Seated Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva 千手千眼观世音菩萨
Material: Sandal Wood
Origin: China
Height: 49 cm
Code: MS-002
"Avalokita" is a sanskrit word that broadly means "looking on", while "Ishivara" means "Lord". Avalokitesvara can therefore be broadly translated to mean the "Lord who looks in every direction". Quite similar to this meaning is the Chinese name for Avalokitesvara, "Guan Yin" 观音 or "Guan Shi Yin" 观世音 literally means looking out and hearing the cries of samsaric beings. Truly, the hallmark of Avalokitesvara is great compassion or mahakaruna.
Avalokitesvara is represented in many forms, sometimes with two arms, four arms, eighteen arms and even a thousand arms. It was said that once, when Avalokitesvara felt disheartened that his utmost efforts did not seem to be able to help all sentient beings liberate from the the sufferings of samsara, his head split into many parts. Buddha Amitabha, the beholder of the lotus family of Buddhas, patched up the fragments and re-assembled into eleven heads, a thousand arms and a thousand eyes, an act to empower Avalokitesvara with even more resources as he resumes his bodhisattva act. The eleven heads signify the eleven virtues, while the thousand arms and eyes signify varying skillful means to help sentient beings recognise the truths.
This wooden statue depicts Guan Yin with a five-buddha headdress and the head of Buddha Amitabha at the centre. He has thousand arms with the central two hands clapped and each of the other hands holding different tools and weapons. The statue is supported with a nicely crafted fiery halo and seated on a full-lotus and elaborate stand.