When Siddhartha was an infant, wise men proclaimed that he would become either a king or a spiritual leader. Siddhartha's father wanted him to be a king and isolated in the palace. However, at 29, Siddhartha witnessed suffering in the form of an old man, a sick man and a body. After seeing a monk's serene face, Siddhartha took up asceticism in the wilderness looking for an escape from suffering. However, asceticism proved unenlightening and Siddhartha sought another path. While meditating under a tree, Siddhartha became a Buddha, an enlightened one.
Buddha awoke to Four Noble Truths: life is suffering; suffering is caused by desire; there is a way out of suffering and the Noble Eightfold Path is the way out of suffering. The Eightfold Path refers to eight tools for finding nirvana, the freedom from suffering and the cycle of rebirth. These include right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness and meditation. Buddhist artists express these teachings through their art.
Most images of Buddha depict him meditating with his legs crossed in the lotus position, depicting his enlightenment and the importance of meditation. When Buddhist artists create these images, they incorporate idealized proportions that represent physical harmony, enlightenment and serenity. Important elements include exaggerated earlobes, the eight-spoked wheel and the "enlightenment elevation" that emerges from the top of the head as a symbol of the creative power of enlightenment.
Mudras are symbolic hand gestures that convey esoteric information to the viewer. For example, the right hand slightly elevated with palm facing outwards is called the abhaya mudra, or gesture of fearlessness, and represents the absence of fear and appeasement of the senses. The dhyana mudra, or gesture of meditation, depicts the right hand resting in the palm of the left with thumbs touching. It is based on the traditional pose Buddha took under the Bodhi tree when he found enlightenment and symbolizes overcoming the world through enlightenment.
Mandalas are sacred paintings created in Tibet, Nepal, Japan and China as symbolic depictions of deities, incarnations of Buddha and bodhisattvas or beings who put off their ultimate enlightenment to help others. The mandala's figures or symbols are enclosed within a circle within a square which represent the cosmos. They are created as a form of meditation and help the believer cultivate concentration and inner vision. Tibetan Buddhists create mandalas from colored sand as part of an initiation rite for monks. When the ceremony is over, the mandala is swept away as a symbol of transience of visual forms.
A stupa is a dome shaped monument that houses relics of the Buddha or other important Buddhist figures that evolved from burial mounds used for Indian rulers and holy men. They are found throughout Sri Lanka, Tibet, Thailand, Burma and other Buddhist countries. The shape of the stupa represents a meditating Buddha. The spire at the top represents a crown. The base of the spire represents his head. The hemispherical dome represents his body. The structure's terrace is his folded legs and the base represents his throne.