Did the Buddha have long ears?
Upvote:1
These marks are historically conditioned, related to the ideal of beauty at that time, or at least of the people writing those lists; seemingly rational arguments for long ears are a part of the idealization game, be they accurate or not. D. Ingram in Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha (pg. 302):
The old Theravada texts go to great lengths to list the 32 interesting physical qualities of the Buddha, such as having 40 teeth and arms so long that he could touch his knees without bending down. It is interesting how things change, as in our modern context that would make him look more to us like a dentally challenged Cro-Magnon than a spiritual superhero, but I digress.
Upvote:3
UPDATE:
The earlobes are elongated, partly to indicate the Buddha is all-hearing and partly as a reminder of the heavy earrings that weighed them down before Siddhartha renounced material things to seek enlightenment.
ref: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2714/why-do-statues-of-buddha-have-long-earlobes
Ah ha, the Ears reference comes from the 80 minor marks: ref: http://news.fjnet.com/english/abcOfBudd/200606/t20060626_30901.htm (credit to yuttadhammo for solving the mystery)
The idea that the Buddha or a Buddha has 32 marks or physical qualities popped up in Buddhism and iconographers followed this list, but long ears isn't on that list.
Upvote:3
- His ears are long like lotus petals.
The Buddha have The 32 Signs of a Great Man and The 80 secondary characteristics. This is one of the 80 minor Characteristics as the the comment by Ven. @yuttadhammo. For further details see: Physical characteristics of the Buddha and Lakkhana Sutta
More post
- π How long would it take to enter 3rd and 4th Satipatthana?
- π Upekkha and Non-attachment in Buddhism
- π Can't notice the breath
- π Ultimate Lack of Discipline
- π Teachings on truthfulness
- π Should Buddhists only cultivate native plants?
- π Odd Effect of Breath Meditation
- π The feeling that one is constantly one step away from enlightenment
- π What are the 10 Bhumis?
- π What is the relationship between TathΔgatagarbha and Buddha Nature?
- π Why does Buddhism use the word "realm" when describing one of the different races?
- π Can long sits be easier than short sits?
- π Are all forms of Dukkha related to a sense of self?
- π On Vipassana: Focus on feeling sensations VS Focus on describing sensations through words
- π Semi-consistent Long Sessions Versus Regular Short Sessions
- π Can the "Senika heresy" be useful?
- π Yatha bhuta and Dhamma
- π Love versus Hatred
- π Finding a Vipassana Teacher in a pandemic
- π What is the difference between Shikantaza and Zazen?
- π Attaining a calm mind
- π Is the Dhamma / morality objective?
- π difference between material pleasure and spirtual happiness
- π Do some, all, or no Mahayanists claim that we are all "bodhisattvas"?
- π Why does the Buddha, in the Pali Canon, periodically engage in harsh speech?
- π How to Develop Insight - Samathayanika
- π Why did Mahayana leave out the Pali Canon?
- π Buddhist perspective how humans can communicate with spirits?
- π Is "doing according to one's best understanding" a protection from wrong-doing?
- π What is the proper Vajra Guru mantra?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- π Did the Buddha have long ears?
- π Did the Buddha have advice about dealing with social anxiety?
- π Did the Buddha have more advice for the lay follower than is typically supposed?
- π Did the Buddha have special instructions to deal with masturbation?
- π What interaction did the Buddha have with his family after leaving?
- π Did the Buddha have intention (cetana)?
- π Are monks allowed to have prescriptions? What did the Buddha say of medicine?
- π Where did the Buddha say: "What a person considers and reflects upon for a long time, to that his mind will bend and incline."?
- π Did the Buddha ever teach that we have a special responsibility to those we have injured?
- π How Lord Buddha did sermon for the people who was long distance
- π Why did the Buddha suffer before he died?
- π Did the Buddha speak Pali? Are the suttas his word verbatim?
- π What language did the Buddha speak?
- π Did the Buddha really say that "life is suffering"?
- π If there is no soul or self, why did the Buddha speak of his past lives?
- π Did the Buddha ever delve on the dangers of one's own spirtual achievements feeding the ego?
- π Did the Buddha ever say something proven wrong later?
- π Did the Buddha ever mention the Upanishads or the Vedas?
- π Why did the Buddha touch the earth at his enlightenment?
- π Where did the Buddha speak of his difficulty in eating almsfood as a Bodhisatta?
- π Did the Buddha say anything about attachment to meditation?
- π Did the Buddha Meditate?
- π Did the Buddha ever talk about his family?
- π Did the Buddha discover jhana by himself?
- π What did the Buddha say about music?
- π Why did physical representations of the Buddha only start to appear a few centuries after his death?
- π Did Buddha go through the stages of sotapanna/sakadagami/anagami before his enlightenment?
- π Do enlighted people cry? Did the Buddha ever cry?
- π Did the Buddha make any reference to Krishna and Gita?
- π Did the Buddha discourage antropomorphic representations of himself?