Avalokiteshvara; Kannon; Guanyin; Bodhisattva of Compassion
Buddhist term referring to the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. 観自在菩薩 is one of the Japanese names for this figure, also commonly known as 観音 (Kannon).
See also: 観音 (かんのん)
Avalokiteshvara expounds profound wisdom in the Heart Sutra.
The principal image of this temple is Avalokiteshvara.
観音 is the much more common Japanese name for the same bodhisattva. 観自在菩薩 is a more formal or scriptural designation, often seen in sutras.
From the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit name Avalokiteśvara. 観自在 (kanjizai) means 'perceiver of the world's sounds' or 'lord who looks down', and 菩薩 (bosatsu) means 'bodhisattva'.