Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have denied Nirvana or has not entered the paradise to help all the other sentient being attain enlightenment. There are many different Bodhisattvas, but the most famous is Avalokitesvara, the god of compassion, and Manjushree the god of wisdom. Bodhisattvas are usually depicted as less austere or inward than the Buddha. Renouncing their own salvation and immediate entrance into nirvana, they devote all their power and energy to saving suffering beings in this world. As the deity of compassion, Bodhisattvas are typically represented with precious jewelry, elegant garments and graceful postures.
