In Mahayana Buddhism, particularly in Japan, bodhisattvas are revered as compassionate beings who delay their own enlightenment to help others attain liberation. Kannon (Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit) is the most venerated bodhisattva, representing compassion and mercy. Many devotees believe he has the ability to perceive and respond to the suffering of all beings throughout time. 

Over centuries, Kannon's image evolved into various iconographic forms, each highlighting different aspects of divine compassion and the bodhisattva's ability to respond to the diverse needs of sentient beings. One of the most significant forms is the Eleven-Headed Kannon (Jūichimen Kannon). This Kannon’s eleven heads represent each dimension of compassion and other symbols from peace to wrath and joy to sorrow. 

In Buddhist art, bodhisattvas often flank central Buddha images as attendant deities as seen in the Chinese Buddhist Stele on view in the adjacent gallery. However, this Eleven-headed Kannon may have been the main focus of worship in its own right. Worshippers were drawn to the invitation to pray for guidance, comfort and compassion that the Kannon’s multiple heads symbolized. 

Sydney McDonald, Class of 2026, College of the Holy Cross