Existing comment:
The Mother and Father of All Buddhas
This sculpture represents Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. At his chest's center is the embodiment of wisdom, the goddess Prajnaparamita. Compassion and wisdom are necessary for buddhahood. The result of their union is represented by the many small buddhas that cover this sculpture.
In 1191, King Jayavarman VII of Cambodia distributed this and twenty-three similar images across his kingdom. He used Buddhist imagery to reinforce his political power by associating his father with Avalokiteshvara and his mother with Prajnaparamita, thereby suggesting that he himself was a buddha. |