7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!!
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
A few days ago, a few students and I went to Viva Home for a shopping trip. I was browsing around a few Oriental shops and came across a few nice items… In one of the shops, they had this beautiful 1000-arm Avaloketishvara (also known as Kuan Yin or Chenrezig) statue. I fell in love with Him on sight!
Today, I asked Andrew to arrange for Avalokiteshvara to be invited back. I love Avalokiteshvara… I used to do tens of thousands of His mantras when I was around 11-12 years old in Turkey Swamp, back in New Jersey and at home. I used to visualize Him at the center of the lake arising with head looking down and slowly looking up at me blazing with the brilliance of the sun, sitting on a lotus calmly and I would hold this visualization as clear as I can while I recited His mantra. I would chant Om Mani Padme Hung and “call” out to Him, reciting His mantra furiously and pray to be in communion with Him. I prayed to acquire His qualities as Avalokiteshvara always prays to be born in the lowest hells and the most horrible situations to be of benefit to the denizens of those realms. He is willing to endure the most difficult situations in order to benefit others. This quality in Avalokiteshvara touched me deeply and brought me to tears many times. I was enamoured to Him till now because of this and prayed for the same thing.
The mantra “Om Mani Padme Hung” was the first mantra I ever learnt. My maternal grandmother, Queen Dechen, taught me how to recite Avalokiteshvara’s holy mantra… I still do His mantra as part of my daily sadhana daily without missing it ever. She told me it is very important to recite this always and not to forget the mantra. I am grateful to my grandma for teaching me.
Do take a look at the pictures below…THIS FORM OF AVALOKITESHVARA is made so beautiful..?? He arrived and we escorted Him to my residence and set up and had a mini puja/prayers with a small group that had come for a meeting with me.
I am so happy to have this holy and beautiful image of 1,000 armed Avalokiteshvara made in the Chinese Buddhist style.
Tsem Rinpoche
Inviting 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara
First stage: To remove all of the cling wrap around the 3 different parts of the statue.
Second stage: Cleaning…
Third Stage: More cleaning!
Bryan (left) is dusting the dust off the 1000-arm piece. Andrew (right) is vacuuming the base of the statue.
Moh Mei is here brushing the dust off the individual arm pieces.
Bryan and Jean Ai starts setting up the sensory offerings that will be offered up to Avalokiteshvara.
More cleaning and wiping.
Moh Mei (left), Ram (middle) and Bryan (right) moves the base of the statue into the Haven.
Placing the statue at a temporary location. Tun (right) is seen here cleaning the 1000-arm part of the statue.
Tun cleaning the individual hands… nice to see so much respectful care being given towards Avalokiteshvara.
Inviting Avalokiteshvara into the Haven.
The team assembling Avalokiteshvara onto His lotus base.
The sensory offering table being properly aligned in front of Him.
The 1000-arm piece being added on behind Him.
Lucas gets the honour to place the first arm onto Avalokiteshvara.
Jason gets to place the second arm. Andrew gave him the lowest position for him to reach easily hehe
Julien placing the third arm…
Little Jason placing a fourth arm… this time he picked his own spot. An ambitiously high spot…
Andrew looking at his photographs for reference. Better make sure the arms are in the right position!!!
Jean Ai and Bryan placing 2 trays of traditional Indian offerings.
Them making the finishing touches as I arrived back to the Haven after paying a surprise visit to Lam Rim class at Kechara House conducted by Pastor Susan…
Homage to Avalokiteshvara. Look at how beautiful He is!! I am just in awe and feel so lucky to have this holy image!!!
Avalokiteshvara and I.
The beautiful flowers are from Kechara Blooms who delivered flowers to us on such short notice as an offering. Thank you!!
Doing a puja to 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara.
Making prayers to 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara. Jason, Lucas and Julien (the three beautiful son’s of Phng Li Kim) sat next to me during prayers. May they be blessed…
Isn’t He beautiful?!?! So grand. So royal. So inspiring. So holy!
A beautiful group picture with Avalokiteshvara and a group of my students. We did a short puja together to commemorate the arrival of Avalokiteshvara.
My beautiful 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara, look how tall it is!
The side view of my new 7 ft 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara.
Beautiful details, looking at Him brings me much peace.
Full front view. I love the stand at the bottom of Avalokiteshvara’s holy feet as it is very unique.
