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Buddhist Mudras (Hand Gestures of Buddha)

The serene smile of the Buddha is his most distinguishing feature. Along with this, the viewer’s attention cannot help but be drawn towards the Buddha’s graceful hands, displayed in a variety of gestures. What do they mean?

Each of these gestures is called a “mudra”. In Sanskrit, the word “mudra” (literally, “seal” or “mark of identity”) is a form of non-verbal communication that refers to symbolic gestures imbued with varied spiritual meanings. Common to both Hindu and Buddhist iconography, mudras are typically expressed with the hands and fingers and sometimes with the whole body.

In Buddhist iconography, mudras invoke specific aspects of Sakyamuni or other Buddhas (for example, as teacher, protector). They are extensively used during prayer rituals and mantra recitations. It is believed that mudras enable the practitioner to experience a connection with the Buddha being invoked.

The significance of hands

In the Buddhist Tantric tradition, the right hand represents skilful, focused method of action and the active male principle. The left hand symbolizes wisdom, emptiness and the contemplative female principle. Thus, we find many images of the Buddha where his right hand is portrayed in gestures actively signifying teaching, protection and granting blessings, while his left hand reposes meditatively upon his lap. In next few weeks, we will discuss all the Mudra's individually. 

Pictured above: Colorful Buddha Hand on Pedestal from Buddha Groove

Zen Story: First Principle

The Obaku temple in Kyoto has a carving over the gate which says “The First Principle”. The 200-year-old carving, with exceptionally large letters, is admired by many as a masterpiece of calligraphy. It is the work of Kosen, the master carver.

Kosen would sketch the letters on paper and they would be carved on wood by his workmen. Now, Kosen had a rather audacious student who prepared large quantities of ink for his master. He was often very critical of his master’s technique.

“Not good enough!” said he, about Kosen’s first attempt.

“How about this one?” asked Kosen after his second drawing.

“That’s worse than the previous one!” exclaimed the bold pupil.

Kosen wrote out eighty four sheets of “The First Principle”, but none met with the student’s approval. Then the young man stepped out of the room for a few minutes. Kosen thought to himself “Here’s my chance to escape his sharp eye!” Freed of distraction, he hurriedly wrote “The First Principle”.

The student returned. “Brilliant! A masterpiece,” he exclaimed.

Don’t over process – just do it!

Zen Story: Anger Management

 A Zen disciple approached his teacher. “Master, I have an uncontrollable temper. Can you help me overcome it?”

 “Hmmm, that’s strange. Can you show it to me?” asked the master.

“Not right now.”

“Why not?”

“It occurs suddenly.”

“Then it can’t be a part of your true nature,” said the master. “If that were the case, you wouldn’t have any difficulty in showing it!  Why do you allow something that isn’t yours to worry you?”

Thereafter, the master’s words would come back to the student whenever his temper rose. Soon, he learned to check his anger and developed a placid temperament.

Lost your temper recently? Don’t go looking for it!

Zen Story: Harmony

There is the story of a young martial arts student who was under the tutelage of a famous master. One day, the master was watching a practice session in the courtyard. He realized that the presence of the other students was interfering with the young man’s attempts to perfect his technique.

The master could sense the young man’s frustration. He went up to the young man and tapped him on his shoulder. “What’s the problem?” he inquired.  “I don’t know”, said the youth, with a strained expression. “No matter how much I try, I am unable to execute the moves properly”. “Before you can master technique, you must understand harmony. Come with me, I will explain”, replied the master.

The teacher and student left the building and walked some distance into the woods until they came upon a stream. The master stood silently on the bank for several moments. Then he spoke. “Look at the stream,” he said. “There are rocks in its way. Does it slam into them out of frustration? It simply flows over and around them and moves on! Be like the water and you will know what harmony is.”

The young man took the master’s advice to heart. Soon, he was barely noticing the other students around him. Nothing could come in his way of executing the most perfect moves.

Go with the flow!

Pictured above: Buddha Wall Canvas

Dalai Lama Visit Fuels Friction Between China, U.S.

The Concepts of Satori, Mu-shin, Jiyu and Shokokakkya in Zen Buddhism

These are some intrinsic concepts in Zen teachings. Satori is Zen’s spiritual goal, often likened to a brilliant flash, a moment of tremendous clarity that dawns upon the practitioner, revealing the Truth – that we are creatures of joyful spirit, at once human and one with all of creation.

The way to satori lies through Mu-shin (Mu = emptiness). Many Zen stories speak of emptying the mind; to be in a state of mu, you must learn to curtail the ego, that part of our mind which chatters constantly (and is often likened to a monkey!)

Jiyu is the sense of freedom (or self-reliance) that pervades your being when the ego has been tamed.

