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Whether in the form of a wall painting, a statue, or some other religious artifact, an image of Buddha is meant to serve as an inspiration to Buddhists and as a way to honor and remember Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, as well as other Buddhas. But before you can honor a Buddha through his image, you have to recognize him—and there are many depictions in Buddhist art that resemble "The Enlightened One."
Images of Buddha didn't begin to appear until the 1st century A.D., about 500 years after his death, yet they all share common traits. The following interactive reveals enough of these traits to allow you to easily recognize an image of Buddha. It will also help you understand the meanings of the five most common hand gestures, or mudras, used in Buddhist art.
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Flash is a plug-in that allows for increased interactivity. If you can see
the animated boxes at left, the plugin is already installed. If you do not see
the boxes, you can install the Flash plugin.
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Sources
Chanda, Ramaprasad. The Hair and the Usnisa on the Head of the Buddha and the Jinars." Indian Historical Quarterly, 1934.09.
Kumar, Nitin. "Mudras of the Great Buddha." www.exoticindia.com.
Vessantara. Meeting the Buddhas: A Guide to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tantric Deities. Glasgow: Windhorse Publications, 1993.
Rick Groleau is managing editor of NOVA online.
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