More links for Avaloketishvara
Avaloketishvara, Turkey Swamp and Me.
1000-armed Kuan Yin-Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery
Visiting the Huge Kuan Yin in Pinang
Deaf, Blind and Mute transforms into 1,000 arm Chenrezig
The Buddhist Protectors of Chinese Zodiac
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If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article of the 7ft 1000-armed Avalokiteshvara. Rejoice to Rinpoche for inviting Avalokiteshvara to your ladrang. May the people who have helped with setting up the Avalokiteshvara statue be blessed. This statue is indeed very beautiful and very detailed.
With folded palms,
Vivian
Dear Rinpoche,
some years ago, i did find the Sutra “Great Compassion Dharani Sutra” of the 1000 armed “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva” the Sutra mentions a lot of great benefits for those how can recite the “Great Compassionate Heart Great Dharani”: Namo ratna-trayya …befor an Mandala-altar, but as a wester man grow up in a atheist-family, i don´t know how to practies or set up altars? can you dear Rinpoche reveal or ask someone to reveal how to erect the Mandala-altar mentioned in the Dharani Sutra for the benefit of your western Students?
thank you so much for all your work
Best Wishs
Amazing! Its so tall! Funny how Sean almost reaches the height of Avalokiteshvara haha. I really like the photo of Rinpoche and Li Kim’s three beautiful sons sitting next to Rinpoche, its really adorable and im so happy for them to receive the blessings from a living buddha side by side. It really looks like everyone had a fun time cleaning, preparing, offering and piecing together Avalokiteshvara. Cute jason trying to reach a higher spot for Avalokiteshvara’s arm haha.
I really enjoyed reading Rinpoche’s description of how Rinpoche would “visualize Him at the center of the lake arising with head looking down and slowly looking up at me blazing with the brilliance of the sun, sitting on a lotus calmly” it was so clear and precise I could imagine it myself. Every night i still do my prayers trying to visualise Vajrayogini as instructed by Rinpoche but my mind still isn’t strong enough to have a clear precise image or i feel i get distracted a lot, i’m still trying to maintain discipline with my visualizations.
Om mane pedme hum was too my first mantra taught to chant as often as I could from my Grandmother and Mother. We basically grew up with it and I can still remember my grandparents playing the mantra chanting on a radio every morning as they make their incense offering to Kuan Yin. I really enjoyed those memories.
Thank Rinpoche for sharing with us a short story of your experience in first meeting Avalokiteshvara, it brought me good memories and happiness and also i learnt a short story of Avalokiteshvara which I would forever remember. Im glad to see so many happy faces inviting Avalokiteshvara into the Haven. It looks like it brought even more peace and happiness into everyone’s lives than there already is.
I pray that Rinpoche is feeling well and happy.
Hello, wonderful statue, I bought one that is 5 feet tall and looks different in the face but the rest is very much the same, does anyone know where they were made and when?
Avaloketishvara is really beautiful and I love the sigh to Avaloketishvara the many arms reaching out for us and yet some ignore and yet some could not understand how a buddha can have so many arms. I love Chenrezig cos the mantra is easy and so effective. _/|\_.
One word-AWESOME!!! I don’t know why but the first time I saw a 1000 armed Avalokiteshvara was at the Manjushri Centre in Ullverston, in the Lake District, UK. I fell in love with Him. I said I want one in my home and I am still looking.
Rinpoche really has a knack in picking the most exquisite items and definitely Buddha statues! Rinpoche must have felt something really divine about this Kuan Yin and truly this is a 1000 arm Kuan Yin that is one of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen. She is just so incredibly regal yet gentle, her face just glows with love and compassion. The carvings is amazing but what is most amazing is that she looks so alive!
How fortunate we are to be able to invite her in to the Haven Ladrang and receive her divine blessings. Indeed she is a very special one.
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
Such finishing of the 1000arm Avalokiteshvara is so rare and indeed it is a sight to be behold of. The detailing of the statue is done up so well. 7ft makes it so tall and eye catching to everyone who sees the statue. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the pictures with us.
Dear Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and Team,
how beautiful the statue of Avalokiteshvara is! Please visit our web-site and you will see that we have also s statue like this. We love Avalokiteshvar very much!!! We would like to purchase another one. May we kindly ask you to tell us where? It would be a great joy for us.
