Avalokiteshvara made a vow to relieve suffering and help others reach enlightenment. He worked for eons, but found that he hadn't helped others at all. In his despair and with a deep desire to complete his vow, his arms shattered into 1000 arms, giving him the ability to help many more people. Each palm has an eye in it so that he can see everywhere, into every corner of humankind’s homes and hearts, and find out where he is needed - and that is where he gets his name, which means “one who looks down”.

His head shattered into 11 heads, each one versed in a different form of compassion and ability. They represent the fact that he has mastered all ten stages of a bodhisattva, each phase dominated by a particular attitude. Three of the faces are loving, three are peaceful, and four are fierce. Just like the idea of “tough love”, sometimes help isn’t delivered with a sweet smile, and sometimes it knows that its gifts are only received through fierce action.