Buddha Collection

Siddhartha (meaning he who achieves his goal) Gotama was born in what is present day Nepal somewhere in the 6^th Century BCE. As a very wealthy prince, he never needed to leave the palace walls and was thus unaware of any suffering in the outside world. When he was about 29, he decided to ride out of the palace and was deeply disturbed by the sickness, death, and poverty that he found all around him. Siddhartha then decided to leave all of his worldly possessions behind and take up the life of a monk, giving up all earthly comforts and engaging in constant self-deprivation and abuse. Still, Siddhartha was not happy. Since he was not happy living a life of rich excess nor happy living a life of deprivation, he determined that the “middle ground”, rejecting the extremes of over-indulgence and self-neglect, was the best way to live. After a period of meditation under a tree, Siddhartha became truly enlightened and was thereafter given the name Buddha, meaning “enlightened one.” He spent many years teaching others the way to enlightenment until his death at the age of 80 (legend has it that he ate either a rotten piece of pork or a poisonous mushroom).

Originally, it was forbidden to make images of Buddha’s physical form, so the earliest Buddhist images did not feature Buddha himself. Instead, Buddha was represented by a symbol, many times a footprint, or an empty chair. Eventually, sometime in the 2^nd Century CE, sculptors began making images of the Buddha in human form.

Some of these sculptures, however, are not Buddhas at all. As Buddhism began to spread outward from India into China, Japan, and points between and beyond, local gods and goddesses began to be included in the Buddhist pantheons. This syncretism (a blending of religious beliefs) produced images known as bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are on the path to enlightenment, but have chosen to stay in the earthly realm (ultimate enlightenment brings about nirvana, or transfer to another realm of existence) to assist humanity with its journey. Bodhisattvas tend to have some of the characteristics of humanity’s desire for temporal pleasures such as elaborate jewelry and adornment or evidence of over-indulgence in food and drink like the large-bellied sculptures based on the Chinese god Budai, the god of contentment and happiness. Bodhisattvas may also be guardians of the Buddha and his followers.

Buddha images must be made according to strict specifications, as some sects of Buddhism believe that the actual images are imbued with certain supernatural powers. The Buddha must always be sitting, standing, walking, or reclining. No other pose is acceptable. In addition, each Buddha sculpture has a mudra, or hand gesture, designed to refer to a special event in his life or denote a special characteristic.

Both Hands Raised Palm Outward
Calming the Ocean

Like the gesture of Calling the Earth to Witness, this is a gesture of peace and tranquility. According to legend, the Buddha encountered an angry elephant, but his raised hand in the gesture of peace calmed the animal. This gesture is designed to calm a turbulent ocean.

Both Hands in Lap
Meditation

This mudra signifies the time the Buddha spent in meditation prior to his enlightenment.

Left Hand in Lap Face Up & Right Hand Over Right Knee
Calling the Earth to Witness

While Siddhartha was meditating under the tree, he had many obstacles presented to him by the evil demon Mara. Mara tried to break Siddartha’s meditation by bringing monsters, demons, and even his seductive daughters. Still, Siddartha continued to meditate in his quest for enlightenment. To show Mara how serious he was about his meditation and to get rid of the disturbances, Siddartha points to the earth with his hand and summons the Earth Goddess. The Earth Goddess then rises from the ground, wrings the water from her long hair, and drowns Mara and his cohorts to allow Siddhartha to meditate in peace. This mudra symbolizes enlightenment and steadfastness and is the most common mudra in Thai Buddhist sculpture.

Reclining Buddha
Entering Nirvana

This mudra symbolizes the end of the Buddha’s life and his passage into Nirvana.

Right hand up and facing outward & Left Hand hanging down normally
Forbidding the Relatives from Fighting

This gesture shows peace and non-violence. The open palm holds no weapon and is thus non-threatening.

Hands Crossed over Chest
Reflection

The Buddha is contemplating how to explain the causes of human suffering to others.

Hands in Prayer
Offering and Veneration

Shows the Buddha in offering and prayer.

Hand in Circle with Thumb and Forefinger Touching or Almost Touching
Teaching

This symbolizes the Buddha’s teaching his followers. This mudra converts people and leads them to enlightenment.

Hand Lowered with Palm Facing Outward
Charity

This mudra is the gesture of bestowing blessings or giving charity.