The Bodhisattva of mercy and compassion, Avalokiteśvara (He Who Hears the Cries of the World).

One of the most popular and beloved deities of the Buddhist pantheon, revered as the embodiment of Great Compassion (mahākaruṇa).

The famous legend tells of how, at the moment that he was crossing over from all pain and suffering, he perceived the crying and wailing of sentient beings still in existence. Hearing their cries, and moved by their plight, he turned back from final nirvana, without hesitation; instead, vowing to remain in the world, to offer comfort, and lead all beings to liberation, for "as long as space endures". Never to enter nirvana, nor to attain sublime Buddhahood, until all others had first attained it, and samsara been emptied forever.

"Nobly-born one! Hear this - if an innumerable, uncountable, unfathomable myriad of sentient beings,
Greater in number than can be known,
All experience suffering, distress, misery,
And they wholeheartedly
Call on the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, if only for one instant,
He will immediately perceive their pleas,
And they will all be delivered from their suffering."
-Lotus Sutra

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While the most popular depictions of Avalokiteśvara in contemporary times are those of him (or her) in his 'Thousand-Arm Form', or various other multi-armed forms, I was really drawn to the elegance and simplicity of the iconographical representation of the Bodhisattva in 'Water-Moon Form', an iconographical variant that was most popular during the Song dynasty period. When depicted in 'Water-Moon Form', he is shown seated in royal repose (rajalilasana), atop a rock, dressed in the manner of Indian royalty, as he stares ahead, implied to be overlooking the sea (representative of samsaric existence).

Avalokiteśvara is known by many other names: Guanyin or Guanshiyin in Chinese, Chenrezig in Tibetan, Kwanseum in Korean, and Kannon or Kanzeon in Japanese.