With our very best wishes for all from the Buddha-Museum in Germany
Much Metta
Lydia Unger
Om Mani Padme Hum……
Kuan Yin Pusa (or Goddess of Mercy in Chinese) is the first Buddhist Bodisattva, whom I came to hear of, and got exposed to, when at a very young age. Later on, only after meeting up with Rinpoche, then only I came to learn that “Kuan Yin Pusa” is actually known as Chenrizig in Tibetan, and Avalokitesvara in India. At Penang in Keloksi Temple, the huge Kuan Yin statue stands powerful, popular and a compassionate bodhisattva to grant wishes to benefit all sentient beings! Om mani padme hung was the mantra I first learned from Rinpoche in the very early years! Thank you Rinpoche for sharing with us this holy and so beautiful image of 1,000 armed Avalokiteshavara made in Chinese Byddhist style.
To me this statue is really a HUGE one and 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara is very rare to see. Since I was a kid, I always heard my father tell me about 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara and he used to play the VCD of Great Compassion Mantra, and that was the time I saw 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara. And because of this, I feel that 1000-arm Avalokiteshvara is so ‘unreal’ because He only appears in TV. LOL.
I hope that I will be able to do my prayer and make offerings in front of Him one day. Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing. 🙂
Chenrezig compassion for all sentient beings is legendary, in one story after he has liberated all the hells, the next moment hell filled up again and Chenrezig became despondent and his head split into a thousand pieces. Then Amithabha Buddha put him back together in the form of 1000 armed Chenrezig, Chenrezig hears the wails of beings going through suffering.
Beautiful 1,000 arm Chenrezig to bless us all.
He is truly amazingly magnificently BEAUTIFUL! The iconography on the statue is so detailed. I remember when I was younger, I love to clean my altar and the ceramic Kuan Yin. I have always like Kuan Yin, no matter in what form He comes in. He is always so serene. How can one not feel the peace when looking at His beautiful face. May we be as compassionate as Him always. Thank you Rinpoche for the beautiful pictures and update.
Truly MAJESTIC, truly befitting the qualities and strength of Avalokiteshvara. I am in so love with this masterpiece.
Beautiful and regal, like a queen, and with such a look of compassion! The thousand arms outstretched and every ready to reach out to every single being who needs help, every sentient being from all six realms. Looking at you, Avalokiteshvara of a thousand arms, my heart expands with great love for you as I make a wish : may I quickly develop love and compassion without boundaries, like that you show to all beings.
I love the picture of ‘Avalokiteshvara and I”. May Avalokiteshvara bless Rinpoche with long life and may all that set their sights on this beautiful statue be blessed too.
It is wonderful and it is our honour to prepare the flower offering to this beautiful 1000-arm Avaloketishvara. Thank you Rinpoche. He is magnificent, stunning and super gorgeous 🙂
My mama taught me his mantra when i was very young, and it is one of the mantra i always recite until today. OM MANI PADME HUM 🙂
Thank you for the post and the beautiful pictures.
What a magnificent statue with fine craftsmanship! This Avalokeitishvara is so beautiful. So serene yet powerful! May all those who see Him be blessed by His compassionate energy.
Wah Wah Wah , The Avalokiteshvara is really beautiful !!
Om Mani Padme Hum .
WE’re really 幸福！ Because Rinpoche always share all the beautiful Statue and Buddha image together with us!
Thank you
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
[…] 7 FEET-1000-armed Avalokiteshvara arrived!! […]
Rinpoche is one with 1000 arms Cherenzig. His determination to save all from suffer and the effort he has put in. Cherenzig/Guan Yin is one of the Buddhas closer to the heart of many especially Asian and Chinese, may Rinpoche’s teachings spread to every corner of the world and close to all’s heart.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing these step-by-step pictures of invitation process. I enjoy reading them through.
I like especially the picture of Rinpoche taken with Avaloketishvara. Rinpoche looks very happy from the depth of your heart, it seems to me that with this statue, Rinpoche has fulfilled your wish of having Avaloketishvara close to you…kind of like fulfilling your childhood wishes.
This Avalokestishvara is beautiful. I wish Rinpoche happiness always.
Thank you Rinpoche. I am so fortunate to see a beautiful and compassionate 1000 armed Avalokiteshvara. We are blessed through the kindness from Rinpoche and Avalokiteshvara.
