Seal of Meditation

Meditation, meditation, is the study of meditation and meditation; The state of the mind is fixed. One heart to test things for Zen, a quiet reading for fixed. Both meditation and tranquility are virtues of the mind, and the combination of the two is "meditation".

The Meditative seal is the symbolic gesture of the Buddha's meditation while he was practicing under the Bodhi tree. Put the hands on the lower abdomen, the right hand on the left hand, the two thumb tips meet, indicating the meaning of sitting meditation. The right hand is always pressed on the left hand, symbolizing that the perfection of the method needs to be supported by wisdom.

Buddha statues that display meditation handprints are common in Yungang statues. The 5th cave of the highest Buddha statue, the 20th cave of the most famous open-air Buddha, and the posture of Lotus Lotus posture on the east side of Cave 17 are all lotus lotus posture. The two Buddha statues sitting under the tree above the arch in Cave 5 are also handprints of meditation. The largest number of meditative handprint sitting Buddha statues are thousands of Buddha statues located inside and outside the Yungang caves. Thus, the handprint Buddha of meditation has become the largest and most widely distributed statue in Yungang Grottoes.

Fearless Seal

Dauntless, also known as fearless, is a natural extension of the fingers, and when the palm is outwardly viewed, it is similar to the signet of Wish, but the fingertips are up instead of down, and the signet is usually tied to the chest. In the sutras, "raising hands" refers to this handprint. This handprint expresses the Buddha's great compassion for the relief of suffering sentient beings, hoping to make all sentient beings happy and free from fear.

In Yungang, except for a large number of thousands of Buddha statues and some Buddha statues for meditation handprints, most Buddha statues are fearless handprints with the right arm raised to the chest, the five fingers extended, and the palm facing forward. In the large cave of Buddha statues, Cave 20 flanks the Buddha statue, Cave 19 the main Buddha statue, cave 18 the left and right side of the Buddha statue, Cave 17 the west wall of the Buddha statue, cave 16 the main Buddha statue, cave 5 the east and west . Two walls of the Buddha statue are fearless handprints. Cave 13, the main statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, is also fearless handprints.

Seal of Supreme Will

With the vow seal, the hand is naturally extended down, the finger end is down, and the palm is outward, indicating that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can fulfill the wishes of sentient beings, so that all the wishes of sentient beings can be fulfilled. The empty palm represents the vastness of the world, as well as the depth and breadth of the Dharma. This seal also has the meaning of compassion, so it is often paired with the practice of fearless seals. Many Buddha statues in the Yungang Grottoes embody the handprints of "right arm raised to the chest, five fingers extended, palm forward, left arm bent forward, five fingers extended, palm forward". Among them, Cave 6 is the most prominent: the upper part of the central tower column has a Buddha statue on the east side, the lower part has two Buddhas on the north side and sits on the east side, the upper part of the east wall has a Buddha statue on the south side, and the Buddha statue in the "Wenshu Question Ji" shrine between the south window and the cave door is a joint handmark of the right hand "fearless" and the left hand "willing". In the "Seven Buddhas" on the west wall of Cave 11 and the south wall of Cave 13, there are also handprints of "fearless and votive".

Zhi Jixiang handprint

In the view of Buddhism, wisdom, that is, "the decision of the world", Shakya through quiet meditation and penance and enlightenment, its wisdom into the supreme realm, to declare their own dharma theory in the world. This is "wisdom and good luck", so "wisdom and good luck fingerprints" is also called "Shakya handprints." It is also the left hand knot that matches the right hand knot "Shi Dawei" handprint. The knot method is "left hand curved middle finger attached to the big finger, extended fingers".

The main Buddha statue in Cave 16 is the largest Buddha statue with the handprint of Jiezhixiang Buddha in Yungang. This handprint is a rare form of circular handprint among large Buddha statues in Yungang. Although the little finger is damaged and the index finger is broken, we can still see the Yungang artist's full mental state and superb artistic ability to shape a mature, round, proportionate and naturally curved Buddha's beautiful hand. Undoubtedly, this is the work of a Buddhist master who has profound Buddhist theoretical cultivation, and has been working hard in Yungang sculpture for many years.

