Buddha statues

[mountaingal]

saw a couple of famous buddha statues while i was in thailand this past january. the emerald buddha, which is in a huge temple, but the statue itself is quite small.



also the reclining buddha, which is like a city block long and quite massive.

[mountaingal]

Re: Buddha statues

so, am just going to post pictures of these "idols", as my cousin in thailand calls them. there's great variety in buddha statues, reflecting the various cultures that embraced that religion/philosophy.

[mountaingal]

Laughing Buddha

The laughing buddha appears to be unique to China. it apparently is really an image of an eccentric monk but with some buddha characteristics (e.g. the<span style="font-weight: bold"> extended earlobes</span>, symbolizing buddha's royal birth - princes wore heavy earings).







Bald, smiling, stout, with pot belly that you rub for luck. Patron of the weak, poor and children. Symbol of prosperity and contentment. Usually depicted holding a begging bowl (as a Buddhist symbol) or a bag of gold or other goodies such as rice plants and candy. Can usually be found in restaurants. For feng shui, should be placed near front door as considered to have a multiplying effect on positive energies coming into the home.

[mountaingal]

Fasting Buddha

when the buddha first went on his path of enlightenment, he chose fasting as his route. at one point, he was eating one rice grain a day. he realized that instead of enlightenment, he was actually headed for death, and adjusted his plan. that realization was seen as the moment he became enlightened.

<span style="font-style: italic">not too sure about some of these stories enuh, hope smaddy come correct me if i'm wrong. i'm just interested in the artistry and symbolism of the statues. </span>

Fasting buddha images are not terribly popular because they are so stark and unpretty. There's a region of Pakistan that's famous for creating them in a realistic style reflecting the Greek influence of Alexander the Great.

[mountaingal]

Seated Buddha

sitting, the pose of meditation, is the most commonly depicted position for buddha statues. the statue can be seated &quot;half lotus&quot;, one leg on top of the other, or &quot;full lotus|, with the legs fully intertwined.

the key is to look at the hands - the gestures have different meanings.

this buddha statue from Laos is seated half-lotus.
the left hand is on the lap, palm up, denoting <span style="font-weight: bold">meditation</span>.
the right hand, over the knee is pointing down, the fingers touching the ground just under the knee. this is &quot;<span style="font-weight: bold">calling the earth</span>&quot; and refers to a story where buddha overcame temptation with the help of the earth mother. this gesture symbolizes overcoming hindrances. it is a popular gesture in thailand statues.

[mountaingal]

Re: Seated Buddha

this buddha is in full lotus. his hands are palm up on his lap in meditation pose - in this case, they meet at the thumbs, which are considered a path for meditative energy.



another version of the meeting of the thumbs,, this time the fingers folded back



after a while, artists started depicting the buddha sitting &quot;european style.&quot; in this case, the buddha's right hand shows the index and thumb meeting to form a circle, the wheel of the law, also symbolizing perfection. known also as a <span style="font-weight: bold">teaching </span>gesture.

[mountaingal]

Standing Buddha

Standing buddhas usually are in positions where their gestures signify the bestowing of blessings.

this unusual statue in Malaysia shows a standing buddha with his right hand, palm outward, bent at the wrist, all fingers pointing up. this gesture is called &quot;fearlessness&quot; or &quot;reassurance&quot;. on his left hand the index and pinkie are extended to look like horns, this is a gesture to banish demons. it's also become popular with metalheads.



this standing buddha in Afghanistan was the tallest in the world, but the taliban blew it up few years ago.

[mountaingal]

Reclining Buddha

there are two types of reclining buddhas: those that show him <span style="font-weight: bold">resting </span>(he's supporting his head on his own hand), and those that show him <span style="font-weight: bold">attaining nirvana</span> (his head is down, on a pillow, usually, and his hand is not supporting it, meaning that he has died).

reclining buddha statues are usually very large, because they relate to a myth where he was approached by a giant seeking his advice, and he assumed the reclining position so he would appear larger to the giant.

resting, in shanghai


resting and teaching (see hand position with joined thumb and index). this is supposed to be depiction of his last sermon


passed on to nirvana

[Gen]

Re: Reclining Buddha

Hi MGee

I am currently looking for a Buddha head for my living room.

Nice pictures

[mountaingal]

Re: Reclining Buddha

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi MGee

I am currently looking for a Buddha head for my living room.

Nice pictures </div></div>

hey gen. glad u enjoyed the pix. i do plan to post some pix of buddha heads a little later, maybe u'll see something u like.

[Gen]

Re: Reclining Buddha

Dwl It's taking a while because I have a specific height etc in mind plus I want to be able to buy in person and mi nuh really have much time fi a walk bout all over di place right yah now.

[rudemonk]

Re: Reclining Buddha

nicely done mgee.

many of the hand symbols have some universal meanings- they are called mudras and are pretty fascinating subject.

[mountaingal]

Re: Reclining Buddha

thanks, monk yes, i read up on mudras, they're fascinating in their variety and meaning.

[mountaingal]

the question of Buddha's hair

my cousin who lives in Thailand keeps a short fro. when she's going out, she washes it then puts in lotion (i think she got the tip from essence magazine), and leaves it. her curls form little tight curls, and she says many Thai people remark on how her hair looks like the Buddha's. my cousin takes a certain pleasure in that, though she doesn't believe in buddhism.

buddha's hair has been depicted in many ways, mostly in ways that nuff have chosen to interpret as nappy hair, meaning that the buddha was likely african or of african heritage.

[mountaingal]

Re: the question of Buddha's hair

this particular double curl style is said to be representations of snails. there's a story that one time while the buddha was meditating in sun hot, some snails gathered on his head to prevent him getting sunstroke, so these depictions of the budhha's &quot;hair&quot; is homage to the snails.


the other story, i think somewhat older, is that the buddha, when he decided to give up his royal life, cut his hair very short, with the resulting short curls.