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Avalokiteśvara was a revered Buddhist bodhisattva who was known as Holder of the Lotus. As a Supremely Feminine Embodiment of Buddhic Compassion, Avalokiteśvara has continually strived over the centuries to free everyone from samsara so that they would be able to achieve nirvana. A greatly venerated Buddhist bodhisattva, she promised to hear and respond to the entreaties and prayers of all conscious living beings who were struggling with vexing trials and worrisome tribulations. In order to accomplish this great and arduous task, she retired to a secluded grotto where she perpetually meditated upon the cares and woes of the world while sitting in the lotus position. Streams of light resembling many outreaching supportive arms connected Avalokiteśvara to multitudes of aspirants and supplicants. This occurrence has often been portrayed in Buddhist storytelling legends as Avalokiteśvara multiplying her ability to help the needy and to rescue the dispirited by splitting her head into eleven parts. Avalokiteśvara has also been depicted in paintings and sculptures having a thousand arms with each arm having a distinctive and exceptional device so that she might skillfully uphold the dharma for everyone.
A powerfully compassionate Buddha, she was one of the
disciples of the Shakyamuni Buddha (Guatama Buddha). The Mahayana Buddhism
sutras most frequently related with Avalokitesvara include the Heart Sutra and the Lotus Sutra.
The Sacred Site focal point of Hierarch Avalokitesvara and the Sixth Ray of Tradition Preservation is the Yungang Grottoes, which are located in the Shi Li River valley at the foot of the Wuzhou Shan mountains near Datong, Shanxi Province, China. One of three (Longmen, Mogao, Yungang) famous rock cut ancient architectural sculpture sites in China, the Yungang Chinese Buddhist Grottoes were mostly built between 460-525 ACE around the time of the Northern Wei Dynasty. There are two hundred fifty-three grottoes at Yungang and over fifty-one thousand Buddha statues and statuettes.
An exceptional
illustration of 5th and 6th century stone sculpture, Yungang Grottoes became a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001... Hierarchs
Goddesses Gods of Twelve Universal Rays
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