Avalokiteshvara (ChenreZig སྤྱན་རིས་གཟིགས།)~Myth behind its Eleven Heads and Thousand Hands and Eyes

Many moons ago, it was known that thousand prince took a vow to become buddha. Whereupon one prince was destined to become the buddha as Gautama Siddhartha, Avalokiteshvara~སྤྱན་རིས་གཟིགས། He vowed not to attain enlightenment untill all the other thousand prince become buddha. In his infinite compassion, he vowed to liberate all the sentient beings from the mire suffering of the samsara. Before the buddhas of ten directions, he prayed "May I help all beings, and if I tire in this great work, may my body be shattered into thousand pieces." 

Initially, he was descended to the realm of hell and ascended gradually to the realm of god. From there he happened to look down and saw that countless being were descending down to hell despite his liberation of inumerable beings from hell. 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 like a soft blizzard of snowflakes.

With their great power the buddhas miracled him back to one gathered piece but with eleven heads and thousand arms. And, presence of eyes on each palm of each hand signifying the union of wisdom and skillful means. Which was indeed the mark of true compassion. With new form he was more resplendent and empowered than before to help all beings and his compassion grew even more intense. 

In his sorrow amid the pain of samsara, two tears fell from his eyes. Which was with the blessings of the buddhas, transformed into two Taras~ "She who liberates". One is Tara in her green form, who is the active force of compassion, and the other is Tara in her white form, who is compassion's motherly aspect. 

The mantra of compassion

OM MANI PADME HUM

Excerpt: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying ~Sogyal Rinpoche (Page~389-390)

Cheers! Pelden#Olox#Dorji