BUDDHISTMUDRASHANDGESTURES

BUDDHISTMUDRASHANDGESTURES
Aug08,2015
Mudrasaresymbolicgestures,usedsymbolicallyinBuddhaimagesandinpracticetoevokeparticularideasorbuddhasinthemindduringBuddhistmeditation
orritual.ThegesturesperformedbythehandsofaBuddhaimage(mudras)havespecificmeaningsthatrefertosomeeventinthelifeoftheBuddhaordenote
aspecialcharacteristic.TherearesixmainhandgesturesoftheBuddhainThailand(andAsia).
1.ABHAYMUDRA:AbhayaistranslatedfromSanskritasfearlessness.TheAbhayamudraismadewiththeopenpalmoftherighthandextendingoutwardsat
thechestlevelorslightlyhigher.

2.DHYANMUDRA:ItThismudrasignifies

meditation,concentrationoftheGoodLawandthesagha.Thetwohandsareplacedonthelap,righthandonleftwithfingersfullystretched(fourfingers
restingoneachotherandthethumbsfacingupwardstowardsoneanotherdiagonally),palmsfacingupwardsinthismanner,thehandsandfingersformthe
shapeofatriangle,whichissymbolicofthespiritualfireortheTriratna(thethreejewels).ThismudraisusedinrepresentationsofthekyamuniBuddhaand
AmitbhaBuddha.SometimestheDhynamudrisusedincertainrepresentationsofBhaiajyaguruastheMedicineBuddha,withamedicinebowlplacedon
thehands.
3.BHUMISPARSA:CallingtheEarthToWitnesstheTruth
ItisoneofthemostcommoniconicimagesofBuddhism.ItdepictstheBuddhasittinginmeditationwithhislefthand,palmupright,inhislap,andhisrighthand
touchingtheearth.ItrepresentstheBuddhaaskingPrithvi,thedevioftheearth,thatshewitnessedhisenlightenment.Thisgesturesymbolizesenlightenment,
aswellassteadfastness(imperturbability).

4.VARADACompassion,Sincerity&WishGranting:This

expressestheenergyofcompassion,liberationandanofferingofacceptance.Thehandisextendeddownward,palmout.MostlyonstandingBuddhaimages,
butsometimesalsorepresentedinthesittingposition.InIndia,varadamudraisusedinimagesofAvalokitevarafromtheGuptaEmpire(4thand5th
centuries).VaradamudrisextensivelyusedinthestatuesofSoutheastAsia.
5.KaranaMudr:Karanamudraexpressesaverypowerfulenergywithwhichnegativeenergyisexpelled.Thishandgestureisalsocalledwardingofftheevil.

Itexpelsdemonsandremovesobstaclessuchassicknessornegativethoughts.Itismadebyraisingtheindexandthelittlefinger,andfoldingtheotherfingers.
Itisnearlythesameasthegestureknownascornainmanywesterncountries,thedifferenceisthatintheKaranamudrathethumbdoesnotholddownthe
middleandringfinger.

6.VAJRAMUDRA

ConfidenceinSelfVajramudraisformedbybyenclosingtheerectforefingerofthelefthandintherightfistwiththetipoftherightforefingertouching(orcurled
around)thetipoftheleftforefinger.Thisisalsoknownasthesixelementsmudra,thefistofwisdommudraorbyitsJapanesenameofChiKenin.Itsymbolizes
theunityofthefiveworldlyelements(earth,water,fire,air,andmetal)withspiritualconsciousness.ItischaracteristicgestureofDainichiNyorai(Vairochana),
animportantBuddhatoadherentsofEsotericBuddhism(Shingon),particularlyinhisformasMahavaircana,theGreatResplendentOne,asthewhiteLordof
manyoftheearlyyogatantramandalas.Althoughrare,sometimesthepositionsoftheleftandrighthandsarereversed.AnalternativeformofVairocanas
bodhyangimudraismadebyenclosingtheraisedthumboftheleftfistinthefourclenchedfingersoftherightfist.HerethethumbsymbolizesVairocanaatthe
centerofthemandala,andthefourembracingfingersoftherighthandrepresentthefourdirectionalBuddhasthatsurroundhim.
TheVajramudratransformsignoranceintowisdom.ThemudrastressestheimportanceofKnowledgeinthespiritualworldandisalsoknownastheMudraof

