What is a Mudra?

Mudra or Mudras are hand positions often depicted in Buddhist art and used in practice to evoke a particular state of mind. The about notable mudras (Sanskrit, "seal" or "sign") are those commonly found in representations of the Buddha: hands folded in the lap signify meditation; a palm held up facing outward signifies the deed of instruction or reassurance; an open palm pointed downward signifies generosity.

In the Vajrayana school, mudras presume an esoteric significance and are commonly combined with mantra(recitation) and tantric visualization. In the Zen school of Mahayana Buddhism, which is relatively bare of esoteric rituals, 2 important positions, the dhyani, or meditation mudra (formed with the hands held in an oval), and the anjali, or greeting mudra (palms held together at chest level), nevertheless remain of import elements of daily practice.

Every mudra has both an outer/symbolic and an inner/experiential part, for it communicates at once, both to the person who performs them and to the observer, aspects of the enlightened mind. The names are given in the original Sanskrit.

Amida Buddha, Kamakura, Japan. Courtesy Graham Harrison.
Amida Buddha, Kamakura, Japan. Courtesy Graham Harrison.

Dhyani mudra

Dhyani

With the mudra of meditation, the back of the correct manus rests on the upturned palm of the other with the tips of the thumbs lightly touching. The meridian hand symbolizes enlightenment; the bottom mitt, the world of appearances. Thus the mudra as a whole suggests the supremacy of the enlightened listen.

Tsong-kha-pa (detail), contemporary fresco, Drepung Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet. Courtesy Graham Harrison.
Tsong-kha-pa (detail), contemporary fresco, Drepung Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet. Courtesy Graham Harrison.
Vitarka mudra
Amitabha, 9th century, Candi Borobudur, Central Java. Courtesy Dirk Bakker.

Vitarka

Instruction mudra. Held at breast level, the right hand faces outward. The pollex and forefinger form a circumvolve, symbolizing the "Wheel of the Teaching." Pointing down, the left hand faces outward or lies palm up in the lap.

Dharmachakra mudra

Shakyamuni Buddha, 10th century, Japanese. Courtesy Denman Waldo Ross Collection.
Shakyamuni Buddha, 10th century, Japanese. Courtesy Denman Waldo Ross Collection.

Dharmachakra

Mudra of turning the Cycle of the Teaching. The thumbs and forefingers of each hand form circles that touch 1 some other. The left manus faces inward, the correct hand, out. The hands are held on a level with the heart.


Bhumisparsha mudra

Amitabha, 9th century, Candi Borobudur, Central Java. Courtesy Dirk Bakker.
Amitabha, 9th century, Candi Borobudur, Central Java. Courtesy Dirk Bakker.

B humisparsha

With the earth-touching mudra, the left paw rests in the lap with the palm facing upward. The right paw rests palm downward on the right knee with the fingers pointing toward the earth. When the Buddha attained enlightenment, he reportedly used this gesture to summon the earth to carry witness to his victory over the seductive forces of illusion.

Dainichi Nyorai (Buddha of Eternal Radiance), 1149 C.E., Japanese. Courtesy Denman Waldo Ross Collection.
Dainichi Nyorai (Buddha of Eternal Radiance), 1149 C.E., Japanese. Courtesy Denman Waldo Ross Collection.

Abhaya mudraAbhaya

Mudra of approving or protection. The right mitt, held at shoulder level, is pointed upward with the palm facing out. Attributed to the Buddha immediately following his enlightenment, the Abhaya is usually intended as a gesture of reassurance.

Nikko and Gakko (Sun and Moon) Bodhisattvas, 8th century, Japanese. Courtesy Flammarion.
Nikko and Gakko (Sun and Moon) Bodhisattvas, 8th century, Japanese. Courtesy Flammarion.

Varada

Mudra of giving or generosity. Pointed downward, the palm of the right hand faces out.

Nikko and Gakko (Sun and Moon) Bodhisattvas, 8th century, Japanese. Courtesy Flammarion.
Nikko and Gakko (Sun and Moon) Bodhisattvas, 8th century, Japanese. Courtesy Flammarion.

Bodhyagri mudra
Bodhyagri

Mudra of supreme wisdom. The right forefinger is grasped in the fist of the left hand. It is subject field to a variety of interpretations. Some sources refer to it as "the mudra of the 6 elements": the five elements—earth, h2o, air, burn down, and ether—all surrounding and protecting man. Other interpretations suggest wisdom hidden by the globe of appearances or in Tantric practices, the sexual union of a deity and his consort.

Photographs of Lama Pema Wangdak by Sally Boon.
Photographs of Lama Pema Wangdak past Sally Boon.

Anjali

Mudra of greeting. The universal greeting and gesture of respect throughout the Buddhist world. Formed past placing the palms together at the level of the heart, with the fingertips pointed upwards.

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