Shokokakkya is to shine the light, metaphorically speaking, into the ground under your feet, wherein the truth about you lies.

To arrive at these goals, Zen teaches essential Buddhist precepts like respect for living creatures, practicing kindness and honesty, regulating sexual passions and respecting one’s body by avoiding intoxicants and harmful foods. Other fundamental Buddhist teachings like the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths are also intrinsically woven into Zen wisdom.

70,000 Buddhists gather to celebrate Tibetan festival

Source: buddhistchannel.tv

LHASA, Tibet (China) -- At least 70,000 Tibetan Buddhists gathered at a monastery in Lhasa Wednesday to celebrate a religious holiday and pray for good luck in the Tibetan New Year that begins Sunday.

Tsering Namgyal, 75, edged along in the queue outside the Sera Monastery in the suburbs of Lhasa at 5 am, leaning against a walking stick and waiting for his turn to be blessed.

The annual "Sera Bengqin Festival" is an important religious event celebrated four days before the Tibetan New Year. It is held exclusively at Sera Monastery, one of the three leading monasteries in Lhasa alongside Drepung and Ganden.

On this date, devout Buddhists are touched on the head by the Khenpo (president) of the Ngaba Zhacang (one of the three Buddhist schools in the monastery) with the Dorje Pestle, a legendary Buddhist instrument from India that is believed to transfer the Buddha's power and support to the faithful.


The crowd of Buddhists also presented hada, a traditional white scarf, and petty sums of alm and prayed in front of a Thangka portrait of the "horse-headed king," one of the most important heritage pieces housed at Sera Monastery.

The annual event lasts for 24 hours starting from 1 am Wednesday. It has drawn Tibetan Buddhists from across the Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as Tibetan communities in the western provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan.

Tsering Namgyal traveled from Xigaze to attend the event. "It can ward off disasters in the new year," he said.

The Year of Iron Tiger in the Tibetan calendar begins on February 14 this year it starts on exactly the same date as Chinese Lunar New Year's Day. The coincidence has happened 18 times since 1950, according to experts of astrology and Tibetan calendar calculations.

Zen Story: What’s the difference?

Zen master Ryokan was walking on the beach. A storm had just blown over. Hundreds of starfish had been washed up by the waves; they were beginning to die in the sharp sunlight. Ryokan picked up the starfish one by one and threw them back into the sea.

A fisherman who had been observing Ryokan came up to him. “Why do you do this? Every time there’s a storm, this happens. You can’t save them all, so what difference does your attempt make?”

“It will make a difference – to this one,” replied Ryokan, as he flung yet another starfish into the water.

Did you make a difference to someone today ?

Zen Story: Perfection

There once lived a priest whose duty it was to tend the garden of a Zen temple.  The priest loved trees, bushes and flowers and took great pride in his work. A low wall separated the temple from another, smaller shrine next door, where an aged Zen master lived.

One day, the priest was told that  important guests were expected. Immediately, he set about tending the garden. He removed weeds, pruned tree branches and shrubs. He even combed the moss ! Since it was autumn, the ground was untidy with dry leaves which the priest painstakingly raked and arranged into neat mounds.

All this while, the old monk was watching him from across the wall. The priest finished with his labor of love. A look of satisfaction spread across his face. “Doesn’t it look beautiful now?” he said, turning to the monk.

“Indeed it does,” replied the monk, “but something’s not quite right. Here, give me a hand over this wall and I’ll fix it for you.”

Puzzled, the priest did as he was asked. The old master made his way slowly to a tree in the center of the garden, gripped its trunk and shook it hard. Leaves scattered down,  orange, russet and brown. “There...that’s better ! Now, can you help me back across the wall ?”

Perfection is....not always what you think it is!

Zen Story: Mind over Matter

An accomplished though conceited young archer once dared a Zen master famed for his prowess in archery, to a test of their skills. The youth’s proficiency was  extraordinary. His first arrow found its target, a  far off bull’s eye, with ease; with his next shot, he split the first arrow into two.

“Think you can match that ?” he asked the old man condescendingly.

Instead of responding, the elderly monk gestured to the young man to follow him higher up the mountain. After some time, they arrived at a deep gorge. An old and decidedly unsteady log spanned the distance to the other side. The master serenely walked to the middle of the log, aimed at a distant tree and in a clean movement, loosed an arrow that flew straight into the tree trunk.

“Your turn now,” said he, stepping back casually onto the cliff edge.

The youth stared into the chasm yawning below and trembled uncontrollably. He could not put a foot onto the log, much less take aim at anything beyond.

The master observed, “You have great control over your bow, but little with the mind that lets loose the arrow!”

Kill the ego to attain true power and skill.