Thirty-three forms of Avalokiteśvara

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Thirty-three forms of Avalokiteśvara (C. sānshísān shēn 三十三身) are presented in the Guanyin jing chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

The thirty-three forms of Avalokiteśvara are:[1]

  1. a buddha 佛
  2. a pratyekabuddha 辟支佛
  3. a śrāvaka 聲聞
  4. Mahābrahman 梵王
  5. Indra 帝釋
  6. Īśvaradeva 自在天
  7. Mahêśvara 大自在天
  8. a heavenly general 天大將軍
  9. Vaiśravaṇa 毘沙門天
  10. a king 小王
  11. a rich man 長者
  12. a householder 居士
  13. a prime minister 宰官
  14. a brahman 婆羅門
  15. a bhikṣu 比丘
  16. a bhikṣuṇī 比丘尼
  17. an upāsaka 優婆塞
  18. an upāsikā 優婆夷
  19. a wife or daughter of#a rich man 長者婦女
  20. a wife or daughter of#a householder 居士婦女
  21. a wife or daughter of#a prime minister 宰官婦女
  22. a wife or daughter of#a brahman 婆羅門婦女
  23. a boy 童男
  24. a girl 童女
  25. a god 天
  26. a nāga 龍
  27. a yakṣa 夜叉
  28. a gandharva 乾闥婆
  29. an asura 阿修羅
  30. a garuḍa 迦樓羅
  31. a kiṃnara 緊那羅
  32. a mahoraga 摩睺羅迦
  33. a vajradhara 執金剛

Notes