avalokiteshvara, or ‘Chenrezig’ in Tibetan, is an enlightened being who is a manifestation of all Buddhas’ compassion. He is known as the ‘Buddha of Compassion’. He usually appears as white in colour with four arms. His first two hands are pressed together at his heart, symbolizing his respect for his Spiritual Guide, Buddha amitabha, who is on his crown. Even though avalokiteshvara is an enlightened being, he still shows respect to his Spiritual Guide. His first two hands hold a jewel, which symbolizes his own enlightenment. This mudra is indicating, ‘I attained jewel-like great enlightenment through receiving blessings from my Spiritual Guide amitabha.’
His second left hand holds a white lotus flower. a lotus grows in the mud at the bottom of a lake, but its flowers bloom on the surface of the water, completely free from the stains of mud. By holding a lotus flower avalokiteshvara is showing that, because he attained enlightenment, he is free from all obstacles and has a completely pure body, speech and mind. His second right hand holds a crystal mala, symbolizing that he can free all living beings from samsara and lead them to liberation.
If we rely sincerely upon avalokiteshvara and recite his mantra with strong faith, temporarily we will improve our realizations of the stages of the path, especially our realization 403
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of great compassion, and ultimately we will attain supreme Buddhahood in avalokiteshvara’s Pure Land, the Pure Land of Bliss.
This sadhana is very blessed. The main body of the sadhana was composed by a great Tibetan Yogi called Drubchen Tangtong Gyalpo, who came from Ngam Ring Monastery in eastern Tibet.
The prayer of seven limbs, offering the mandala, requesting the five great meanings, and the final dedication verse were later added from traditional sources.
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
1978
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Avalokiteshvara Sadhana
Going for refuge
I and all sentient beings, until we achieve enlightenment, Go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. (3x) Generating bodhichitta
Through the virtues I collect by giving and other perfections, May I become a Buddha for the benefit of all. (3x) Visualizing Arya Avalokiteshvara
I and all living beings as extensive as space Have at our crowns a white lotus and a moon seat.
Upon these, from HRIH, arises arya avalokiteshvara.
He has a white, translucent body that radiates five-coloured lights.
He has a smiling expression, and gazes upon us with eyes of compassion.
He has four hands, the first two pressed together at his heart, and the lower two holding a crystal mala and a white lotus flower.
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He is adorned with silks and jewelled ornaments and wears an upper garment of an antelope skin.
His crown is adorned with amitabha.
He sits with his legs crossed in the vajra posture, Supported from behind by a stainless moon.
He is the synthesis of all objects of refuge.
Prayer of seven limbs
With my body, speech and mind, humbly I prostrate, and make offerings both set out and imagined.
I confess my wrong deeds from all time, and rejoice in the virtues of all.
Please stay until samsara ceases,
and turn the Wheel of Dharma for us.
I dedicate all virtues to great enlightenment.
Offering the mandala
The ground sprinkled with perfume and spread with flowers,
The Great Mountain, four lands, sun and moon, Seen as a Buddha Land and offered thus, May all beings enjoy such Pure Lands.
Contemplating how all these pitiful migrators are my mothers,
Who out of kindness have cherished me again and again, I seek your blessings to generate a spontaneous compassion
Like that of a loving mother for her dearest child.
IDaM GURU RaTNa MaNDaLakaM NIRYaTaYaMI
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aVaLOkITESHVaRa SaDHaNa
Praise to Arya Avalokiteshvara
You whose white-coloured body is unstained by faults, Whose crown is adorned with a fully enlightened Buddha,
Who gaze upon migrators with eyes of compassion, To you arya avalokiteshvara I prostrate.
Requesting the five great meanings
O arya avalokiteshvara, Treasure of Compassion, and all your retinue, please listen to me.
Please quickly release me and all my mothers and fathers, The six classes of living being, from the ocean of samsara.
Please generate quickly in our mental continuum The vast and profound Dharma of the unsurpassed bodhichitta.
With your compassionate nectar please purify swiftly The karma and delusion we have accumulated since beginningless time.
and with your hands of compassion please swiftly lead me and all living beings to the Pure Land of Bliss.
O amitabha and avalokiteshvara,
Throughout all our lives please be our Spiritual Guide; and by perfectly revealing the unmistaken path Please lead us all swiftly to the state of Buddhahood.
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Mantra recitation
as a result of these single-pointed requests, Light rays radiate from arya avalokiteshvara’s body and purify all impure karmic appearances and mistaken awareness.
The environment becomes the Pure Land of Bliss, and the body, speech and mind of all the inhabitants Transform into the body, speech and mind of avalokiteshvara.
Everything that we know through seeing, hearing and thinking becomes inseparable from emptiness.
OM MaNI PÄME HUM
The meaning of this mantra is: with OM we are calling Avalokiteshvara, MANI means the precious jewel of enlightenment, PÄME means liberation and HUM means please bestow.
Together the meaning is: ‘O Avalokiteshvara, please bestow the precious jewel of enlightenment to liberate all living beings.’
Through the recitation of this mantra we train in the compassionate mind of bodhichitta.
The three recognitions
all the physical forms of myself and others are
[manifestations of] arya avalokiteshvara’s body, all sounds are [manifestations of] the six-letter mantra, and all mental activity arises from great exalted wisdom.