Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra)

This is a large granite sculpture of the Buddha seated in meditation. It stands about 160 centimeters high, taller than many visitors, and it is carved from granite, a hard, grainy stone. The figure sits upright with his legs folded and his hands resting in his lap, one over the other. This hand position is called dhyanamudra, which simply means the gesture of meditation. He wears a monastic robe that seems so thin it is almost see-through, clinging lightly to his body. The whole figure feels calm and quiet, as if carved from a single held breath.

Start at the head. The hair is shown as tight little curls, said to resemble snail shells, covering a rounded bump on top of the skull called the cranial protuberance. Out of that bump rises a flame, probably a sign of wisdom. Look at the ears next: the lobes are stretched long. Then find the small raised dot between the eyebrows, called the urna. Finally, look at the palms resting in his lap, where wheel marks are carved. Each of these is a traditional sign that tells you this figure is the Buddha.

This sculpture was made in Nagapattinam, a coastal town in Tamil Nadu in southern India, during the Chola period, about the twelfth century. Buddhism was still thriving there at a time when it had faded in many other places. The reason was settlers who had come from Srivijaya, in what is now Indonesia. A sculpture this large would originally have stood at a monastic site in the town. Nagapattinam is also well known for its Buddhist bronzes, which are metal figures cast for worship. This one was carved in stone instead.

Images like this were made to show the Buddha in meditation, with a mind at rest and full of wisdom. The flame on his head is a feature seen in other images from Nagapattinam, so it links this figure to a particular place and community. Turn to the back, if you can see it, or imagine it: the whole surface is covered with writing in the Tamil language. The words are no longer legible, so we cannot read what they said. Look a little longer at the flame on his head, the clearest sign of his wisdom.