Seated bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and Bon Art, 1300–1900

 In Mahayana, or Great Vehicle Buddhism, the figure of the bodhisattva takes on unprecedented importance. In general, a bodhisattva is any person who has vowed to save all beings from samsara, the cycle of suffering, before entering the bliss of nirvana. Since bodhisattvas remain in samsara, they are often depicted in princely rather than monastic garb and can often be distinguished by their crowns.