Dharma Chakra Gupta Style Buddha 17"

This fabulous replica of a Gupta period Buddha is seated with his hands in the dharma chakra mudra.  Two apsaras fly over head, carved to the awesome godly halo, or aureole, that surrounds the Buddha's head with its swirling tendrils.  The incredible aureole measures an 17 inches across!  To the Buddhas left and right are two mythical beasts, the Yali (top) and the Narsi (bottom)  carved into the sculpture in bas relief.  The base of the piece has 6 devotees with hands clasp in worship of Lord Buddha.  Between them is the wheel of dharma all carved in bas relief.

The dull gray color of the stone is unique.  The stone is also extremely smooth to the touch.  A piece of this size in durkey stone is a rarity because the raw stone typically does not come in large sizes.

About the Dharmachakra Mudra; Teaching Preaching, Turning the Wheel of Dharma

Dharmachakra in Sanskrit means the 'Wheel of Dharma'. This mudra symbolizes one of the most important moments in the life of Buddha, the occasion when he preached to his companions the first sermon after his Enlightenment in the Deer Park at Sarnath. It thus denotes the setting into motion of the Wheel of the teaching of the Dharma.

In this mudra the thumb and index finger of both hands touch at their tips to form a circle. This circle represents the Wheel of Dharma, or in metaphysical terms, the union of method and wisdom.  The three remaining fingers of the two hands remain extended.  The three extended fingers of the right hand represent the three vehicles of the Buddha's teachings, namely:

    The middle finger represents the 'hearers' of the teachings
    The ring finger represents the 'solitary realizers'
    The Little finger represents the Mahayana or 'Great Vehicle'.

The three extended fingers of the left hand symbolize the Three Jewels of Buddhism, namely, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Significantly, in this mudra, the hands are held in front of the heart, symbolizing that these teachings are straight from the Buddha's heart.

The gesture of discussion and debate indicates communication and an explanation of the Dharma.  The tips of the thumb and index finger touch, forming a circle.  All other fingers are extended upwards.  Sometimes the middle finger and thumb touch, which is gesture of great compassion.  If the thumb and ring finger touch, they express the mudra of good fortune.

The Buddha, whose original name was Siddhartha Gautama, was the founder of Buddhism, the religion and the philosophical system that produced a great culture throughout much of southern and eastern Asia.  Buddha, meaning "awakened one" or "enlightened one" is a title not a name.  In Hindu Dogma, the Buddha is viewed as being the 9th avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu.
The Buddha was a son of the rulers Sakyas.  He was married at the age of 16 and lived in luxury and comfort sheltered from the harsh realities of life.  When he was 29 he realized that men are subject to old age, sickness and death.  He became aware of the suffering inherent in existence.  He resolved to give up princely life and become a wandering ascetic (samana) in search for the Truth.
With the two of samanas he attained mystical states of elevated consciousness but he failed to find the Truth.  He continued his search and was joined by five ascetics in a grove near Uruvela, where he practiced sever austerities and self-mortification for six years.  When he fainted away in weakness, he abandoned ascetic practices to seek his own path to Enlightenment.  Discarding the teachings of his contemporaries, through meditation he achieved Enlightenment, or ultimate understanding.  There after the Buddha instructed his followers in the dharma (truth) and the "Middle Way" a path between worldly life and extremes of self-denial. 
The essence of the Buddha's early preaching was said to be the four Noble truths: 1) life is fundamentally disappointment and suffering.  2) suffering is a result of one's desires for pleasure, power, and continued existence; 3) to stop disappointment and suffering on must stop desiring; and 4) the way to stop desiring and thus suffering is the Noble eight fold path - right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration.  The realization of the truth of anatman (no eternal self) was taught as essential for the indescribable state of release called nirvana.

 

Click here to learn more about Buddha

White, red and black marble statues are easy to take care of as they just need some annual upkeep to keep them looking as they did when they were first carved.  Here are some easy tips to keep your White, red and black marble statues from Lotus Sculpture looking like the gods they are:

• Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
• To make the statue shine use a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture
• You can use a small amount of natural oil such as coconut oil or olive oil to further polish the sculpture
• Use a tooth brush to get into the hard to reach spaces of the sculpture
• DO NOT TOUCH the painted surfaces of any of the white marble statues.  This will damage the painting if done often
  

We recommend keeping our marble statues in an indoor environment.  The statues are durable however not durable enough to brave the natural outdoors.  Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your wooden statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or info@lotussculpture.com.

USA Shipping

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This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping. The shipping charge is automatically calculated by UPS for shipping within the United States. Each sculpture is usually shipped within 24 hours of the order with the exception of the weekend. To obtain a shipping quote simply add the statue you are interested in to your shopping cart and then select click on the "Calculate Domestic Shipping" button. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.

International Shipping

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This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. If you are in Canada please select "UPS Standard to Canada" for the shipping option. If you are an international customer please select "International Shipping" during checkout. The shipping charge will be calculated as $0. Lotus Sculpture will email you the correct shipping cost subject to your approval or you may call us at 760-994-4455 or email us at info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.