Seal of Comfort

Comfort is to make people feel comfortable, and the comfort of the mood has the meaning of peace of mind. When the Buddha speaks, he should feel at ease, and so should those who hear him. A handprint expressing reassurance is a handprint of comfort.

Among the Buddha statues in Yungang, the most prominent one is the seated Buddha statue in the lower niche west of the center tower column of Cave No. 6. The right hand of the Buddha statue is placed on the knee, the large finger and index finger intersect in a circle, and the remaining finger is naturally extended. In addition, this handprint also appeared in the cave 7 back of the south wall of the window between the cave door and the six provident heaven. On the west side, the right arm is raised, the five fingers are extended, and the palm is sideways to the front, making a fearless handprint, while the left hand is the big finger and the index finger intersect in a circle, and the rest refers to the naturally extended comfort handprint. There are two differences with the handprints of the Buddha in Cave 6: one is that the handprints are made on the left hand instead of the right hand, and the other is that the fingers and hands are in a drooping shape instead of leaning on the leg.

touchmark

Ground is land. Touch the mark, see the right hand over the right knee, touch the finger to the ground, to bring down the evil people. Before Shakyamuni Buddha practiced and became a Taoist, the demon king often came to chaos, hoping to stop the Buddha's purging practice. Later, the Buddha touched the ground with his right hand, indicating that the Buddha sacrificed himself for sentient beings before he became enlightened, which can only be verified by the earth, because these things were done on the earth.

Although the Buddha statues in Yungang Grottoes are not very prominent, they show sufficient Buddhist significance. The Sakya Buddha sitting on the east side of the open window on the south wall of the back chamber of Cave 10, and the 5th niche on the east side of the upper niche of the Buddha niche between the open window on the south wall of Cave 5, the fearless handprint of the Buddha "right arm raised to the chest, five fingers extended, palm to the front" is accompanied by the touch print of "left hand drooped in front of the left calf in a lotus posture, with the index finger extended straight to the ground".

Seal of saying

Saying is telling the Buddhist worldview. The saying seal is the dominant handprint of the Buddha's saying, which is in the form of the left hand lying across the left foot and the right hand curled upward to make a ring. With the thumb, twist the middle or index finger and ring finger, and let the other fingers naturally relax, the left hand heart to the right, the right hand heart to the left, so as to show the solemn Buddha's statement.

In the statues of Yungang Grottoes, although the scene of Buddha's statement is very common, it is often expressed by the fearless seal. For example, in the typical picture of "the first statement of Shaoga Deer Park", whether it is the prominent sitting Buddha statue on the east wall of Cave 6 and the north wall of the front room of Cave 12, or other smaller statement pictures, it is expressed by the "fearless seal" of the Buddha's right hand extended to the chest and the palm facing outward. It expresses the feelings of "Buddha in the public, calm and fearless virtue".

Although Yungang artists did not give the "saying seal" to Buddha statues, they applied it to the bodies of two great Bodhisattvas, Maitreya and Manjusri, both of which appear in Cave 6: one is Maitreya in the lower east niche of the central tower column and the 盝 shaped niche in the south side of the middle level of the west wall. The second is Manjusri Bodhisattva in the niche of "Manjusri Vimo sitting opposite" between the open window on the south wall and the cave door.

Although the gestures of the Buddha's hand are different, they have a common meaning. That is: to make the vow seal, to make all beings universal. So that people can reach the height of developing wisdom and making the body and mouth pure through the handprint.

In the heart of the Yungang Grottoes, the enigmatic handprint stands as a testament to the artistic legacy and cultural heritage of ancient China. Its delicate yet enduring presence serves as a reminder of the unparalleled craftsmanship, dedication, and spiritual depth that continues to captivate the imagination of art enthusiasts and scholars alike. As we marvel at the intricacies of this ancient handprint, we are reminded of the timeless allure of classical oriental artistry and the enduring legacy it leaves behind.