Avalokiteshvara — the bodhisattva of compassion with one thousand hands. Peaceful in appearance, his eleven faces rise in tiers of three, the tenth wrathful and the topmost that of the buddha Amitabha. The first pair of hands holds a precious jewel at the heart; others bear a dharma wheel, a crystal mala, a water flask, a bow and arrow, and a lotus, while the remaining hands open in the gesture of generosity, each palm bearing an eye. He stands on a lotus, his two legs together, within a green and orange nimbus. Surrounding him are Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava and a lama at the upper corners, Vajrakila and Akshobhya at the left, and White Jambhala riding a dragon, Green Tara and Shri Devi at the right. Avalokiteshvara is the patron deity of Tibet, embodying the compassion of all buddhas.
