Buddha Statue Meanings

As you take a tour of temples in Thailand, you may wish to have a little understanding of what it is you are looking at in the temple grounds. Each and every Buddha statue you will see has a meaning, in some cases two meanings. In most cases, the poses of the Buddha statues are the same although you may see the odd slight variation. The Lams Buddha is a good example of this variation as the Alms bowl can be seen in two different positions but in general, the pose of the Buddha figure is essentially the same.

Reclining Buddha - Nirvana

This statue depicts the Historical Buddha in the last moments of life on Earth, before entering Nirvana. The story goes that an alms giver had accidentally given the Buddha some pork that had gone bad, which is thought to have eventually led to the death of the Buddha. The Buddha is always depicted lying on the right hand side on top of a resting table.

Alms/Begging Buddha

Arms bent at holding an alms bowl at chest level or sometimes at the waist. This statue signifies compassion and caring for all beings. While some think it is a begging Buddha, it should be mentioned that monks have never begged for food but they accept alms from the local population. This is seen a good way of making merit for Thai buddhists.

Blessing/Protection Buddha

This Buddha sits with the right hand raised and facing outwards and has two common meanings. First is that of the Protection Buddha, with the raised right hand symbolically representing a shield, whilst the second meaning is Overcoming Fear, which is closely related to the first, as one who receives protection would be less fearful. Also known as a Blessing Buddha.

Contemplation Buddha

The Contemplation Buddha signifies quiet determination and patient understanding. Both arms of the Buddha lie flat against the chest with the palms of both hands facing inward, with right arm on the top of left arm.

Earth Touching Buddha

The most common pose you will find in temples in Thailand is with the legs crossed, left hand in the lap and the right hand pointing to the ground with the palm facing inward toward the Buddha. The posture is known as ""Calling The Earth to Witness" and is the definition of the moment of enlightenment for the Buddha.

Medicine Buddha

The Medicine Buddha is depicted in paintings having blue skin. In all forms, the right hand is held facing downward with fingers extended toward the ground, with the palm facing outward toward the viewer, and a bowl of herbs resting in the left hand upon the lap. The Medicine Buddha is venerated by those seeking health. More commonly found in the Buddhist temples and communities of Nepal and Tibet.

Meditation Buddha

Another of the more common poses is of the Buddha in Meditation. It is a statue for people who are either looking for calm and peace and clam in their life or for people who wish to improve their own meditation skills. People often buy a Meditation Buddha when setting up a “room of serenity” or in a corner of their house where they can sit totally relaxed in a calm state for a while.

Teaching Buddha

This statue signifies understanding, wisdom and fulfilling destiny. As with most of the Buddha images, the Teaching Buddha depicts a particular moment in the life of the Buddha, in this case the first sermon the Buddha gave after reaching Enlightenment. It was a sermon to a small group of disciples who had previously scorned Buddha.

Walking Buddha

The Walking Buddha signifies grace and internal beauty, known as “Phra LeeLaa” in Thai. This statue is particular to the Sukhothai period in Thailand, representing a time when the Buddha was returning to earth after delivering a sermon on the Dharma in Heaven, accompanied by Lord Indra and Lord Brahma.

Repelling Buddha

Another statue with two meanings based on two different stories of old. The first meaning of "Repelling The Ocean" derives from a story when the Buddha visited Bihar state in India, where a hermit unleashed a wall of water hoping to cause a flood. The Buddha used the power generated from meditating to stop the water from flooding the area. The second meaning, the "Forbidding The Relatives from Fighting" stems from a period in the life of the Buddha where relatives of his father had an argument with relatives of the Buddha’s mother over water. The story has it that one of the rivers that both sets of relatives normally depended on was starting to run dry. Buddha raised his right hand to draw attention to their own arguing and asked them what was more important, giving the options of water or their family relations?