Avalokiteśvara (whose name literally means ‘lord who gazes down’) is a bodhisattva who is venerated within several Buddhist traditions. A bodhisattva is somebody who is on the path to enlightenment, but has not yet reached it. According to some definitions, bodhisattvas are qualified to enter nirvana, but have chosen not to, because of their desire to remain on earth and help others on their own journeys to overcome suffering and attain enlightenment. In Early Buddhism, the term was used to refer to the Buddha in the period of his life before he reached nirvana. Avalokiteśvara is the embodiment of compassion, choosing to dedicate his existence to help all sentient beings. He is often represented with eleven heads (this manifestation is known as ‘Ekādasámukha’, and is one of the earliest iconographic versions of Avalokiteśvara). There are multiple explanations for the symbolism of this; some say that the eleven heads represent the ten stages of the bodhisattva path plus Buddhahood itself, and others claim that they represent the eleven kinds of ignorance that the bodhisattva helps sentient beings to be freed from. A mythical explanation for how he came to have so many heads is given in a story about his interactions with Amitabha Buddha (the primary Buddha of Pure Land Buddhism, a branch of the Mahayana tradition), of whom Avalokiteśvara is the principal attendant. According to this tale, Avalokiteśvara decided to work continuously in order to free all sentient beings from samsāra, the endless cycle of death and rebirth. However, he became overwhelmed by trying to understand the needs of so many entities, and so Amitabha granted him eleven heads so that he would be able to hear the cries of the world more easily. Hearing so many pleas for assistance, he tried to help everybody, but his two arms were not enough and they broke. Amitabha decided to help him again and gave him a thousand arms.

This artwork shows Avalokiteśvara with the eleven heads and countless arms mentioned in this story, reminding those who view it that he is dedicated to helping everybody to escape suffering and has been granted special adaptations to achieve this. The first nine heads are arranged in three layers of three, with one coming out of each side of the central head, and two individual heads are stacked on top of this. The lower nine are all nearly identical, showing a peaceful expression with a gentle smile and almost-closed eyes. The second head from the top has an angry expression. This may be meant to demonstrate that even a being who has gone so far on their spiritual journey experiences some anger, which they have to learn to convert into compassion. The uppermost head has the characteristics of a Buddha, with elongated earlobes and an ushnisha covered in tight spirals of curly hair. Two of his arms are in front of him, with his hands clasped around an object. Five of the other six arms are holding objects, which seem to include a flower and possibly a bow. On his right side, his lowest hand is extended downwards with the palm facing out and the thumb resting on the palm, in a gesture known as the Varada mudra. A ‘mudra’ is a gesture or body position with a symbolic meaning and connection to an event in the life of the Buddha. This mudra signifies welcome, giving, compassion, and sincerity, and is often used in images of Avalokiteśvara. He is richly adorned, as is common in depictions of Bodhisattvas; his clothing is elaborate, with delicate curling details at the bottom of his drapery and decorated borders around the edges. He wears large earrings, and several layers of necklaces, and each of his heads (aside from the Buddha head at the top) is wearing a crown. On his left shoulder there is a representation of a deer. He is standing on a double lotus platform, which itself is on a pedestal decorated with lions. Three layers of hands fan out behind his eight primary arms, forming the centre of the highly decorated backdrop behind him. This majestic representation of Avalokiteśvara is a comfort to those who see it, reminding them that they have the opportunity to achieve enlightenment and that there are individuals who have the desire and the ability to help remove their sufferings.