Mudra Chart Pdf

In this guide, we will look at the best Buddhist mudras, including:

1. Mudras Chart Pdf
2. List Of Mudras And Meanings
3. Mudra Chart Pdf Files
4. Yoga Hand Mudras Pdf
5. Mudra Hand Positions And Meanings

THE MUDRAS Mudras for the Body, Mind, and Soul 58 Spiritual Mudras 143 The Mudras of Hatha Yoga 166 Part Three PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Mudra Exercises 176 How to Create Your Own Mudra 190 What a Mudra Cannot Do 191. 'MUDRA is a refinancing Institution. MUDRA does not lend directly to the micro entrepreneurs / individuals. Mudra loans under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) can be availed of from nearby branch office of a bank, NBFC, MFIs etc. Borrowers can also now file online application for MUDRA loans on Udyamimitra portal (www.udyamimitra.in).

• Yoga Mudras Picture Gallery Understanding Yoga Mudras. An important aspect of yoga is the subtle, but key practice of hand, body and eye postures, to invoke certain flows of energy and create certain states of consciousness, called yoga mudras.
• Mudra (Sanskrit: मुद्रा) literally means 'seal', 'brand' or 'gesture', it is a symbolic gesture used in Tantric rituals of both Hindu and Buddhist tradition.The mudras can be performed with the whole body but most are performed with the hands. Mudras are part of a system that uses the body to express and emphasize the intentions of the mind.

• Abhaya
• Bhumisparsha
• Vitarka
• Dharmachakra
• Dhayana
• Vajra
• Varada
• Karana
• Cosmic

In my ultimate list of mudras, I revealed everything Buddhists need to know about the history, science, and background of these hand gestures.

Buddhist Mudras are a way of training the mind and of healing the body. In particular, they train the mind to follow the ways of Dharma, the 'path'. You might like to combine these with other mudras for the mind.

Let's take a look at the top 7 Buddhist mudras.

Buddhist Mudras That All Buddhists Should know

There are 7 essential Buddhist mudras that you need to know.

• Also, read my guide to the best mudras for health and fitness.

1. Abhaya Mudrā

The Abhaya mudra (Fearless gesture) is a Buddhist way of removing fear from your mind.

Imagine living without fear.

You would be infinite and limitless. You would be completely free.

That's what the Abhaya mudra is all about. It removes fear from the mind and replaces it with inner peace.

Meaning

Abhaya mudra has a very important meaning.

The word Abhaya is Sanskrit for 'Fearless.' This isn't fear in the modern sense though. It's fear that includes stress, anxieties, worries and so on.

The gesture is ancient and has a clear body language meaning too. By showing that the hand is empty the individual shows friendship and peace. In the west, the gesture could easily be confused with a Stop sign. And this is important.

The gesture stops the pressures of the outside world from entering the mind.

In Buddhism, the Abhaya mudra shows the power of the Buddha or Bodhisattva and their fearlessness. It is said that this is the gesture made by the Buddha after finding enlightenment. The Buddha used the gesture again when close to being attacked by an elephant. It is said that on seeing the gesture the animal calmed and ceased its attack.

Position

1. To make the gesture, hold your hand at shoulder height with the palm facing outwards.
2. It is usual for the opposite hand to be positioned in the gift-giving position (varada).
3. See 'Varada mudra' below so you know how to hold the other hand.

Benefits

The Abhaya mudra creates a feeling of fearlessness and protection.

It is very empowering and will stabilise individuals and create calm and security.

Try it now. Do you feel the power and fearlessness in your mind when you hold your hand in this position? Notice how powerful it is. You can actually feel its effect within a few moments of doing it.

Abhaya mudra immediately grounds us and restores our power.

The fearlessness this hand gesture produces is invaluable.

Living with a fearless mind is essential for enlightenment. And it's essential in everyday life too.

The most successful and happiest people are those without fear. People like Buddha, Gandhi… they were fearless. And they made the impossible happen.

2. Bhūmisparsśa Mudrā

The Buddhist hand gesture for enlightenment is Bhumisparsha. And we can combine this with the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, because both represent the path leading to enlightenment.

The Bhumisparsha Mudra (Earth-Witness gesture) is one of the most important hand gestures in Buddhism.

Buddha found enlightenment while he was using Budhimsparsha mudra (Earth-Touching gesture).

One day, the Buddha, Siddartha Guatama, was sitting meditating by the Bodhi tree when he was attacked by the demon called Mara along with Mara's monsters.

The attackers hoped to frighten Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) from his place under the Bodhi tree. But Buddha remained unmoved.

Mara claimed his spiritual successes to be greater than Buddha's and took his place under the tree.

'I am his witness' cried Mara's monsters.

'Who will speak for you?' said Mara to Siddhartha.

