Buddha with many hands

[Betti]

I took this picture at Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi.



can somebody help me explain all the hands and the gadgets, if they have meanings? I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before in Thailand.

I do remember however the Chinese temples and the image of Kuan Yin, or Guanyin, who is the Goddess of mercy, with many arms.
this is what I have found about her:

"Guanyin and the Thousand Arms
One Buddhist legend presents Guan Yin as vowing to never rest until she had freed all sentient beings from samsara, reincarnation. Despite strenuous effort, she realized that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokitesvara attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to her aid and appointed her a thousand arms with which to aid the many. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara skillfully upholds the Dharma, each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific versions give varying accounts of this number."

I have also found photos of Buddhas with a thousand arms (scary!). but how did it get merged with Kuan Yin, or what has happened here?

thank you

[Richard Barrow]

Here is the picture I took at the Ancient City in Samut Prakan. It is labeled, "Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Kuan-Yin) Performing a Miracle".

To be precise, Kuan-Yin is known as the "preserver of Buddhism". She is holding up the Buddha at the top of the picture. Here she is performing a miracle.

[Anatta]

For Theravada Buddhism, Kuan-Yin and every Bodhisattvas isn't a Buddha kha. But we all believe like Mahayana Buddhism that Bodhisattvas will become to be the next Buddha in the future.