Buddharupa
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Buddharupa (literally, 'Image of the Awakened One/The Buddha') is the Sanskrit term used in Buddhism for images of the Buddha. Despite cultural (and furthermore regional) differences in the interpretations of texts on the life of the Gautama Buddha, there are some general guidelines to buddharupa:
- Fingers and toes are of the same extended lengths, respectively
- Long, aquiline nose
- Elongated earlobes
- Head protuberance
- Broad shoulders
The earlobes are elongated as vestiges of his life as a prince, where he wore extravagant jewellery. The "head protuberance" symbolises the loose connection between the mind and the body of an enlightened buddha or boddhisattva.
Appropriate uses of a Buddharupa
Buddharupa are considered appropriate for use as symbols of the teachings and wisdom of the Buddha Shakyamuni, for use as objects of meditational focus, and for use as objects of veneration, regardless of the religion of the observer of the buddharupa. The buddharupa should be in a position higher than other devotional objects when arranged on a shrine or display, out of respect for the Buddha. It is not considered appropriate to use a buddharupa as a decorational element, as a commercial entity, or as an attempt to evoke a "New Age" environment.
Types of Buddharupa
The buddharupa with which most Westerners are familiar is the Hotei Buddha, or "Happy" or "Laughing" Buddha. This Buddha is depicted as a fat and very happy man, often travelling or bearing wealth. This is a Chinese image, based on a Chinese Buddhist monk who so completely and totally embodied the buddha-nature of all sentient beings that he was considered to himself be a Buddha. The buddharupa of India, Tibet, and the other Buddhist cultures, are not much like this. The buddharupa is sometimes depicted reclining, depicting the Buddha Shakyamuni's final departure into true nirvana and rest, sometimes is depicted holding various symbolic objects, or making mudras, positions of symbolic significance. The fitness of the Buddha depicted varies greatly, also; Japanese buddharupa are often very square and stolid, while Indian and South Eastern Asian buddharupa are often thin. The clothing of the Buddha depicted also vary; in China and Japan, where it is considered socially improper for monks and nuns to expose the upper arm, the buddharupa has a tunic and long sleeves, much like the traditional clothing of their monks and nuns, while Indian buddharupa are often shirtless. These minor differences are just a few of the myriad varieties of buddharupa throughout the Buddhist faith.