Buddha Statues

How does your Buddha sit?

Buddha statues are symbols of Buddhism’s founder, Siddhartha Gautama, who said that to achieve Nirvana - a state without suffering - one has to eradicate all craving from their lives. Therefore it is necessary for a student of Buddhism to follow the eight fold path in order to attain this mind of state.

Buddha sacred statues come in a broad variety of poses - including the Japanese style, Tara style, Primitive era style. These statues are seen in blessing and seated positions, but the most common pose is the Buddha on a lotus flower. Many Buddha statues sit on a lotus blossom instead of a flat square, because the lotus symbolizes the Buddha’s spiritual beautiful mind

Along with the flower of the same name, the lotus position of meditation is thought to display the perfect balance of pure mind and tranquility. The hand position of this statue is called “mudra”, which has the fingers of Buddha’s right hand resting naturally on his left hand as they lay on the lap. His legs are crossed in the typical Lotus position, with the left foot placed over the right thigh and the right foot underneath the left thigh.

In meditation areas, Buddha statues that are represented as sitting on a lotus flower are ideal to help you focus on your breathing. However, for general home and garden decoration, you can choose Buddha statues in other positions. Another equally popular position Buddha with his right hand raised in the Abhayamudra pose – a gesture of dispelling fear. This pose is thought to bring peace and protection to whatever home it resides in.

The laughing Buddha is another commonly seen statue (often also referred to as happy Buddha by the Chinese). People believe by placing this statue in a bright, high traffic room in your home, it will bring all the inhabitants happiness.