In Buddhist legend, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara vowed to liberate all sentient beings from suffering but when he realized the magnitude of his task, his head exploded into countless pieces. His body was then reassembled by the Buddha Amitabha and the Bodhisattva Vajrapani (also known as the wielder of the thunderbolt) into this omniscient form of Avalokiteshvara, with eleven heads and a thousand arms. Each of Avalokiteshvara's hands displays an all-seeing eye, symbolizing the union of wisdom and skillful means. The first two hands hold a wish-fulfilling gem, a symbol of the deepest powers of the human psyche. The next five hold a lotus, a bow, a vase, a buddhist rosary (malas), and a wheel. The eighth hand (lower right) is in the varada mudra also known as the gesture of generosity and charity.
Avalokiteshvara's multiple tiers of heads are crowned by the fierce blue face of Vajrapani and the red face of Amitabha, symbols of uncompromising compassion and the boundless light of the awakened mind.
Avalokiteshvara's Mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum" is found inscribed on rocks, temples and prayer wheels throughout the Himalayas and southeast Asia.