Siddhartha reached his right hand down to touch the earth.

The earth roared, 'I bear you witness.'

Mara disappeared.

It was then Siddhartha Gautama realised enlightenment.

Meaning

All Buddhist mudras have a specific meaning.

The Bhumisparsha mudra ('Bhumi-sparsha') literally means 'Touch the Earth Gesture'. There is symbolism involved in the name too. It represents steadfastness, the Earth representing the grounding the Buddha needed in order to not be swayed by Mara.

Each hand also represents something in its own right:

• The right hand reaching down to touch earth represents upaya (skilful means) [1]
• The left hand on the lap represents prajna (wisdom).

Position

• I recommend you start by learning how to do Zazen.

1. Sit comfortably with good posture
2. Close your eyes and meditate for a few moments.
3. Now hold your left hand open on your lap, palm facing upwards.
4. Place your right hand over your leg so that your fingertips touch the earth.
5. Meditate in this position for 30 minutes.

Benefits

• Helps to calm the mind
• Promotes meditation and makes it easier to focus when meditating.
• The left palm facing upwards is a very calming position. If you place both your hands upwards on your lap (try it now) you will notice that you feel more accepting and more relaxed.
• The fingers reaching down and touching the earth also help you to feel more grounded.
• For Buddhists, it is symbolic of such an important time in the life of Buddha and makes us feel more connected to Buddha.

3. Dharmachakra Mudrā

Dharmachakra Mudra can be translated from Sanskrit to mean 'Wheel of Dharma'. This is one of the most important of all Buddhist mudras.

The Dharmachakra Mudra represents the moment when Buddha preached his first sermon in Deer Park after attaining enlightenment. The event is often considered the moment that 'Set the wheel in motion.' Hence why this is called the Dharmachakra Mudra or 'Wheel of Dharma' gesture.

You have probably seen Buddha statues in which Buddha is holding his hands in this position.

So what does it mean and how do you do it?

Instructions

Follow these instructions for the Dharmachakra Mudra, then meditate on the breath for 10 minutes while holding the gesture.

1. Place the tip of the index finger of both hands on the tip of the thumb.
2. Hold your hands up at heart level with the left hand in front of the right.
3. Turn the right palm to face outwards
4. Turn the left palm to face inwards
5. Meditate in this position for ten minutes. Try it now.

Benefits

• Promotes spirituality
• Balances and stabilises energy and emotion
• Calming

4. Dhyāna Mudrā

The Dhyana Mudra can be a single hand or double hand gesture.

When used in the single hand style the left hand is placed on the lap in Dhyana Mudra, and the right hand may be placed elsewhere. In this fashion it represents wisdom. Objects such as a singing bowl or text may be placed in the left hand.

Position

The double-handed Dhyana Mudra has both hands placed on the thighs or held at stomach height.

The left hand is placed below the right, palms up, fingers extended. The thumbs may optionally be moved to touch each other lightly at the tips in order to form a mystic triangle.

The mystic triangle represents the Three Jewels of Buddhism.

Benefits:

There are three key reasons for using the Dhyana Mudra: focus on the Good Law, aid in meditation, and heightening spirituality.

5. Varada Mudrā

Meaning

In Buddhist training, it is important to remove anger from the mind.

This hand gesture helps.

Varada is Sanskrit for Favourable. Varada Mudra means 'Favourable Gesture.'

This hand gesture is shown in welcoming. It evokes feelings of compassion, charity and honesty. It is often seen on spiritual figures who are dedicated to freeing themselves from greed and anger and helping others.

Instructions

Sit in lots position

The right hand may adopt a different gesture if you like, or simply rest it on your thigh.

Place your left hand in your lap, the palm curved slightly and facing upwards.

Benefits

The Varada Mudra opens the mind to compassion and love. It is excellent for freeing oneself from greed, anger and possessiveness.

6. Vajra

Vajra mudra is the Buddhist gesture for self-confidence. It is made by wrapping the fist of the right hand around the forefinger of the left hand. The tip of the right forefinger should touch the tip of the left forefinger.

Vajra mudra is called the gesture of the six elements and the fist of wisdom.

Meaning

Vajroli symbolises the five worldly elements (earth, water, fire, air, and metal) in harmony with the consciousness. This gesture belongs to an Esoteric Buddhist (Shingon) called Dainichi Nyorai (Vairochana). [3]

An alternative is Bodhiyanga, which is made by enclosing the raised thumb of the left fist in the four clenched fingers of the right fist

7. Vitarka

Vitarka is a great psychospiritual hand gesture.

Let's get some perspective on this one :

Vitarka mudra explained

The Vitarka mudra is one of the Buddhist mudras. It has fantastic psychoglogical benefits for the practitioner. Vitarka literally means 'Discussion'. This hand gesture helps the mind to enter a more agreeable, friendly state.

