Amitabha Buddha is the Guru of both Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani (the 1000th Buddha of this age) and beings of this world has strong affinity with Amitabha Buddha.
By most definition, Amitabha Buddha is synonymous with Mahayana Buddhism, more so than the historical Buddha Shakyamuni.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, he manifested as many beings. The most famous ones are the Panchen Lama, Padmasambhava and Dharmapala Setrap. Also his disciple, Avalokitesvara is perhaps the most practiced Buddha in Buddhism and has many manifestations, among them are 21 Taras, Mahakalas, Dzambhalas, and the Dalai Lama.
