Sarnath: Seated Buddha

INDIA, Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi

The statue is special in that the Buddha sits with legs pendent on a lion throne in what was then the traditional teaching position. Both hands are in Dharmacakra (Dharma wheel) mudra while the feet rest upon a double lotus pedestal. The lions on either side of the throne symbolize the Buddha’s voice that carries fearlessly like the lion’s roar. Orderly curls on the figure’s head lead to a flattened usnisa. The earlobes are elongated and the neck has the three lines of a great person. Particular Sarnath features include the rounded face, downcast eyes, and an emphasized lower lip. The nimbus behind the head is plain except for an outer band of beads and a scalloped edge. The back of the throne is, in contrast, exuberantly decorated with animal and vegetative forms.