What a bodhisattva is
A bodhisattva is, broadly, a being on the path to buddhahood, especially one who aims to help others reach liberation. The ideal is central to Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, and the term is also used in other traditions for the Buddha before his awakening. At temples in Tibet, China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, you will often see bodhisattva images beside or in front of the main Buddha figure. In Theravada countries they are less prominent, though Maitreya is recognised there too.
Bodhisattvas are usually shown differently from Buddhas. Where a Buddha is typically plain-robed, a bodhisattva is often adorned with jewels, a crown and flowing scarves, reflecting an association with the princely life of the world. Names and forms vary, and the list below is a starting point rather than a complete catalogue.
Avalokiteshvara: compassion
Avalokiteshvara is the bodhisattva of compassion and perhaps the most widely depicted. The name is Sanskrit, often rendered as “the one who looks down” in compassion. Across Asia the figure appears under different names:
- Chenrezig in Tibetan Buddhism, where he is regarded as linked to the Dalai Lamas by tradition.
- Guanyin in China, commonly depicted in a female form, and Kannon in Japan, where devotion is strong in temples such as those on the Saigoku Kannon route.
- Related forms are honoured in Korea and Vietnam.
Iconography includes a standing or seated figure holding a lotus, a form with a thousand arms and eleven heads (representing the capacity to help many beings), and a white-robed form in East Asia. The shift from a male-presenting figure in India to a female-presenting one in China took place over centuries, and scholars explain it in several ways. Visitors do not need to settle this; it is enough to know that the same compassion is being honoured.
Manjushri: wisdom
Manjushri is the bodhisattva of wisdom. He is commonly shown holding a sword, which is read as cutting through ignorance, and a scripture (the Prajnaparamita) resting on a lotus. In China he is associated with Mount Wutai, one of the sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism, where he is said by tradition to dwell. In Tibet he is often depicted in a youthful form, and he is important in Tibetan monastic education, where debate sharpens understanding.
Maitreya: the future Buddha
Maitreya is the bodhisattva expected, according to many traditions, to become the next Buddha in the distant future. He is often shown seated with both legs down, as if ready to rise, in Gandharan and Himalayan images, though crossed-leg and standing forms also exist. In East Asia, the cheerful, round-bellied figure often called the “laughing Buddha” is linked in tradition with a Chinese monk later associated with Maitreya; this is a separate tradition from the Indian form. Such differences are a good example of how a single figure adapts to a local culture.
Others you may meet
- Kshitigarbha (Jizo in Japan, Dizang in China) is a bodhisattva who vows to help those in difficult states of existence, and in Japan small stone Jizo statues often watch over paths, and are connected with the protection of children and travellers.
- Samantabhadra is associated with practice and vows and is frequently paired with Manjushri on either side of a Buddha figure.
- Tara is a female saviour figure widely venerated in Tibetan Buddhism, with green and white forms commonly mentioned.
- Vajrapani is shown as a powerful protector in Tibetan and Gandharan art.
Not every figure with a halo and a crown is a bodhisattva. Protective deities and Hindu-derived figures also appear, so signs and local explanation are useful.
How to recognise them
- Look for the crown, jewels and scarves, which separate most bodhisattvas from plainly robed Buddhas.
- Check what is held: a lotus, sword, book, vase or jewel gives a strong clue.
- Notice the number of arms and heads, which in Avalokiteshvara’s case relates to compassionate activity.
- Look at the position in the shrine, for instance a pair flanking a central Buddha.
Some temples place images by region or school, so the same figure may look quite different in Kyoto than in Lhasa. The mudra the hands make also matters, and the Buddha mudras article explains common gestures.
Visiting respectfully
Bodhisattva images are objects of daily devotion; in Japan, people may light incense or leave small offerings, and in China and Vietnam many families pray to Guanyin. Visitors can observe quietly, avoid touching statues, ask before photographing and follow local custom on shoes and dress. If you are curious about a figure, a polite question to a temple caretaker is usually welcomed. Practices differ by country and community, and no single way of venerating them is the correct one.