Buddha Statues 101 - All The Buddha Postures Explained!

During the 5th Century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama was born. In Sanskrit, Siddhartha means 'He Who Achieves His Goal.' Siddhartha was born into royalty and soon realised that living a conditioned life would not bring eternal happiness or protection from suffering. After coming face to face with grief, Siddhartha decided to leave his royal duties on the quest for enlightenment. He went secretly and over six years, practiced with meditation teachers, and finally chose to remain in meditation underneath the Bodhi Tree until he reached enlightenment after conquering much fear and temptation.

He became Buddha, The Awakened One, for centuries and was signified by Buddha statues. Buddha statues are more than a physical depiction of Buddha; they all have meaning. Each pose, posture, expression and hand gesture is significant to the life of Buddha. There are over 100 different poses that illustrate the life of Buddha, also called an asana or attitude, and hand gestures are referred to as a Mudra. You can see many Buddha statues in temples across the world, here are just a few of the most popular ones.

POPULAR BUDDHA POSES
TEACHING BUDDHA
Wisdom, understanding and fulfilling destiny are represented in the Teaching Buddha statue. The Buddha holds the right hand positioned at shoulder level with the tips of the thumb and index finger touching and forming a circle. The palm of the right-hand faces inwards and the left hand has its palm facing up to receive and may be positioned near the lap. The Teaching Buddha represented the life of Buddha after his enlightenment when he gave his first sermon. He gave this sermon to a small group of disciples, disciples who had previously belittled the antique laughing Buddha statue. The Teaching Buddha statue is perfect for studying or focusing on their spirituality.

LAUGHING BUDDHA
Have you wondered why the Laughing Buddha - also known as Happy Buddha, Prosperity Buddha, Ho Tai or the Fat Buddha - is fat? This might answer your question! The Laughing Buddha is not the Buddha at all. The laughing Buddha statue good luck is an admired Chinese Monk who was well known for his Buddhist sermons and extremely popular because of the bag full of gifts he brought for the children who learnt the Dharma. You could say he is like a Buddhist Santa Claus. The laughing Buddha big statue online is depicted in many ways, including with his arms up above his head reaching towards the sky, holding a sack over his shoulder, or simply sitting with his stomach out, waiting for a good old rub. The Laughing Buddha represents happiness, good luck and abundance.

PROTECTION BUDDHA
Protection Buddha sits with his right hand raised and facing outwards. This hand pose symbolises a shield. The carriage can also represent a second meaning of overcoming fear. Usually, the Protection Buddha sits or stands with the left hand either extended out or the palm in the lap. Protection Buddha means courage and offers protection from fear, delusion and anger.

MEDITATION BUDDHA
In this pose, Buddha has both hands face up in the lap with legs crossed in a Double Lotus pose or a Single Lotus pose. Buddha's eyes are generally half-closed or fully closed as the statue represents focused concentration. The figure's profile is also shaped similarly to a triangle to represent stability. This outdoor laughing Buddha statue is excellent for people looking to create peace and calm in their lives. It's also the perfect addition to a space in your home where you like to relax and unwind.