Shakyamuni Buddha

The Historical Buddha The Buddha Shakyamuni is the historical Buddha, founder of the Buddhist philosophy, and is often referred to as “the Buddha”. He is believed to have lived around 420 BC and to have spent most of his life spreading the teachings of Dharma. In the Buddhist religion, each "kalpa" (a Buddhist aeon) is said to have its own Buddha, whose teachings are slowly forgotten before the next Buddha arrives. His life is detailed in the Thangka called the Life of Buddha. For many, Shakyamuni Buddha is considered to be a model, a guide and an inspiration. It is said that his presence on earth is ensured by the “dharma” or spiritual belief and by the “sanga” or Buddhist community. Together they form what is referred to as the 3 jewels of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha). There are hundreds of reproductions of these motifs all over the world. Yet, almost every single representation will have a certain number of identical traits. These are what allow us to recognise the different Buddhas and the qualities that they possess. Painted in shades of gold or beige and wearing monastic robes, he is seated atop a lotus throne on which are symbolically placed the sun and moon. His lotus seat symbolises the act of living in this world without being soiled by its imperfections. The sun represents “prajna” or wisdom. The moon represents “upaya” or the skilful means of compassion. The left hand is in the dhyani or meditation mudra. Whilst the right hand is in the Bhumisparsa mudra, translated into English as “taking the earth as a witness”, which refers to a particular episode of the Buddha's life, a thangka detailing his life story.