Thank you Rinpoche for this blog. We are very blessed to see this beautiful 1,000 armed Avalokiteshvara, particularly love the picture of you sitting in front of Avalokiteshvara. How blessed everyone involved with the set up. May they and all who pray to Avalokiteshvara aspire to have the same compassionate qualities. Om mani padme hum!
Sikkim has so many Rinpoches, but there is only puja and no preachings, I wish you could come over and spread your words of wisdom, and even encourage Sikkimies monks to give such “preachings” here in Sikkim. The “death meditation” video I saw in the youtube, gave me a CRYSTAL clear knowledge about one of the main principles of Buddhism… there still are so many unanswered questions… I know I will find the answers, might take some time. Great work your holiness. Thank you so very much. -Vivek Karmaa Subba, Sikkim
Wow, this is awesome… The statue looks so peaceful yet so powerful.
May Kechara and all Kecharians be the same: enjoying inner peace and tirelessly reaching out to all mankind with kindness!
lovely, nice…so wonderful!!!!may you all enjoy many,many,many 1000s of avalokiteshvaras blessings.
Very beautiful, Rinpoche! Thank you for sharing the photos from assembly to setup. The size of a 7 feet 1000-armed Avalokiteshvara is awesome. Just seeing this his form is a blessing, it brings peace and calms my mind. 🙂
It was indeed a privilege and honour to help invite Avalokiteshvara back. He is indeed truly a sight to behold! Everyone chipped in to help wherever to could from dusting, cleaning, wiping down, setting up the offerings, carrying, installing, etc….
How fortunate for us working in the Ladrang to be able to gaze upon The Buddha of supreme compassion’s image everyday.
Seeing this Kuan Yin give such peace energy… May all who see Him be blessed!
1000-Arm Avalokiteshvara and I have so much affinity. I was fortunate to be at the invitation party and facilitating the statue to arrive. She is so magnificient.
This Avalokiteshvara is breath taking! OMB!! And he’s 7 feet. How grand 🙂 Can’t take my eyes off the picture of Avalokiteshvara and Rinpoche. I see compassion come to life through Rinpoche and this “statue” comes to life because of Rinpoche.
Many Many Supplications to the Most Venerable Rinpoche,
Chag Chal Lo.
Your Eminence,This is the most fabulous statue of 1000 armed Avalokitesvara I have ever seen.The other one I saw was at Dharamsala,India, in the temple of His Holiness. But this statue appears to be so live and real.It seems the Diety may actually come out of this statue or the statue may communicate.
It would be really a great thing if the actual long Dharani of Chenrezig, as it existed in sanskrit and is preserved in the Tibetan tradition, is also published in this Blog. This is a long mantra of Chenrezig (different from the regular Dharani).The Chines version / Translation, is given in the Dharani Sutra(Published by the BTTS, propounded by Zen Master,Most Ven. Hsuan Hua).However I heard that long Mantra exists in the Tibetan tradition also.It is probably also known as Nilkantha Dharani.
Regards
Wow Rinpoche, this is very beautiful statue. I saw you mentioned in the blog that you were rushing to Viva Home, I was hoping you could find some goodie but I did not expect you found such a beautiful “goodie”. I like the statue a lot, it has very antique look.
What an incredibly elegant statue. I am so fortunate to be invited to Rinpoche’s residence last night to witness this meritorious event. I could not help visualizing this statue in a temple by the sea and everyday thousands of people who pass by on boats can have a glimpse of this holy image and be blessed by Him.
Magnificent! He’s so beautiful! What a sight to behold and have audience with this beautiful Chenrezig. So much blessing from the Buddha of Compassion.
This is the most Magnificent 1000 arm Chenresig statue I have seen! I love the intricacy of the hands and to the detail of the halo!
I remembered when Rinpoche went shopping for statues and saw a 1000 arm Chenresig similar to this one, Rinpoche told me that if Rinpoche had just one altar to himself, He would put this form of Chenresig as his main object of veneration and nothing else”
Rinpoche has really deep affinity with statues and beautiful rare ones. If u think about it, Rinpoche is like this 1000 arm Chenresig, through the organization and the Ladrang, he has 1000 arms reaching out to help the needy. Through the web, Rinpoche has 1000 eyes looking for sufferings, where ever it sprouts and addresses it.
_/|\_ to my Lama who is one with the Lord of the World