From an absolute point
of view, Chenrezig is without origin; he exists primordially. However, from
the relative point of view, there is a beginning of his manifestation in the
realm of phenomena ...
Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light who reigns in the Land of Bliss (Dewachen),
one day conceived that in order to help beings a deity in the form of a young
man should be manifested. His right eye then emitted a beam of white light that
took the form of Chenrezig. He saw the necessity of having a deity in the form
of a young woman and a beam of green light spread from his left eye giving birth
to Tara ....
When Chenrezig ... looked at beings with compassion, he saw that they were covered
with many karmic veils formed by the influence of desire, aversion, blindness,
jealousy, and pride. Thus their sufferings were immeasurable. He saw all of
that and a tear dropped from each of his eyes. Tara appeared from the tear that
dropped from his right eye and the goddess Lhamo Trulnyerchen appeared from
the tear that fell from his left eye. The two deities turned toward him and
said, "Do not be scared. We will help you with your mission to benefit
beings." Then suddenly they melted again into his eyes.
When he was in the presence of Amitabha, Chenrezig thought, "As long as
there is even one being who has not attained awakening, I will strive for the
benefit of all. And if I break this promise, may my head and body split into
a thousand pieces!"
Amitabha understood his thought and told him, "This promise is excellent.
Myself and all the buddhas of the three times, having taken such commitments,
attained awakening for the benefit of all. I will help you to accomplish that
which you have promised." Chenrezig's body then emitted six beams of light
that produced emanations whose destiny was to act for the benefit of all in
each of the six realms of being: humans, gods, demigods, animals, hungry ghosts,
and hell beings.
He thus worked for many kalpas [eons]. Then one day, he looked with the eye
of knowledge from the top of mount Meru [the center of the Universe] to see
if he had liberated many beings and if the number of beings in samsara [cyclic
existence] had diminished. Alas, he saw that they were still innumerable.
He was very sad. Being discouraged, he thought, "I do not have the capability
to help beings; it is better that I rest in nirvana [liberation from cyclic
existence]."
This thought contradicted his promise, and he burst into a thousand pieces and
felt intense suffering.
Amitabha, by the power of his grace, reconstructed the body of Chenrezig. He
gave him eleven faces and a thousand arms similar to the thousand spokes of
the universal monarch's wheel and a thousand eyes, symbolic of the thousand
buddhas of the present kalpa. Chenrezig could henceforth help the beings in
this form as well as with his other forms of two or four arms. Amitabha asked
Chenrezig to take his promise with still more vigor than before and then transmitted
to him the six syllable mantra: OM MANI PADME HUNG.
This is the story of Chenrezig's manifestation in the relative domain.