Physical Description of Buddhas in the Buddhist Religion
Object: Buddha
Overview of the Object
The term ‘Budha’ simplifies the ‘enlightened one.’ This is the most significant surviving representation of Buddha after his death. It is not just about the portraits we see today but dates back to hundreds of years ago. By the time Buddhism reached China, it has continued to play the most significant role in devotional practices.
Physical Appearance, Colors, and Description
Some of the unique features include the fact that it is defined by an impressive stature, pose, and dress. The key features also reflect vital human characteristics. On various occasions, gestures can differ depending on the situation at the time. However, the Buddha, in general, brings out a clear reflection of the various conventional features that render it unique and brings in the sense of attachment to all believers of Buddhism.
Its physical appearance depicts the symbols of radiance; the halo around its head, for instance, or sometimes the entire body. The radiance of Buddha is also depicted by the flame at the top of the head, accompanied by a gold-covered surface.
The Buddha was approximately six feet tall and had other unique characteristics such as a beard and long black hair, with which most of the historians claim made buddha good looking. The good looks of the Buddha today are attributed to the calmness demonstrated by the actual Buddha who lived hundreds of years ago.
Despite the various statues present today to represent the Buddha depicting hair with tight curls and a top-knot on top, the Buddha was bald; the same way monks shave their heads currently.
Some of the main things that spark emotions among humans today include the superhuman physical characteristics. An example is the huge size lump on top of the head. It is an appearance that, to date, still depicts an excellent deal of wisdom.
The fingers are also of the same length, accompanied by unique markings on the palms. The earlobes of the Buddha are also stretched. Historians and religious experts believe that the feature is connected to the fact that the Buddha wore heavy earrings. As for the skin color, the Buddha had a typical color, just like any other Asian that was alive back then, a color not far from the one we see today.
However, it is quite clear that the Buddha is not white; neither was it black. However, the actual color seems to emphasize the fact that the buddha should be dark brown, considering that he was always seen to be spending more time outdoors, either teaching or meditating. The sun is attributed to have darkened the actual skin color of the buddha as depicted today.
Additionally, the right shoulder is always bare because monks always wore sarong-like lower garments accompanied by another or two upper garments.
One of the common positions depicted by the Buddha today is that of sitting with legs interlocked. As for the hands, the right hand is usually over the right knee, a feature that symbolizes the Buddha’s calling upon winning against negative forces. The right hand is perceived to have been a mode calling upon the earth to witness the victory. As a way of symbolizing reassurance, the hand is held up in some scenarios.
For the instances or statues where the hand is held against the chest while the finders tend to be turning, an invisible wheel is an explicit symbolization of setting the preaching activities. All these features demonstrate how the Buddha was hand made.
Bibliography
Kyaing, Win. “The Buddhist Cultural Remains of Sri Ksetra.” Asia Pacific Journal of Religions and Cultures 3, no. 2 (2019): 49-64.
Gadjin, Nagao. “On the Theory of Buddha-Body (Buddha-kaya).” Translated by U Hirano: 103-22.
“Buddha Statues, Happy Buddha & Tibetan Statues”. 2020. Buddhagroove.Com. https://www.buddhagroove.com/statues/.
