Description Avalokiteshvara embodies the essence of compassion felt by all beings, whether they are enlightened or on the path to enlightenment. Buddhist mythology tells us that this specific manifestation of Avalokiteshvara emerged when a more ancient version—the four-armed Avalokiteshvara—made a vow to devote his entire being to helping others escape the paths of delusion. His motivation was so fierce that he desired nothing less than to shatter his mind into a thousand fragments if his determination ever faltered. As time went on, he began to understand just how deeply ignorance affected individuals, and the sheer magnitude of the challenge he had committed to dampened his once fervent enthusiasm. In that instant, his mind shattered into countless fragments, just as he had wished. With enormous compassion, Buddha Amitabha restored his life, endowing him with eleven new heads. Often depicted with a thousand arms, legs, and eyes, the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara here takes on a simpler form with just six arms and two eyes. This specific manifestation of Avalokiteshvara appeared to Emperor Songtsen Gampo, the initial significant supporter of Buddhism in Tibet, during a vision he experienced while in retreat in the area of Pabhonka. Inspired by this vision, he commissioned the inaugural statue of the six-armed Avalokiteshvara. Commonly referred to as the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, the count, shapes, and colours of his eleven heads mirror those of the thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, with ten embodying peace and one representing wrath. With three right arms, he holds a lotus, a bow, and a vase. In two of his left arms, he holds a white rosary and a ceremonial ornament. Dimension: Size with Border: 47 inches long x 36 inches wide Size without Border: 42.75 inches long x 31.5 inches wide Made of cotton canvas, acrylic paint, and 24 K Gold
