Originally depicted as male, modern-day Kannon often appears as a female in China, Japan, and other East Asian countries. Each nation dressed Kannon differently, reflecting their own temperaments and spiritual concepts. Additionally, Kannon can take on thirty-three different forms, including one with a thousand arms and a horse-headed form, in which she protects pets in the afterlife. In the Lotus Sutra (a sacred text of Buddhism), Kannon can take the form of any god or bodhisattva in India. In Japanese art, Kannon sometimes is shown holding a magic jewel, a Nyoi Hoju, on which she makes wishes for the world. At times, she has a multi-armed form, holding many symbols of Buddhism, including weapons, and is depicted with as many as eleven heads, drawing on the imagery of naga (mythical serpent beings). The praise-worthy Kannon Bodhisattva possesses a compassionate nature, extraordinary abilities, and unique characteristics, which all help her in that her an important symbol of Japanese Buddhism (“Kannon”).