Buddha's footprints (Sanskrit: Buddhapada)( Tibetan: སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཞབས་རྗེས། ) is an important Buddhist symbol which is commonly depicted as icons shaped like an imprint of Gautama Buddha's foot or both feet. There are two forms: natural, as found in stone or rock, and those made artificially. Many of the "natural" ones are acknowledged not to be genuine footprints of the Buddha, but rather replicas or representations of them, which can be considered cetiya (Buddhist relics) and also an early aniconic and symbolic representation of the Buddha.
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In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Buddha footprint
- Buddha footprint in the context of Aniconism in Buddhism
- Buddha footprint in the context of Buddhist iconography
Buddha footprint in the context of Aniconism in Buddhism
Since the beginning of the serious study of the history of Buddhist art in the 1890s, the earliest phase, lasting until the 1st century CE, has been described as aniconic; the Buddha was only represented through symbols such as an empty throne, Bodhi tree, a riderless horse with a parasol floating above an empty space (at Sanchi), Buddha's footprints, and the dharma wheel.
This aniconism in relation to the image of the Buddha could be in conformity with an ancient Buddhist prohibition against showing the Buddha himself in human form, known from the Sarvastivada vinaya (rules of the early Buddhist school of the Sarvastivada):
View the full Wikipedia page for Aniconism in BuddhismBuddha footprint in the context of Buddhist iconography
Buddhist symbolism is the use of symbols (Pali: patīka) to represent certain aspects of the Buddha's Dhamma (teaching). Early Buddhist symbols which remain important today include the Dhamma wheel, the Indian lotus, the three jewels, Buddha footprint, and the Bodhi Tree.
Buddhism symbolism is intended to represent the key values of the Buddhist faith. The popularity of certain symbols has grown and changed over time as a result of the evolution of its followers' ideologies. Research has shown that the aesthetic perception of the Buddhist gesture symbol positively influenced perceived happiness and life satisfaction.
View the full Wikipedia page for Buddhist iconography