalokitesvara is a Bodhisattva who has made a great vow to listen to the prayers of all sentient beings in times of difficulty, and to postpone his or her own Buddhahood until s/he has helped every being on Earth achieve enlightenment. A dominant feature in the description of Avalokiteshvara is the capacity to "see" the suffering of others. This teaching from Buddhist scriptures tells his/her story:
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