Buddha Statues from Thailand, India, Nepal and Indonesia

It is fair to say that statues of the Buddha do have a particular meaning or significance, and those that purchase a statue are generally aware of the meaning. Often, the meaning of a statue can be derived by the Attitude (posture) of the statue, as well as the Mudra (hand positioning).

For example, a Meditation Buddha would have both hands resting in the lap, palms facing upward. The legs would be crossed over one another, in what is called the Double Lotus pose (sometimes the legs are covered, so it is hard to tell what position they are in). The eyes would be half open. This style of statue symbolizes inner peace, awareness and knowledge.

A similar appearing statue is the Medicine Buddha, in which the Buddha sits with legs crossed, and the left hand resting in the lap, holding a small bowl with a Myrobalan plant growing in it. The right hand of the Buddha is pointing outwards with the fingers pointing down. The hand gesture symbolizes the Buddha granting a boon / giving an offering.

The most common pose for Thai Buddha Statues is of Calling the Earth to Witness. This statue depicts the point in the Buddha's life where he was attempting to attain Enlightenment. Mara (often translated as the Devil), was trying to dissuade the Buddha from reaching enlightenment, and thus surrounded the meditating Buddha with demons disguised as beautiful maidens. The Buddha then touched the ground, Calling the Earth to Witness the Buddha's purity. The Earth Goddess, Wasunthara, then wrung out all the water from her hair, which flooded the demons away and allowed the Buddha to continue meditating until reaching Enlightenment.

In Thailand (and possibly in Cambodia, Burma and Laos), their is a different Buddha Statue for each day of the week. So for people born on a Monday, they would have a statue in one particular posture, while people born on a Tuesday would have a different Buddha Statue. Likewise, those people born on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, etc., would all have statues in different postures.

Having said that, almost every Buddhist in Thailand would have at least one statue in the posture of Calling the Earth to Witness, and at lest one of the Buddha in Meditation, no matter which day of the week they were born.

Where Should I Put My Buddha Statue?

While their are many books and articles written on where to place a Buddha Statue in the home for the best Feng Shui, we are not experts in that area, and can only provide you with a basic list of "Do's and Don'ts" for placing a Buddha statue in your home or garden.