Cambodian Buddhist Holy Figure: "Avalokitesvara"

Cambodian Buddhist Holy Figure: "Avalokitesvara"

Collection: Spiritual Connections

Object Category: Religious Items

Country: Cambodia
Continent: Asia
Geographic Region: Southeastern Asia
Materials: Cement
width: 10 in; height: 13 in; depth: 2.5 in

This is one of many faces carved into the sandstone walls of Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom in Cambodia.

Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, may be the most well known and beloved of the iconic bodhisattvas. Throughout all schools of Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara is venerated as the ideal of "karuna." Karuna is the activity of compassion in the world and the willingness to bear the pain of others. Avalokiteshvara resolved to postpone his own Buddhahood until he helped very sentient being on earch achieve liberation from suffering and the cycle of death and rebirth.

Buddhism is a religion in which people follow the teachings of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) who lived and taught about 2500 years ago. Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator god. Buddhists believe in the Four Noble Truths, including that life is suffering because we are attached to our desires, but that suffering and attachment can be ended by living according to the Noble Eight-fold Path (ex. right thinking, right working, right speaking). The holy book is called the Tripitaka. It contains the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhists believe in rebirth after death (reincarnation). Their goal is to become Enlightened, to achieve Nirvana, and break the cycle of birth and death.
Source:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Avalokiteshvara
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalokiteśvara