Home › Magazine › Spring 1996 › Avalokiteshvara In Tibet

Avalokiteshvara In Tibet

Robert A. F. Thurman

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According to an old Tibetan tradition, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara has a special relation with the people of Tibet. A bodhisattva is a warrior or hero of enlightenment, a being who is on the path to buddhahood. But in a sense, Avalokiteshvara is even more than a buddha. After attaining buddhahood, he voluntarily returned to the way of a bodhisattva in order to lead all beings to buddhahood. Thus Avalokiteshvara is considered the manifestation of the selfless, unconditional compassion of the buddhas.

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