Buddhist Antiques, Asian and Indian Artifacts, Stone Avalokiteshvara

Avalokiteshvara in Pink Sandstone

Avalokiteshvara, 11th - 13th century

Avalokiteshvara is one of the most widely revered images in Buddhism. Of the three Vehicles, or Yanas, of Buddhism—the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana—Avalokiteshvara is a primary deity of the Mahayana path. Avalokiteshvara embodies compassion, and is often depicted with eleven heads and a thousand arms, hearing the cries of all sentient beings and responding out of infinite compassion. This head of Avalokiteshvara came from a statue carved out of pink sandstone, from the 11th-13th century in India. The large earrings with which all forms of Buddha are depicted represent patience, understanding, and renunciation. The serene face is crowned by an image of the primordial Buddha, Vajradhara, or Samantabhadra, whose head is surrounded by a bright aureole of enlightenment. Samantabhadra is flanked by two guardian animals, most likely lions, which are associated with the Buddha as symbols of royalty and power, as well as guardians of the Dharma or teachings.