Chenrezig (Skt. Avalokiteshvara) is
Embodiment of Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism
"Every person whose heart is moved by love and compassion, who deeply and
sincerely acts for the benefit of others without concern for fame, profit, social
position, or recognition, expresses the activity of Chenrezig."----Bokar Rinpoche
In the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon of enlightened beings, Chenrezig is renowned as the
embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Avalokiteshvara is the earthly manifestation of the self born, eternal Buddha,
Amitabha. He guards this world in the interval between the historical Sakyamuni Buddha,
and the next Buddha of the Future Maitreya.
According to legend, Chenrezig made a a vow that he would not rest until he had
liberated all the beings in all the realms of suffering. After working diligently at this
task for a very long time, he looked out and realized the immense number of
miserable beings yet to be saved. Seeing this, he became despondent and his head split
into thousands of pieces. Amitabha Buddha put the pieces back together as a body with very
many arms and many heads, so that Chenrezig could work with myriad beings all at the same
time. Sometimes Chenrezig is visualized with eleven heads, and a thousand arms fanned out
around him. Chenrezig may be the most popular of all Buddhist deities, except for
Buddha himself -- he is beloved throughout the Buddhist world. He is known by different
names in different lands: as Avalokiteshvara in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, as
Kuan-yin in China, as Kannon in Japan.
The Lords of the Five Buddha-Families
Vairochana means the ‘One Who Completely manifest’. He is the one who
allows the true nature of phenomena to appear non-mistakenly and perfectly. He clarifies
the nature of all phenomenal reality.
Akshobhya means the ‘Unshakeable One’ who is the manifestation of the
completely pure mental affliction hence the primordial awareness, the actual nature of the
mind, is revealed.
Ratnasambhava means the ‘Source of Preciousness’. He embodies the
transformation of the Klesha-mind and thus the primordial awareness of equality.
Amitabha means the ‘Infinite Light’. His essence is freedom from
attachment and the endowment of the most excellent highest understanding (Skt. Prajna)
Amoghasiddhi means the ‘One who accomplishes What Is Meaningful’.
Since it is his nature to accomplish the benefit of all sentient beings, the lord of
Amoghasiddhi embodies the primordial awareness that accomplishes all actions.
Lama
Tashi created the Mandala of the Thousand Arms Chenrezig in the Shrine room of the Center.
The statute of the 1000 Arms Chenrezig is in the Centre. Above it are the Statues of the
Lord of the five Buddha-families. They are Buddha Vaircochana, Buddha Akshobhya, Buddha
Ratnasambhava, Buddha Amitaba and Buddha Amoghasiddhi which represent the five primordial
awarenesses and duly appear in the form of the body of perfect enjoyment (Skt. Sambhogakaya).
On each sides of the square base are symbolic precious treasures, 
