News at 11:11:The 1000 hands of limitless compassion

From the Taipei Times on Nov. 11:

"Hearing impaired dancers of China's Disabled People's Arts Troupe practice the 'Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva' in Beijing yesterday. The troupe is preparing for performances at Beijing's Great Hall of the People at the beginning of next month to celebrate the International Day for Disabled Persons on December 3.

"In some kinds of Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who lives to help other people become better and better. In one very old Buddhist story, a bodhisattva was trying to reach all the people of the world, but the bodhisattva's two hands were not enough, so the bodhisattva was given 1,000 of them. This dance is a way of showing how beautiful that might be.

"The bodhisattva with 1,000 hands is worshipped in many countries. In some countries, the bodhisattva is shown as a woman, and in some countries as a man. The bodhisattva is called Chenrezig in Tibet, Avalokitesvara in India, Guan Yin in China, and Kannon in Japan."