The Many Faces of Buddha

As we've just gotten in a beautiful new batch of mythic eastern statuary, this seems like an apt moment to review the line-up of oriental iconography...

Buddha in Deep Meditation:
The cross-legged figure depicts the young Buddha seated in deep meditation. Legend says that Siddhartha Gautama lived off just a single grain of rice a day for six years in hopes of discovering the truth. Finally he sat under the Boddhi tree in quiet solitude, and after 49 days achieved Enlightenment. At that time he became known as the Buddha, or "The Awakened One."


Fat Laughing Buddha:
In order to reach enlightenment, the Buddha first had to discover the Middle Way, the path of moderation between self-indulgence and self-mortification. By following this path, the Buddha was able to transcend duality and all the pairs of opposites, such and good and evil, joy and sorrow,
human and divine. With this realization he broke the cycle of suffering, and the fat, laughing buddha expresses this state of bliss.


Hotei, the Rejoicing Buddha:
Arms lifted overhead in a display of joyful victory, Hotei is considered the god of good fortune, the representation of contentment and abundance, and sometimes the guardian of children. Whether seated or standing, his message of prosperity and satisfaction remains the same.


Guan Yin:
The eastern goddess or bodhisattva of compassion, female embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, Quan Yin's worship goes back thousands of years, throughout China, Japan, and southeast Asia. Also known as the goddess of mercy, her name literally means "She who hears the cries of the world."
(Also Kuan Yin or Quan Yin.)


Ganesh
The story of this iconic Indian deity goes back many thousands of years and incorporates dozens of myths from the ancient Vedic texts. He is most commonly known as the remover of obstacles, but in his negative aspect he can also be the creator of obstacles. Ganesh is also revered as the lord of success and a guardian of travelers. He is easily recognized with his elephant head and six arms, but has many different incarnations. Most representations of Ganesh include a small mouse at his feet, and often he is even riding on the mouse's back. This imagery evokes the unity of opposites and a special balance between the grandest and the most humble of creatures.
(Other names for Ganesh include Ganesha and Ganapati.)