SupremeWisdom.AnotherinterpretationclaimsthattheerectforefingerrepresentsKnowledge,whichishiddenbytheworldofappearances(therightfist).In
Tibet,thismudrarepresentstheperfectunionbetweenthedeityandhisfemininepower.
7.VITARKATeachingTransmission:The

Vitarkamudra("mudraofdiscussion")isthegestureofdiscussion,intellectualargumentandtransmissionofBuddhistteaching.Whiletherighthandisheldat
chestlevelandpalmoutward,vitarkamudraisdonebytouchingthetipsofthethumbandtheindextogetherformingacircle,andkeepingtheotherfingers
pointingup.Sometimesthelefthandisheldwithfingerspointingdownward,athiplevel,alsowithpalmoutwardandwiththethumbandindexfingerforminga
circle.ThecircleformedbythethumbandindexfingeristhesignoftheWheelofLaw.ThismudraismainlyusedforimagesoftheGreatBuddhas,and
symbolizesoneofthephasesofthepreachingoftheBuddha,thatofdiscussionorteachingofthedharma.Thecircleformedbythethumbandtheindex,a
completeform,havingneitherbeginningnorend,isthatofperfectionitresemblestheLawoftheBuddha,whichisperfectandeternal.
ThismudrahasagreatnumberofvariantsinMahayanaBuddhisminEastAsia.InTibetitisthemysticgestureofTarasandBodhisattvaswithsomedifferences
bythedeitiesinYabyum.ThismudraisalsoauniversalsignoutsideofitsBuddhistcontext,especiallyaswitnessedbyitsfrequentappearanceinChristian
iconography.
8.DHARMACHAKRAWheelofDharma(Cosmic

Order):Dharmachakramudraexpressesthecontinuousenergy(symbolizedbyawheel/chakra)ofthecosmicorder.Thehandsareplacedattheheartlevel
withthethumbsandindexfingersformingcircles(similartoVitarkamudra).Therightpalmfacesoutwardsandtheleftonefacestowardstheheart.Thismudra
isassociatedwithBuddha'sfirstsermon,orteaching.Itisoftenreferredtoastherepresentationofteachingaboutthecosmicorderascomingfrom(or
through)theheartcenter.
9.UTTARABODHI:TheUttarabodhimudraisagesturethatidentifieswithasupremeenlightenmentandsymbolizesperfection.
Inthispositionallfingersareintertwined.Theindexfingersareextendedandtouchoneanother,pointingtowardthesky.Remainingfingersarecrossedand
foldeddown.Thumbsarecrossandfoldedorheldnexttoeachother.Claspedhandsareheldovertheheadoratthelevelofthechest.

10.AnjaliMudra:Anjalimudraisperformedbypressingthepalmsofthehandstogether.Thefingersaretogetherwithfingertipspointingup.Thehandsare

pressedtogetherfirmlyandevenly.
Inthemostcommonformofanjalimudra,thehandsareheldattheheartchakrawiththumbsrestinglightlyagainstthesternum.Thegesturemayalsobe
performedatthebrowchakrawiththumbtipsrestingagainstthe"thirdeye"oratthecrownchakra(abovethehead).Insomeyogapostures,thehandsare
placedinanjalimudrapositiontoonesideofthebodyorbehindtheback.
Anjalimudraisnormallyaccompaniedbyaslightbowingofthehead.
Westernersassociatethisgesturewithprayer,butinBuddhismtheanjalimudrarepresents"suchness"(tathata)thetruenatureofallthings,beyond
distinction.
Thetermanjaliliterallymeanstwohandfuls,andisderivedfromthecuppedhandsbeingpressededgetoedge.