< Issue No. 12 (2017)Article
The Creation of Avalokiteśvara: Exploring His Origin in the Northern Āgamas
Zhang, Juyan, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Abstract
Through intertextual analyses between the northern Āgamas, Ava-lokiteśvara’s (A.) iconography-quality, and the early A.-related texts, this research argues that A. is a composite character representing the Buddha’s entire bodhisattva aspect. His iconography is based on Sumedha in the Dīpaṃkara Buddha story; his title is based on the narrative through which the Buddha recounted how he surveyed the world upon awakening. They are respectively the starting point and the ending point of the Bodhisattva Path. The research also demonstrates that the eleven-headed A. is based on the eleven benefits of and the eleven directions in practicing the brahmavihāras (divine abidings). The research proposes that A.’s identity first became dissociated with the Buddha-to-be likely due to the Amitābha cult.