THE BODHISATTVA CHENREZIG is the embodiment of primordial compassion that unceasingly manifests to hold and alleviate suffering. This boundless compassion and altruistic intention are innate to each of us, but are veiled to us by our habitual ways of perceiving. Chenrezig shows us our true nature—our unveiled, genuine heart.
In India, Chenrezig is known as Avalokitesvara. Ava means “down,” lokita means “see” or “gaze,” and ishvara means “powerful being.” So, Avalokitesvara is the powerful one who gazes upon all beings with compassion.
An early Mahayana text, the , contains one of the first known references to Avalokitesvara. As Buddhism spread throughout Asia, he was embraced by different cultures, inspiring diverse names and forms. In Japan, China, and Vietnam, he appears as female, going by the names Kannon, Guanyin, and Quan Am respectively. His Tibetan name, Chenrezig, literally means
