Please help me Id this statue

[Ayla]

I have this statue that I purchased. The employee said it was Avalokiteshvara, but then I made a video on setting up a buddhist altar and one commenter said it was Amitabah. Here is a picture of the statue:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41303866@N05/5277006867/

and a close up of the face:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41303866@N05/5277618164/

Please, forgive the camera phone photos and Help me id this statue!

[goat]

I forgive the phone pics but please do not put these items on the floor...show respect please.

[Ayla]

That was the only way to take the picture with enought detail. normally I NEVER remove them from the altar, but the room I have my altar in doesnot have enough light. So i had to go into another room. At first I had the statue standing up but when I looked at the picture you couldn't see anything. So regretably I had to put him on the floor. Afterwards I cleaned him and out him back on the altar.

[Zenji]

Even still, if you need to place a holy object on the ground, at least put a covering down (pillow, sheet, paper, ANYTHING) before placing it on the ground.

It's hard to tell because of the poor quality of the pic, but I think it looks like Aparmita to me.

[Ayla]

Thanks. next time if I need to take another picture, I will be sure to do that.

[Ayla]

I looked at the statue closer and pulled up some images with google and it is Aparmita. So, can anyone tells me about Aparmita and if  Aparmita and Green Tara will "go" together. My friend is Wiccan and she says that some deities get along with each other while others do not. Me, I personally think that the Buddhas are not envious of each other and they "will be friends" toward each other but I would like anothers opinion on this.

Are there any benefits of having an Aparmita statue? For example with Tsongkhapa if you have a statue it helps with depression, anger, wisom, compassion ect.

Should I sell Aparmita and get say Chenrizig or Tsongkhapa? Please help!

[SharpPudding]

  Ayla, shop clerks and wiccans aren't good sources of Buddhist information. That statue seems to be Aparmita Amitayus like Zenji said, not Avalokiteshvara, and your wiccan friend just doesn't know what they are talking about, they might be a good person, but they're misinformed, someone obviously lied to them, very horrible karma to lie about spiritual things like this.

 The statues themselves don't do much, you get the benefits when you know their qualities and develop your own good qualities around that. So for instance, with Amitayus, Amitayus has all the good qualities of a Buddha, complete unobstructed sight and compassion, he also has specific activities due to his strong vows to benefit beings, when you admire these good qualities and see them every day you'll want to develop them yourself, you'll learn to enjoy doing good things, and you will eventually want to learn his prayers and practices and really develop his qualities through mind training and developing merit by benefiting beings.

inserted zenji

[SharpPudding]

It's a very nice statue, I would keep it and learn about Amitayus. 

[goat]

 yes it is nice..thanks Zenji  for the info..also SNN thank you

[Ayla]

Thanks everyone for the information! One last question. Since i have no guru how do i go about learning about Amitayus. Can I say his mantra without initiation?

Thank you all for your time and patience as I learn.

[Joey]

Thanks everyone for the information! One last question. Since i have no guru how do i go about learning about Amitayus. Can I say his mantra without initiation?

Thank you all for your time and patience as I learn.

yes you can but dont learn it from your wiccan friends

Get your mantras here: http://tsemtulku.com/mantras/

[John]

http://tsemtulku.com/resources/buddhas/amitayus/

``Should I sell Aparmita and get say Chenrizig or Tsongkhapa?``

keep Amitayus and buy Chenrezig and Tsongkapa too 

[Joey]

http://tsemtulku.com/resources/buddhas/amitayus/

``Should I sell Aparmita and get say Chenrizig or Tsongkhapa?``

keep Amitayus and buy Chenrezig and Tsongkapa too 

+1

coz you can never have enuff Buddhas yo

[goat]

Word.

[Zenji]

Offer the statue to Rinpoche.