Meaning of the Buddha’s Earth Touching Pose

The Bhumisparsha mudra is most commonly known as the ‘earth touching pose.’ A mudra is a motion or gesture of the hands and body to express a feeling.  Buddhist meditation rituals are based on the many different mudras. Buddha statues are often depicted in the earth touching mudra which is also known as ‘the earth witness’ position.

The earth touching mudra is performed by extending the five fingers of the right hand and placing them on the ground with the palm facing inward toward the body. It is a symbol of the moment when Buddha summoned the Earth goddess to witness the moment in which he achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Occassionally, you may see this mudra referred to as ‘Summoning the Earth Goddess to Witness.’

In the earth touching pose, the right arm rests on the right knee with the fingers extended downward. This position is one of the most common mudras seen in Buddha statues. The statue shows the Buddha with his left hand resting in his lap with the palm skyward in the meditation mudra (dhyana mudra). This is believed to symbolize the marriage of wisdom and method or Nirvana and Samasara. The teachings of the Buddhist faith speak of how the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, resisted the temptations of the demon Mara by taking the earth touching pose. In Buddhist folklore, Mara was viewed as everything from an all powerful demon to a gremlin-like nuisance. One story tells of how Mara summoned his daughter’s to seduce the Buddha and distract him from his spiritual journey. This has parallels to the mythology of other cultures, similar to Greek sirens.

The second of the Five Great Buddhas (Five Dhyani Buddhas), Akshobhya, is depicted in the earth touching pose. Akshobhya is a manifestation of strength, confidence and determination and the use of the Bhumisparsha mudra is a reflection of that. Akshobhya and Amithaba were the two Buddhas who represented wisdom and compassion respectively. The Buddhist theology evolved to include the Five Dhyani Buddhas who each represent an aspect of the Buddhist philosophy.

Akshobhya is the wise Buddha of the East, believed to possess a mirror-like wisdom that converts anger to wisdom. He is associated with the element water, mirror-like itself and symbolic of Akshobhya’s ability to help people see things as they truly are.

Display of an earth touching pose Buddha statue can be a prompt us to remember the Buddha’s resolve and need to channel our anger into wisdom.