Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) dwells in the Western Paradise, and is the attendant placed on the left of Amitabha. The Bodhisattva on the right is Mahasthamaprapta, and the three together are known as the "Three Sages of the West". In order to alleviate the suffering of all living creatures they often intercede on earth in a variety of manifestations and rely on their basic attributes to confer their compassion and salvation. This seated image of Avalokitesvara is in a traditional Han Buddhist style. The main place where the teachings of the Bodhisattva Guanyin are propagated and she is worshipped is Mount Putuo (Potala) of the Zhoushan islands in Zhejiang province, which is considered to be the "Buddhist ocean paradise" and is famous both within China and abroad. Guan[shi]yin is particularly revered in Tibetan Buddhism and she is one of the Three Guardians (mgon-po) of the bya-rgyud (action tantra), who together control religious affairs in the Tibetan region and are regarded as the primary guardians of Buddhist wisdom for the Tibetan people in all Tibetan regions.