Bodhisattva

It is said Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) Bodhisattva is the personification of perfect compassion, a great being who aspires to help all sentient beings be free of suffering before entering the bliss of Buddhahood), in the beginning of his/her Bodhisattva career of helping sentient beings, vowed that "Should He ever become disheartened in saving sentient beings, may His body shatter into a thousand pieces." This might seem extreme, but it was symbolic of His overwhelming great Compassion and determination.



Origin

One day, while helping beings in a higher realm, He looked down into the hells which He had emptied through the teaching of the Dharma, and realised, to His dismay, that countless beings were still flooding into hells. In a moment of exasperation, He became
Despite this, He did not just give up, His consciousness beseeched the Buddhas for help. Amitabha was one of the Buddhas that came to aid him ,who became His Guru Buddha. With the Buddha's miraculous powers, He attained a new form ,one with a thousand helping hands of compassion coupled with the eyes of wisdom in each palm. With this, He renewed His vow to saving not just few sentient beings, but all sentient beings.

This might seem like a Buddhist fairy tale or myth but did it happen after all? All tales, fictitious or not, are skillful means to teach us the Dharma, as long as there are morals to them. It is a beautiful "legend" with powerful spiritual metaphors. When we decide to begin our Bodhisattva path of helping some beings, we are bound to be disheartened, due to our unperfected compassion and wisdom. This is the time when the need of a good inspiring teacher or spiritual friend might come in. With the teacher's guidance, our vows are thereby strengthened. In walking the