Avalokiteshvara of Chaiya

The artefact was discovered in 1905 by Damrong Rajanubhab at Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya^[4] (or Wat Wiang, according to some sources^[1][5]) in Chaiya District, Surat Thani Province. According to a letter written by Narisara Nuwattiwong, the torso was founded near an outer wall to the northeast.^[6] A historian Manit Valliphodom (มานิต วัลลิโภดม) suspected unidentified boxes drawn in the temple's map, near the Phra Sila Daeng Sam Ong vihāra, from the aforementioned letter to be the discovery location.^[3] Buddhadasa wrote that once Damrong Rajanubhab noticed the torso from his seat on the elephant, he "leaped and rushed for the statue before the elephant even stopped for him" and "took the statue up by himself". Once he presented it to King Chulalongkorn in Bangkok, the King "looked [at the torso] excitedly" and "said excitedly [to Damrong]; 'What, what, Damrong.'"^[3]

The torso was since located in the Grand Palace, Bangkok until King Prajadhipok gave it to the Bangkok National Museum.^[3]

The Fine Arts Department hypothesised that the torso was the statue mentioned in Wat Sema Mueang inscription (the 23rd inscription)^[3] which was dated to 775 CE. The inscription describes the greatness of Srivijaya King Dharma Seta. One section of it cited that the king had built three prasats to enshrine and revere three Buddhist figures; one for the Gautama Buddha himself, and two for two Bodhisattavas: Vajrapānī (the one who holds a vajra), and Padmapānī (the one who holds a lotus).^[7] The torso was possibly of the latter Bodhisattva, Padmapānī; also known as Avalokiteshvara and was widely revered in Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna sects of Buddhism prevalence in the area at the time.^[2]

An influential Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa is highly associated with this Avalokiteshvara torso. It is also the main symbol of his temple-park complex Suan Mokkh.^[8]

In 1943, Indapañño (ordaining name of Buddhadasa) was called in to meet Damrong Rajanubhab at Varadis Palace in Bangkok to discuss about archeological findings in Chaiya. Damrong presented the Avalokiteshvara torso to him for the first time. Indapañño looked at the torso "with bemusement" as he "had never seen such beautiful [Buddharupa] like this." The beauty of the torso turned his "chit calm", as the face of the torso was "overwhelmed with compassion (mettā)."^[4] Indapañño once wrote:

The face of this Avalokiteshvara pratimā shows the paññā, mettā, and khanti. It is such an amazing piece. It could be seen as a figure with purified mind, or with the top paññā, or with overwhelming compassion (mettā), or with excellent patience. The artist who created this pratimā was such an excellent [artist]. In order to execute such work, the artist must had been a very good-minded and very calm person who also knew a lot about dharma and was very proficient in sculpting.

— Buddhadasa, on Suan Mokkh (1998)^[9]

It is often regarded that Indapañño's interest in archaeology and history of southern Thailand could be attributed to his initial impression with this torso.^[4] So much so that he was later appointed as the chief of the National Museum for Surat Thani Province.^[10]

He ordered a monk Phra Kovid Khemānanda (พระโกวิท เขมานันทะ) to create a replica of the Avalokiteshvara torso to be placed in his Suan Mokkh^[10] He has the statue "...[to be] placed in an easily-noticed location [so that] whenever you have dukkha or krodha; looking at the Avalokiteshvara will help your mind to clear up." "Being used as such, looking at the face to make you pleasant," he added.^[9]