Genders of Chenrezig


Chenrezig, the bodhisattva of compassion, appears in different genders in different cultures.

The dividing line is the himalayan mountain range.
West of and on the range, Chenrezig is portrayed as masculine.
East of the mountain range, Chenrezig is portrayed as feminine.

This site presents the deity as masculine.

Here is a link to a site that presents the deity as
feminine in the aspect of Kuan Yin.
and another that discusses both genders.
The deity is also sometimes represented as both feminine and masculine or even as androgynous.
This can be seen in some of the iconography from Northeast India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Although the gender varies from culture to culture
the qualities of the deity remain similar if not identical.



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This page last updated: 11 November, 1997 by Bev Thornton, aa200@fan.nb.ca