Samadhi Buddha Statue

The Samadhi Statue is a statue situated at Mahamevuna Park in Anuradhapura,Sri Lanka. The Buddha is depicted in the position of the Dhyana Mudra, the posture of meditation associated with his first Enlightenment, also called Nirvana. Whether the Buddha's Enlightenment was the experience technically called Samadhi, or some other phenomenon, may depend upon the philosophical allegiance of the believer. In the Dhyana Mudra the Buddha sits cross - legged with his upturned palms placed one over the other on his lap. This position is universally known throughout the Buddhist world, and this statue is therefore one of the most typical pieces of Buddhist sculpture. It is not to be confused with the very similar "Earth-Touching Mudra," which depicts the simple action the Buddha took to fend off the illusions projected by Mara, who was desperate to prevent the Buddha from realizing that his, Mara's, projections, and with them the entire world, are an illusion. This statue is 8 feet in height and carved from granite.

Samadhi - a state of inner communion with the object of contemplation - is one of the ultimate stages of Buddhist spiritual practice. To this day, whether local Sri Lankans or visiting dignitaries, supplicants place flowers at the base of the divinely beautiful 5th century Samadhi Buddha statue, situated amongst the extensive remains of the ancient religious city of Anuradhapura.

This Pilima Vahanse is said to belong to the Abeygiriya period of the 3rd or 4th century of Sri Lanka’s history. It is not known in whose period of rule it was sculptured but is thought to be one of four similar statues facing the North, South, East and West- this faces North.