One prominent Buddhist story tells of Avalokiteśvara vowing never to rest until he had freed all sentient beings from samsāra.

Despite strenuous effort, he realizes that many unhappy beings were yet to be saved.

After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, his head splits into as many as a thousand pieces.

Amitābha seeing his plight, gives him eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering placing an image of himself at the top.

Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them,

Avalokiteśvara tries to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that his two arms also shattered into pieces.

Once more, Amitābha comes to his aid and invests him with a thousand arms with which to aid all suffering beings.

The eleven heads symbolize the ten directions of space with Amitabha Buddha, the spiritual teacher at the top,

suggesting that Avalokiteśvara’s compassionate gaze is infinite in scope

throughout the entire universe and all physical space.

Specifically, the ten directions are the eight directions of the compass—north, south, east, west, northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest—plus up and down. 

Buddhist scriptures refer to the existence of Buddha lands in all directions throughout the universe, each with its own Buddha.

The expression "the Buddhas of the ten directions" in the sutras indicates these Buddhas.

The phrase ten directions often appears with the phrase three existences, meaning past, present, and future existences. "

The Buddhas of the ten directions and three existences" thus means all Buddhas throughout space and time.

Each of the thousand hands, which are arrayed like an aura around the standing figure of Avalokiteśvara, has an eye in the centre of the palm, suggesting that his beneficial activities are informed by transcendental wisdom.

Many of the hands bear implements, suggesting the skilful means that Avalokiteśvara employs in saving sentient beings from the sufferings of samsara.

Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: avalokita, “looking on”; ishivara,“lord”)

 Primarily in Mahayana Buddhism, the bodhisattva of infinite compassion and mercy, is possibly the most popular of all figures in Buddhist legend.

Avalokiteśvara supremely exemplifies the bodhisattva’s resolve to postpone his own buddhahood until he has helped every sentient being on earth achieve liberation from suffering and the process of death and rebirth.

His name has been variously interpreted as “the lord who looks in every direction” and “the lord of what we see”.

In Tibet he is known as Chenrezig (“With a Pitying Look”)

in Mongolia as Nidü-ber üjegči (“He Who Looks with the Eyes”).

The title invariably used for him in Cambodia and Thailand is Lokeshvara (“Lord of the World”)

and Lokanatha in Myanmar (Burma)

In China, Avalokiteśvarawhere is worshipped in female form as Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy (“Hearing the Cries”).

In Sri Lanka he is known as Natha-deva,

in Japan as Kannon,

Gwanseum in Korea

and Quan Am in Vietnam.

In Nepal Avalokiteśvara is known as Jana Baha Dyah, Karunamaya, Seto Machindranath and Padmapani (Holder of the Lotus).

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Avalokiteśvara was introduced into Tibet in the 7th century, where he quickly became the most-popular figure in the pantheon,

successively reincarnated in each Dalai Lama.
and is credited with introducing the mantra

om mani padme huṃ

Avalokiteśvara's first two hands are in front of the heart, palms together, holding a wish-fulfilling gem.

The Wish-Fulfilling Gem fulfills all of one's altruistic desires

(Skt. Chintamani, Tib. Norbu Rinpoche)

Its radiance illuminates the darkness of night

It cools when the days are hot and warms when the days are cold

It causes a spring of sweet water to appear when one is thirsty

It brings into existence everything that the turner of the wheel of dharma desires

It controls the nagas, preventing floods, hailstorms, and torrential rain from occuring

It emits light which heals all emotional afflictions and imperfections of nature

Its radiance cures all illnesses

It prevents untimely death ensuring that death occurs in a natural and auspicious sequence.

the third arm holds an undrawn bow and arrow symbolizing defeat of the four negative forces,