peace, benevolence and dispelling of fear.It is performed with the help of right hand by raising to shoulder height with a bent arm and the face of the palm will be facing outward with fingers upright whereas the left hand hanging down while standing.This gesture is characteristic ofBuddha Sh...
and the world. As Buddhism spread, different cultures influenced the practices and expressions of Buddhist life. Each of these cultures used symbols to convey the core beliefs of Buddhist teachings, but their meanings can differ between sects of Buddhism. As we will see, many symbols represent...
In Japan, the nine levels are sometimes represented in Amida paintings and sculpture by nine different mudra (hand gestures). Upper GradeJōshō 上生 Upper, Upper BirthJōbon Jōshō 上品上生 Upper, Middle BirthChūbon Jōshō 中品上生 Upper, Lower BirthGebon Jōshō 下品上生 Middle...
Hand gestures, ormudra, play an important role in how Buddha sculpture is represented, says Farina, and certaingesturesare favored depending on region. In Laos and Thailand, charity is represented by the extension of the lowered, open right hand and fingers, while the hand touching the earth a...
symbols; cosmological symbols; natural and mythical animals, such as the dragon, garuda, and makara; the entire assembly of ritual tantric implements and weapons; magical and wrathful symbols; handheld emblems, attributes, and plants; esoteric Vajrayana offerings; and mudras, or ritual hand gestures...
Second, most Buddha statues are depicted with elongated ears (all-hearing), a bump atop the head (all-knowing), and a boss in the forehead (all-seeing). Third, Buddha statues are portrayed with characteristic hand gestures (mudra). There are exceptions, mind you. The Historical Buddha, ...
Real Chinese luxury can be much more subtle, simple and understated. In this biweekly series on luxury in China, we explore its varieties and meanings past and present. Around 1,900 years ago, Buddhism arrived in China, though it did not become widespread until the 4th century AD. At tha...
and Samye Monastery in central Tibet—active in the late 8th century. I consider the significance of specific similarities and their temporal correlations within a broader range of styles, materials, and technologies. I argue that the activity at these sites reveals a shared architectural agenda tra...
His hands are crossed in the embracing gesture, and hold a diamond scepter in the right hand, a bell in the left hand. The diamond scepter, or the vajra, is an masculine implement used by Vajrayana practitioners to symbolize powerful and compassionate metho... ...
In early China, the binomial phrase cheng ren has but three meanings: (1) an adjective + noun combination describing a “completed” (i.e., “adult”) person, whose ritual accession to adulthood is signified, in the case of males, by donning the ritual cap, and with females, by ...