Mudras of the Buddha (His Life and Works)

In Mudras of the Buddha (His Life and Works), Dhiravamsa introduces some 66 traditional images of the Buddha in various postures (or mudras) and explains the historical contexts that each of these represents. The mudras span the time of the life of Siddhartha from when he went forth from his mundane existence to become a recluse (samana) in search of a solution to the problem of humanity's suffering, with his earlier experiences in various meditative traditions, to his discovery of a middle path that became the core of his teachings (his dharma). Further mudras illustrate his offering of his teachings presenting his realizations of the nature of the mind and consciousness, covering particular incidents during the 45 years of his teaching, to his final moments at age 80. The many stories of episodes in the life of the Buddha and his teachings are rarely presented in current Western literature. Here we have a treasure-chest of these mudras and their stories collected in an organized way, following the teachings of early Buddhism as passed on in the Thai Buddhist Tradition. This rare work, rich in information and inspiration, will be an important addition to any library interested in Buddhism, in particular, and in spirituality, in general.