Buddha Poses, Postures and Mudras

Buddha Poses, Postures and Mudras

A lot of people ask "What does this Buddha statue mean?" What they are really asking is, "What does the posture of this Buddha statue mean?", since the pose of the statue has a particular reference to an event in the life of the Buddha. .
Also referred to as an Attitude, there are over 100 poses illustrating the life of the Buddha. And each posture will have a specific hand gesture (called a Mudra) associated with the posture. An example would be with both hands folded face-up, resting in the lap. This is the attitude of meditation. Meditation is significant in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha because the Buddha meditated under the Tree Of Wisdom (Bodhi Tree) to attain enlightenment.

In Thai statues, it is often common to see these statues with the legs in the "Single Lotus Pose," meaning that one leg rests on top of the other leg. There is also a "Double Lotus Pose" where the heel of the bottom leg is then pulled up so that it is "locked" into the top leg. You will find similarities between some of the different statue postures and many similar named yoga poses.
There are many other common poses as well, with the most common pose you will find in Thai temples is with the legs crossed, the left hand in the lap, and the right hand pointing to the ground with the palm facing inward toward the Buddha. This posture is known as Calling The Earth to Witness, and it relates to the moment of enlightenment for the Buddha.
It is the story of how the Buddha meditated all night to overcome the fears and temptations sent by the demon Mara to defeat the Buddha. Instead, the Buddha called the Earth Goddess to witness that the Buddha achieved enlightenment in order to share with the rest of the world. Witnessing that, the Earth Goddess wrung her hair, releasing flood waters that swept away the Demon Mara and all the temptresses he had released.

In general, the Buddha is depicted as sitting with the legs crossed. This makes a "triangle" shape to the image; the knees making the two bottom points of the triangle shape, while the tip of the head makes the top point of the triangle. The significance is that a triangle shape is more "grounded" or has a more solid foundation.

But there are a few postures that are not seated, namely the Maitreya Buddha, where the "Buddha of the Future" sits in a chair Western style. Also, there is a story of how a monkey and an elephant visited to make offerings to the Buddha, and in those images he is depicted sitting in a chair as well.

Common Mudras and Related Attitudes:

Right Hand Raised - Protection from evil, warding off fear. This is typically in a standing pose, but you can see a seated pose with right hand raised.
Right Hand Pointing Down Facing Outward - This is the posture of bestowing a blessing on mankind. If there is a bowl filled with a plant resting in the left hand of the Buddha, then it is a statue of the Medicine Buddha. This particular statue is from Tibetan Buddhism, as they believe that the knowledge of medicine was a gift from the Buddha to mankind.
Right Hand Making a Circle - This is the Mudra for perfection, or the argument of perfection, by the Buddha.

Thai Buddha Poses For The Day Of The Week :

In Thailand each day of the week is associated with a particular Buddha pose, and "your" pose is determined by which day of the week you were born. (The Thai zodiac puts as much importance on the day of the week - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. - as on the actual date or month). So everyone born on a Monday would have one special posture, while everyone born on a Thursday would have a different posture, etc. Thus, everyone in Thailand knows which day of the week they were born.

If you have ever been to a Thai temple, then you might see an area where there are 8 (not seven) small Buddha statues set aside, often with small bowls next to them where you can make merit by putting money into those bowls. The money is then used to help maintain the temple. You make merit by donating in the bowl of the statue that represents the day on which you were born. Why 8 instead of 7 when there are only 7 days in a week? You'll see in a moment.

Sunday: The Buddha stands with arms crossed over the stomach, right hand over the left, with the back of the hands facing outward. The eyes are open and this is a pose of mental insight.

Monday: The right hand is raised in the pose of Preventing Calamities or Preventing Relatives from Fighting.

Tuesday:The Buddha in a reclining pose (made famous by Wat Pho in Thailand). The Buddha lies on His right side, with right hand tucked up under the head, and the left hand lying along the left side of the body.

Wednesday BEFORE Noon: Thai people split Wednesday into two different poses - those who are born before noon on Wednesday are represented by the Buddha in the pose of collecting alms, where both hands carry and alms bowl in front of the chest.

Wednesday AFTER Noon: The Buddha sitting with a Monkey and an Elephant, which are giving offerings to the Buddha. This is a rather unusual pose that many westerners may not have ever seen before.

Thursday: The Buddha In Meditation, one of the most well known poses of the Buddha. The Buddha sits in the lotus pose with the hands resting in the lap, both palms facing upwards.

Friday: The Buddha standing in contemplation, with both arms crossing the chest, and the right hand on top of the left, with the backs of the hands facing outward.

Saturday: The Buddha Seated under a Naga (Seven Headed Serpent), again in Meditation. This pose depicts the meditation Buddha being protected from falling rain by the spread out hood of the Naga.