Discover Tibetan Buddhism


Buddha Statues

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



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