Avalokiteshvara

Fascilitator of The Way - Thangka

Official name:

Avalokiteśvara Facilitator of the Way Thangka

Setting:

The setting of the scene is in the spiritual realm around planet Earth. This realm of awareness is not accessible to human because we don't have sufficient sensory tools to know it. Our spiritual chakras (top three chakras), can however sense limited aspects of this realm and that awareness will increase as our souls mature. Spiritual beings in this realm experience Earth a a whole - on the ground, under the sea, in the deep forest floor, deep in the mountains and the skies of this star system, all are as one to these beings and nothing is hidden from them. Their awareness of the plight of sentient beings (beings who are able to perceive and feel things) is not limited to one or another particular dimension of life on Earth.

The scene hosts the Lord as the central figure. To the Lord's right (our left) is his beloved disciple Bodhisattva Tara in her White (yang) form, and to the Lord's left she appears in her Green (yin) form.

Two other types of spiritual workers in service of the Lord (on our behalf) appear. To the Lord's right appear the Apsara and to the Lord's left the Dakini. These two worker types specialize in different aspects of helping humans.

Mantras:

Three core mantras appear in this beautiful devotional guide. Center bottom is the Lord's mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. Below White Tara, appears her mantra, Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Mama Ayuḥ Punya Jñānā Puṣtiṃ Kuru Svāhā. Below Green Tara her mantra Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā.

Other elements

1) The Lord sits in the water-moon pose, which is characteristic of the Saviour, our Lord. The pose is a symbol of Heaven, where we are destined. The Lord's abode, our Heaven, is such a place where one can say the qualities ascribed to water and moon by ancient teaching are dominant in that Heaven. 

2) The Lord has a front tightening belt, an unusual thing among His peers (other Buddha and Bodhisattva art). It is said to symbolize the "foreign" origin of his human birth.

3) The style of the lotus seat of the Lord, and its colour, is normative. The dusty-rose lotus is universally reserved for Avalokitesvara.

4) The Lord's body is white, again a universally reserved skin colour for the Lord.

Behind the Lord is the disc of The Way-shower, a uniquely Wayist symbol. This mandala combines the symbols of YinYang to symbolize the two energies (the Way) which flow from the Almighty One. Through these two energies all are created and upheld, organized and managed. The universes have light (yang) energy and matter as we know it, as well as dark (yin) energy and matter as we have yet to learn about. The Way-shower mandala also carry symbols of Sirius, the Lord's and the Father's spiritual heaven where Wayists are destined to go. Then, there is the Lord's particular double dorje, with lotus ends, also a universal symbol for Wayist spirituality. The Way-shower or Margadarzaka mandala is framed as if in a lotus flower, placing the Lord in the lotus, viz. the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum

5) White Tara holds her characteristic blue lotus in full bloom while, as usual, Green Tara being a yin symbol holds a lotus half closed as it would be in her yin domain (dark, night, evening, deep forest, emotive, etc).

Main Message and Teaching

The sacrificial fruit brought to this altar for blessing and to be enthused by the spiritual helpers in this setting, is placed in the water or even under the water. Sentient beings under the water, above the water and in the skies all benefit from the Lord showing us the Way. When we follow and venerate the Saviour of humankind, we learn from him (even if only by example) about compassion, humility and simplicity. Humankind is the most destructive force on the planet. As we learn to be more like the Lord, the planet and all her billions of species of wondrous beings get to be a little closer to be saved from our terrible effect on their lives. For every Wayist who inches toward enlightenment, the positive effects of that runs through society like ripples through a pond.

The Lord does not work all alone. There is a veritable army of angels and other spiritual beings whom the Lord gathered and commandeer to help Him in the quest to be of assistance to any person in need of spiritual guidance and solace in soul.