| The statues and figurines of Buddha we see | | | | represents Buddha's passage into death or |
| all around us are the statues of Shakyamuni | | | | Nirvana, as the disciples, angles and gods |
| Siddhartha Gautama the "Buddha" who was born | | | | bade farewell to never returner Shakyamuni |
| in Kapilavastu, an ancient province of Nepal, | | | | Buddha. Medicine Buddha statue symbolizes the |
| as the son of king Suddhodana and Queen Maya | | | | belief that Buddha parted knowledge on |
| Devi. The Queen had few auspicious dreams | | | | medicine along with spiritual guidance. |
| before the lord entered her womb from the | | | | |
| Tushita heaven. | | | | The Mudras or postures of Hands of the |
| | | | Shakyamuni Buddha figures are either in |
| As Prince Siddhartha Gautama came to the age | | | | abhaya (Fearlessness), Dhyana (meditation), |
| 28 he renounced the kingdom and lived the | | | | Dharmachakra Parivartana (turning of the |
| life of a mendicant. He sought and attained | | | | wheel of Dharma or doctrine or religion) and |
| enlightenment in six years under a pipala | | | | Bhumisparsa (calling the earth goddess to |
| tree and became a Buddha, in Bodhgaya. After | | | | witness the touching of the earth by the |
| enlightenment he uttered this stanza: | | | | right hand) |
| | | | |
| "Through many births I have passed the | | | | Buddha statues are hand made and thus they |
| builder of the house of pain is gone and I am | | | | are artisan's labour of Love, or a loving |
| free from any more births" | | | | heart and moving hands giving them shapes in |
| | | | definite postures. The earliest |
| Shakyamuni Buddha preached dharma through out | | | | representations of Buddha were mounds erected |
| his life and the light of the world had gone | | | | on the relics of Buddha, also known as |
| out and lord passed away into Nirvana at an | | | | "Stupa". The external decorations on the |
| old age of over 80. | | | | stupas display the entire life of the Buddha |
| | | | from leaving home to enlightenment and to |
| Talking of Buddha statues & figurines, the | | | | Mahaparinirvana. |
| statues of Buddha are found in a wide variety | | | | |
| of poses, the most common of all the type is | | | | The largest and tallest Buddha statues were |
| the sitting Buddha statue in a lotus | | | | found in Afghanistan which were colossal in |
| position. The posture displays inner and | | | | size and have been much recently destroyed by |
| outer balance and tranquillity. In meditating | | | | the Taliban's. The Statues of Buddha in Nepal |
| Buddha statues the posture of the hand or the | | | | are generally made out of gold, granite, |
| mudra, have the fingers of the right hand | | | | bronze, copper, brass, resin, silver, |
| resting lightly on the left as they lay in | | | | ceramic, wood, etc. And, they are put on sale |
| the enlightened one's lap and legs are | | | | in a fine work of display in Thamel and |
| crossed in a Lotus position. Many Buddha | | | | Durbar Square in the ancient city of |
| statues sit on a pedestal in a lotus blossom | | | | Kathmandu in Nepal or sold in various online |
| which represents the enlightened being or | | | | Buddha Statues store like at wholesale or |
| emptiness. | | | | retail. The standing Buddha statues with |
| | | | flowering robes is also common. And Buddha |
| Another posture is the Abhaya mudra in which | | | | heads and hands are also found for sale. |
| the right hand is raised and is the gesture | | | | |
| of dispelling fear. Statues calling the earth | | | | All these meanings behind the Buddha statues |
| to bear witness are represented by postures | | | | bring forth the memories of the enlightened |
| where the right hand is touching the earth | | | | master who once walked upon this earth 2500 |
| below, which displays total faith. And, | | | | years ago. In other words they are |
| finally the reclining Buddha statue | | | | reminiscences of the "Grand Master". |