Sho-Kannon

Sho-Kannon, or the "Sacred/Basic Kannon," is regarded as the fundamental, unadorned form of Kannon (Avalokiteshvara), the bodhisattva of compassion, from which the many other manifestations of Kannon are said to derive. Typically depicted as a simple standing figure, often holding a lotus bud, this form represents compassion in its most essential state, prior to the elaborations seen in forms like the Thousand-Armed or Eleven-Headed Kannon. While devotion to Kannon in various forms has historically been associated with hopes for worldly benefits such as protection and fortune, such connections reflect popular belief and practice rather than a defined doctrinal attribute of the Sho-Kannon form itself.