Mudrā
mudrā. (P. muddā; T. phyag rgya; C. yin; J. in; K. in 印). In Sanskrit, lit., “seal,” “mark,” or “sign”. In Buddhist contexts, it often refers to hand and arm “gestures” made during the course of ritual practice or depicted in images of buddhas, bodhisattvas, or Mahayana deities.[1]
Cortland Dahl states:
- Most commonly, the term “seal,” or “mudra,” refers to physical gestures that embody certain Buddhist principles. According to Ju Mipam, however, the Sanskrit term “mudra” carries the meaning of “a stamp, symbol, or seal that is difficult to move beyond.” Explaining further, he writes, “What this means is that these are unique factors that symbolize the enlightened form, speech, mind, and activities of realized beings. Once something has been ‘sealed’ with one of these, it is difficult to stray from the factor that is being represented.”[2]
This term can also refer to an emblem or symbol, or a female consort in sexual yoga practices.[3]
Common hand-gesture mudras
The following "hand-gesture" mudras are common to all Buddhist traditions.
These early mudras are associated with Shakyamuni Buddha:[1]
- Bhumisparsha mudra, "earth-touching mudra"
- Abhaya mudra, "mudra of fearlessness"
- Dharmacakra mudra, "mudra of teaching the Dharma"
- Dhyana mudra, "mudra of meditation" (a.k.a. samādhi mudrā)
Other common mudras include:
- Anjali mudra, "mudra of devotion"
- Vitarka mudra "mudra of discussion"
- Varada mudra, "mudra of generosity"
- karaṇḍamudrā, "basket mudra"[4]
Mudras in Mahayana and Vajrayana
The Princeton Dictionary states:
- With the development of Mahayana and Vajrayana iconography, the number of mudrās depicted in Buddhist art proliferated, until they numbered in the hundreds. They are a prominent feature in the vajrayāna artwork of the Himalayan region (northern India, Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan) as well as early tantric images from Southeast Asia and the esoteric traditions of East Asia.[1]
In some tantric practices, mudrās are performed as dynamic hand movements, where they symbolize various activities such as making offerings, etc.[1]
In some contexts, the term mudra refers to a female consort in sexual yoga practices.[1][3]
In the Kagyu lineage, the highest state of realization is referred to as Mahāmudrā.[1]
Notes
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
Dahl, Cortland (2009), Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminary Practices, Shambhala
