Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva in Tibetan Buddhism (Chenchezi Po Lama / Tibetan: འཇིག་ལྡན་སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་)

 

In Tibetan Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (abbreviated as "Guanyin" or "Chenchezi") is the most revered and closest to sentient beings among all bodhisattvas, regarded as the embodiment of great compassion, and the "protector of the nation and great compassionate saint" of the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama is considered an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (the 14th Dalai Lama is its 14th reincarnation).

 

1. Monthly Offering Days (Offering Days) Tibetan Buddhism uses the Tibetan calendar (lunar calendar) to calculate special days for Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. The most important ones are as follows:

 

| Tibetan Calendar Date | Approximate Gregorian Calendar Date | Importance and Customs |

 

|----------------|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------|

 

| 15th of the 4th month of the Tibetan calendar | Approximately May-June in the Gregorian calendar | The day of the birth, enlightenment, and nirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, also the "emergence day" of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (legend says it was the day Amitabha Buddha predicted Avalokiteshvara's Buddhahood), the most important day of "Saga Dawa" |

 

| 4th of the 6th month of the Tibetan calendar | Approximately July in the Gregorian calendar | Legend says it was the day Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva first turned the Wheel of Dharma (the first time he manifested his divine powers to liberate sentient beings) |

 

| 22nd of the 9th month of the Tibetan calendar | Approximately October-November in the Gregorian calendar | The "descent day" of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (the Bodhisattva incarnated as Padmasambhava entering Tibet) | The 8th, 10th, 15th, 25th, and 30th of each Tibetan month are fixed monthly dates. These days are considered the "Four Preliminary Practice Days" and "Wish-Fulfilling Days" of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, with the **15th (Full Moon Day)** being the most important. Many monasteries hold large-scale ceremonies for offering alms to monks, releasing animals, and reciting the Avalokiteshvara mantra (Om Mani Padme Hum).

 

Among these, the most widely observed and strictly adhered-to by Tibetans is the **Avalokiteshvara Fasting Day or Avalokiteshvara Offering Day on the 15th of each Tibetan month**. On this day, many people eat a completely vegetarian diet, observe the Eight Precepts, and recite the Six-Syllable Mantra extensively, as the merit is considered exceptionally great.

 

2. The Origin of the Story of Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan Version) The Tibetan Buddhist account of the origin of Avalokiteshvara primarily comes from the *Kalata Raja Sutra* (Tibetan: *Sacred Ganesha Sutra*) and several tantras:

 

- Long ago, there was a prince named Amitabha, who made forty-eight great vows (or one thousand great vows), promising never to attain Buddhahood until all sentient beings were liberated.

 

- Buddha Amitabha (Amitabha Buddha) named him "Avalokiteshvara" (observing the sounds of the world and relieving suffering), and prophesied that he would one day appear in the southeastern part of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss on Mount Potalaka (Mount Putuo) to liberate sentient beings.

 

- To liberate sentient beings of different capacities, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva manifests in thirty-three forms (including the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara, the Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara, the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteshvara, the Hayagriva, and the Cintamani-cakra Avalokiteshvara, etc.). The most famous is the "Eleven-Faced, Thousand-Armed, and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara," symbolizing his use of immeasurable wisdom and compassionate hands to save sentient beings in the six realms.

 

Tibetan Buddhism particularly emphasizes a moving story: Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva once vowed, "If I harbor even a single thought of anger towards sentient beings, may my head split into ten." One day, seeing the immeasurable number of beings in hell, unable to be saved, he felt a sudden weariness, and his head immediately split into ten pieces. Amitabha Buddha, through great supernatural powers, transformed his head into "eleven faces" (ten faces plus the principal face), and seeing that his hands were insufficient, he manifested a thousand hands (each hand bearing an eye), becoming the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara we see today. This story highlights the ultimate spirit of "great compassion that is difficult to practice yet achievable."

 

3. Influence on Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Culture Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva holds a position in Tibetan Buddhism almost equivalent to a "second Buddha," with a profound and far-reaching influence:

 

1. **Core of Faith**: The six-syllable mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" is considered the heart mantra of Avalokiteshvara. Almost everyone in Tibet spins prayer wheels, recites it, and holds rosaries. The mantra is carved on stones (mani piles), which are ubiquitous on the plateau and considered the soul of Tibetan culture.

 

2. **Politics and Reincarnation System**: Important Living Buddha systems such as the Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, and Karmapa are all considered different manifestations of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (the Dalai Lama is the main emanation of Avalokiteshvara, and the Panchen Lama is an emanation of Amitabha Buddha). Avalokiteshvara worship has become fundamental to Tibet's theocratic system.

 

3. **Art and Ritual**: The image of Avalokiteshvara is the most prevalent in Tibetan Thangkas, murals, and sculptures. Various Avalokiteshvara practices (such as the thirty-three emanations of Avalokiteshvara, Avalokiteshvara fasting, and Nyone (Avalokiteshvara fasting meditation)) are the most common practices in Tibet. 4. **Folk Beliefs:** When Tibetans encounter any hardship, their first utterance is often "Om Mani Padme Hum," regarding Avalokiteshvara as their primary reliance for "savior from suffering," even surpassing the popularity of Shakyamuni Buddha among the people.

 

Simply put: In Tibetan Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha is the "founder," Amitabha Buddha is the "lord of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss," and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is the "compassionate father closest to all beings in this world" (Tibetans call him "Thubten Chenpo"—the King of Great Compassion). He is not merely a bodhisattva, but also the spiritual pillar and cultural symbol of the entire Tibetan Plateau.