Buddha statues and days of the weeks

Once I start to travel in Asia, I notice how much you have Buddha statues and how much they have different postures.

Buddhism is a major religion in Asia and it mixed in each country or region with the local traditions and art style. In many Asian countries you will notice a numerous Buddha statues in different positions. Even if each country has his own art tradition there is some posture that you will recognize in most of them. Theses various poses have particular signification and each one is related to an important moment in the life of Buddha and carry a message.

In Thailand and Laos, Buddha attitudes are associated to specifics days of the week. Thai and Lao according a lot of importance to the day they were born. According to your day of birth you have a posture of Buddha who inspire you and help you to grow in your path. This is not related to Buddhism and it is totally local beliefs.

There is 8 posture of Buddha because the wednesday is split in two part: before noon and after noon.

The Sunday Buddha: "Seven Days Looking" - Pang Thawai Net

The Sunday Buddha is standing with hands crossed in front of his waist. His right hand is covering his left hand. In the Buddha Life, he is representing the period when Buddha had reached enlightenment.

After enlightenment, Buddha spent seven days under the Bodhi Tree contemplating the suffering of all living things.

The Monday Buddha: “Pacifying the Relatives” – Pang Ham Yati

The Monday Buddha is standing with hands raised (or only the right hand) and his palms and fingers extended facing us.

This statue represent Buddha when he returned from heaven after three months, his relatives were arguing about the right to water flowing through their land. Buddha persuaded them to compromise. This is the Buddha statue with the right hand raised.

The Buddha with both hands raised represent “Mastery over Passions” and come from the parable of Buddha performing a miracle by calming the ocean.

The Tuesday Buddha : “Realizing Nirvana” – Pang Sai Yat

The Tuesday Buddha is lying on his right side. His arm is supporting his head. In this position, Buddha has entering Nirvana.

The Wednesday Buddha : - Pang umbat

Before noon or Wednesday morning:

The Buddha is standing and holding an alms bowl with both hands. It indicates the time Buddha returned to see his father after four years in his ministry. In the early morning, monks make their alms rounds to collect food. Buddha did the same and his father was appalled that Buddha was "begging" for food. Buddha calmed his father informing him that the lineage of Buddhas was to perform 'Pindabat' to be available to followers who devotedly bring food.

After noon or Wednesday evening :

Buddha made a retreat in the forest.

The statue shows Buddha seated receiving gifts from a monkey and an elephant.

The elephant offering a bowl of fruit and an approaching monkey offering a honeycomb.

It represents respect of all living lives to the Buddha.

The Thursday Buddha : “the Meditating Buddha” – Pang Samti

The Thursday Buddha is sitting in a lotus position.

After receiving bundles of grass from Sotthiya , he scattered it and made it as seat under the Banyan tree.

He made a vow “ Skin , sinew and bone may dry up as they will , my flesh and blood may dry in my body , but without attaining completed enlightenment , I will not leave this seat.”

With his strong determination, he achieved enlightenment. .

The Friday Buddha : "Contemplating Buddha" - Pang Ram Pueng

The Friday Buddha image is standing with both arms crossed over the chest with the right hand covering the left. A short period after the enlightenment, while the Lord Buddha stayed under the Banyan tree, he stated that it was too difficult for ordinary people to understand dharma and bring it into practices. He was discouraged to teach dharma.

This Dharma that I have found is profound, hard to see, hard to understand; it is peaceful, sublime, beyond the sphere of mere reasoning, subtle, to be experienced by the wise. But this generation takes delight in attachment, is delighted by attachment, rejoices in attachment and as such it is hard for them to see this truth, namely…nirvana. However , with his great mercy and loving - kindness , he clearly understood that living creatures possessed different habits just like nature of a lotus.

The Saturday Buddha: "Protected by the Naga King" - Pang Nak Prok

The Saturday Buddha image is sitting in a full lotus position in meditation.

This pose represents a time during the sixth week after Siddhartha's Enlightenment, when the Naga king protected the meditating Buddha from a raging storm. It represents protection.

Finally, there is an image often which is not specific to any day of the week, "Victory over Mara".

The Buddha image is seated in meditation with the fingers of the right hand touching the earth. Buddha is confirming to all creation his imperturbability when besieged by temptation, fear, delusion and desire.