Cave-dwelling Guanyin, one of the thirty-three manifestations of the bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokitesvara), looks over and protects all sentient beings. In India, the rock represents the origin of the universe and all the life it contains. Guanyin is seated on a rough crag, representing the hardship and challenges met on the long path to awakening; the lotus in her right hand represents the freedom from all defilement which is the defining feature of one who has completed the journey to enlightenment. Her benign and serene countenance, downward-gazing eyes, and concise halo convey her bright and effulgent heart and mind. The rough-hewn texture of the upper part of the base is based on the Gongbi realist technique in Chinese painting, in juxtaposition with the polished lower section. Seemingly meditating in the moonlight, this stout-figured Guanyin wears a crown of flowers and a jeweled necklace and has a pious countenance suggesting solemnity and tranquility. In the East, the lotus is the traditional symbol of perfect purity and supreme enlightenment.
