Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of the compassion of all beings – both the enlightened and those striving for enlightenment. Compassion is fundamental to developing bodhicitta, or the awakening mind, which is the foundation of the Mahayana vehicle, and so Avalokiteshvara is often regarded as the most important deity in the Mahayana pantheon. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is considered to be an earthly manifestation of Avalokiteshvara for Tibetans.
