32 Physical characteristics of the Buddha

Buddha attained parinirvana almost two thousand and five hundred years ago. Those who lived during the era of the Dharma’s end did not have the opportunity to see his golden face and physical characteristics up close.

The main characteristics that were visible at first glance and the secondary characteristics invisible but which aroused in every man sympathy and the pleasure. It is mentioned in the canonical texts that Buddha has thirty-two main characteristics and eighty secondary characteristics.

The thirty-two main characteristics are as follows:

1. Flat soles, no arch
2. Thousand Spoke Wheel Mark Underfoot
3. Thin and long fingers, white as snow
4. Flexible arms and legs
5. Finely webbed toes and fingers
6. Full Heels
7. Feet of equal thickness, full length
8. Flesh as fine and soft as that of the royal deer
9. Dangling arms, hands fall lower than arms. knees
10. Well retracted male organ
11. Arm height and stretch, equal
12. Dark hairiness
13. Graceful and Curly Body Hair
14. Golden color body
15. Ten foot aura body
16. Soft and smooth skin
17. Well-rounded feet, hands, shoulders and skull
18. Full Armpits
19. Dignified and majestic bearing
20. Straight body
21. Full and rounded shoulders
22. Forty Teeth
23. White and jointed teeth
24. Regular and equal teeth
25. Cheeks full like a lion’s
26. Saliva improves the taste of all foods
27. Long and Wide Tongue
28. Deep and sonorous voice
29. Eyes of dark color and crystal clear like the sea
30. Extraordinary eyelashes
31. Light radiating between the eyebrows
32. Fleshy protuberance on the top of the head.

It is said in the sutras:

“It takes a hundred kalpas to cultivate the physical characteristics and three ásañkhya to perfect merits and wisdom “.

The thirty-two physical characteristics of Buddha are not innate, but due to the practice of ninety-one kalpas.

According to the Adornment by Hundred Happiness Sutra, one must practice a hundred happiness’s to acquire a physical characteristic, and even that of the tongue, long and wide, requires an accumulation billions of times of “without lying”, in order to be acquired.

Thus, to learn Buddhism, one must diligently cultivate merits and wisdom, to obtain accomplished fruits.

Hand painted Thangka of Shakyamuni Buddha

Shakyamuni Buddha traditional thangka painting is a beautiful hand-painted thangka in cotton canvas. Shakyamuni is known as Gautam buddha.

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