Avalokiteshvara, also known as Chenrezig to Tibetans, is known as the Buddha (or Bodhisattva) of Infinite Compassion, on account of his alleged vow never to attain full enlightenment until every sentient being has been liberated from samsara, the supposed uncontrolled cycle of rebirth and suffering. This symphonic poem is inspired by a beautiful legend. The story is as follows; I quote this from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche (my own insertions or amendments are in square brackets).
Countless ages ago...a thousand princes vowed to become buddhas [fully enlightened beings]. One resolved to become the Buddha we know as Gautama Siddhartha [the historical Buddha]; Avalokiteshvara, however, vowed not to attain enlightenment until all the other thousand princes had themselves become buddhas. In his infinite compassion he vowed too to liberate all sentient beings from the different realms of samsara [the uncontrolled cycle of rebirth and suffering]. Before the buddhas of the ten directions he prayed: "May I help all beings, and if ever I tire in this great work, may my body be shattered into a thousand pieces".
First...he descended into the hell realms, ascending gradually through the world of hungry ghosts [tormented spirits], up to the realms of the gods. From there he happened to look down and saw, aghast, that though he had saved innumerable beings from hell, countless more were pouring in. This plunged him into the profoundest grief; for a moment he almost lost faith in that noble vow he had taken, and his body exploded into a thousand pieces. In his desperation he called out to all the buddhas for help, who came to his aid from all directions of the universe,... 'like a soft blizzard of snowflakes'.
With their great power the buddhas made him whole again, and from then on Avalokiteshvara had eleven heads and a thousand arms, and on each palm of each hand was an eye, signifying [the] union of wisdom and skilful means that is the mark of true compassion. In this form he was even more resplendent and empowered than before to help all beings, and his compassion grew even more intense as again and again he repeated his vow before the buddhas: "May I not attain final buddhahood before all sentient beings attain enlightenment".
Later note (January 2008) - For extremely important reasons I have since distanced myself from the teachings of Buddhism and indeed ALL teachings of ALL religions and ALL spiritual traditions, and I explain why in Exit Spirituality - Enter Clear-Mindedness on my Self Realization site. Although the above story certainly has a sort of beauty about it, it is highly problematical because it reinforces the notion that making a vow is somehow a good or virtuous thing to do. In the relevant section in The Guide to Complete Self Realization I explain how vows ALWAYS reflect astral ('dark') force involvement - yes, in all religions and spiritual traditions as well as in any other situations - and thus are something which we need even less than we need a hole in the head!
It is important to read the following notes in this light, in that they are incorrectly assuming that the picture was of something occurring which was truly wonderful and beyond ordinary human experience. As I re-read the notes at this time, after all the tremendous ordeals that the astral forces have taken me through over the last few years, I can see how the whole story underlying this work has come to us from the astral forces ('the dark side') as part of their huge plan to keep us lured away from simple and direct self realization.
Compassion, for example - much exalted in Tibetan Buddhism - is an outlook and feeling which is distorted with underlying painful emotion which is being manipulated by interfering astral entities. It is thus NOT a positive thing in that form. A truly enlightened and self realized person does not experience 'compassion' (which is a religious thing, linked to an underlying agenda of obligation and 'virtuousness', and is all astral-sourced) but empathy and loving, aware positive intent.
On the basis of the story about Avalokiteshvara, I'd say that he still had a lot of self realization work to do in order to achieve true clarity and freedom from 'dark' influences. So much for Tibetan Buddhism bringing us the pinnacle of enlightenment and self realization! In any case, as I explain in Astral Entities - Interference and Attacks from 'The Dark Side', all these supposed 'Great Buddhas and Bodhisattvas' beyond the physical 'here and now' are actually completely bogus, and are simulations given to people by the astral ('dark') forces just in the same way that angels, archangels, ascended masters, gods, goddesses and guides (and indeed God) are all likewise. It is through such means of impersonation and deception that the astral forces unremittingly seek to lure and divert people away from true self realization.
This symphonic poem doesn't attempt a detailed literal representation of the story, but rather portrays its essence. I have sought to treat the subject in a gentle manner tinged with a hint of humour throughout; this is more in keeping with the noble enlightened view than getting extremely involved with emotions as they arise and getting over-serious, and in any case it is in line with the beautiful quality of the legend.
Two main musical characters are portrayed -- that of Avalokiteshvara's compassion on the one hand (adorned with the sweet sound of the vibraphone) and eerie depictions of tormented beings on the other. From a gentle beginning the animation and intensity gradually build up, the crux of the work being a brief direct vision of the roaring flames of hell with the agonized cries of beings roasting in the midst of it; they are in such tremendous pain that they are unable even to find words. This scene is cut with an interlude that could reflect Avalokiteshvara's anguish and grief at seeing the hordes of new inhabitants of the hell realms.
The fortissimo sound of a large organ is required for just one brief phrase -- no romantic grandiosity here but a crushing monolithic blast of defeat and hopelessness for the tormented beings in hell. Avalokiteshvara rushes in again to the rescue, now sounding more resplendent and powerful, the music having a still more spacious and 'multiple' quality. There follows a mysterious and powerful incantatory section reflecting Avalokiteshvara's repeated vows to the buddhas, and the work's ending is once again in the peaceful light of his boundless compassion.
As in previous works, the two choirs are required to be well spaced out laterally and reasonably separate, for much use is made of antiphonal effects. In the hell fire scene a live choir would be directed to vary their vowel sounds to make their sung cries sound truly agonized, but unfortunately such effects cannot be achieved in my playbacks of the work. The split infinitive in the incantatory section may look bad to British readers, but it is absolutely necessary in order to enable the words to fit properly into the 6/8 rhythm there.
Words sung by choir (all original apart from the mantra)
(All these lines are subjected to many repeats in different voices and are sung in varying sequences.)
(Tormented beings)
Please help us!
We are lost, in torment!
(in hell)
Raging fires do burn!
We have nowhere to turn!
(the sung agonized cries during the tremolando furioso sections for the strings are wordless)
(Avalokiteshvara)
Om mani padme hum ...
Behold the dazzling light!
Leave torment behind!
Come with me and banish night!
The Light is love and knows no bounds;
Know now your buddha mind!
Quickly now, become the Light!
(incantatory section)
(-- men)
O may I not attain final buddhahood
Before all beings attain enlightenment!
I vow to you to never gain enlightenment
Until all beings are liberated.
(-- women, as though echoing)
Until he has liberated all of them...(Final section -- comment by the Enlightened Ones)
(first 3 entries -- upper voices)
Love shines like the sun;
Unending compassion
Shines on every being.
(last 3 entries, repeating -- lower voices)
In the light of love, all are one.