Bhumisparsha Mudra

Buddhist Mudras are an important element of a daily practice. Mudra is a hand gesture that is highly symbolic in Buddhism.

All of us probably saw the famous statue of Buddha with the Enlightenment one touching the Earth. It is the Bhumisparsha mudra.

Literally Bhumisparsha translates into 'touching the earth'.

It is more commonly known as the 'earth witness' mudra. This mudra, formed with all five fingers of the right hand extended to touch the ground, symbolizes the Buddha's enlightenment under the bodhi tree, when he summoned the earth goddess, Sthavara, to bear witness to his attainment of enlightenment. The right hand, placed upon the right knee in earth-pressing mudra, and complemented by the left hand-which is held flat in the lap in the dhyana mudra of meditation, symbolizes the union of method and wisdom, samasara and nirvana, and also the realizations of the conventional and ultimate truths.

It is in this posture that Shakyamuni overcame the obstructions of Mara while meditating on Truth.

The second Dhyani Buddha Akshobhya is depicted in this

mudra. He is believed to transform the delusion of anger into mirror-like wisdom and the Bhumisparsha mudra helps him with it.