Steps

The Vitarka mudra is remarkably similar to the Abhaya mudra, which is the gesture for fearlessness.

Here's how to do it.

1. Sit somewhere quiet and relax. Cross your legs (or just sit comfortably)
2. Take 20 mindful breaths to relax
3. Place the index finger and thumb together at the tips
4. Hold the other fingers straight.
5. Place your other hand in your lap
6. Meditate for 108 breaths.

Meaning

This hand gesture has a massively important meaning.

Its meaning is expressed through both the name and the hand position.

The name:

• Vitarka means 'Discussion' in Sanskirt
• Mudra means 'Gesture'.
• 'Vitarka mudra' literally means ‘Gesture for discussion'.

The hand position means a lot too:

Put your hands in the position using the steps above.

Do you feel the energy between your thumb and forefinger? That energy stimulates the mind to increase our ability to learn.

The palm is facing outwards as though welcoming the energy of the outside world.

The other three fingers are held straight up, which stimulates energy in the fingers.

If you hold this hand position you will feel positive, calming energy and you will feel more connected to the outside world.

Let's take a look at the benefits of Vitarka.

Benefits

• Promotes the energy of teaching and of discussion
• Helps to prevent us from entering argumentative states of mind.
• Helps to absorb the teachings of Buddha
• Cultivates calming energy that is useful for reducing internal conflict.
• Opens the mind to intellectual conversation
• Evokes a feeling of silent wisdom.

8. Karana Mudrā

Karana mudra is one of the best hand gestures for depression.

Karana mudra (otherwise called the 'Gesture For Warding Off Evil') is an easy way to stop anxiety, stress and depression.

Stops Anxiety And Depression

The Karana Mudra works by removing what Buddhists call 'obstacles.' In other words, it helps us to overcome negativity.

Obstacles include things like negative thoughts and feelings of unhappiness or anxiety.

But Karana mudra is not only for depression.

We all suffer from inner conflict:

• fears
• anxieties
• troubles with self-image
• moments of low self-esteem
• anger
• resentment

Even the most enlightened people experience negative states of mind.

Thankfully, we can turn negatives into positives with the Karana mudra.

Instructions

In order to make the Karana Mudra, touch the tip of the third finger to the tip of the thumb.Hold your remaining fingers upwards.

You will notice that this is also the 'Peace' gesture. Turned backwards it become the 'Rock on!' gesture.

Meaning

The Karana Mudra is also called the 'Gesture Warding Off Evil.'

But this does not refer to 'Evil' in the usual sense.

It's more about removing impurities and negatives from the mind.

When we remove these obstacles, we get one step close to enlightenment.

9. Cosmic Mudra / Hokkaijoin

If you have ever tried Zen meditation technique you have probably used Cosmic mudra, the Zen gesture.

And if you've never tried Zen meditation you might have seen monks sitting crossed-legged with their hands cupped together. What's that all about?

Cosmic mudras (Zen gesture) is a hand position that is used to create calm and focus when meditating.

Let's take a look at how to do Cosmic mudra and what it's used for. You might be surprised by some of the health benefits of Cosmic mudra!

Instructions

It is very easy to perform cosmic mudra.

Here's how to do it:

1. Put your left hand on top of your right hand
2. Turn your palms upwards towards the sky
3. Touch your thumbs together in a straight line
4. Let your wrists relax so that they come to rest on your thighs
5. Let the edge of your hands rest against your belly

Benefits

There are two main benefits of cosmic mudra.

The first benefit is that the Cosmic Mudra brings balance and harmony to your mind. The gesture actually means 'to move beyond duality'.

Cosmic mudra helps you to focus. If your focus drifts your hand position will change and you will notice it. So, this serves as a notice saying, 'You're losing focus. Concentrate'.

The Conscious Life tells us, 'The cosmic mudra helps to bring your attention inward and is useful when you are trying to increase self-awareness.'

Leave a comment and remember to subscribe to our newsletter.

SOURCES:

Mudra – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudra

Mudras of the Great Buddha – Stanford University https://web.stanford.edu/class/history11sc/pdfs/mudras.pdf

Sign-Up For Our Free Newsletter & Support Our Mission

Overview:

Mudras have been used in Indian theater and dance performance for centuries and have become a part of a larger culture of gestures through time. The process of the mudra employs the body to explain and perform concepts in an easy to understand way, that is available to everyone in an audience.

History of the Mudra

There are many different types of Mudras and uses for them in Indian culture. Mudras can be classified as a single-hand mudra, a joint-hand mudra, or a dance mudra that uses the entire body. There are also many different uses for mudras such as religious use, health use, and dance and performance use (Nair, n.d.).

Natyashastra

The origin of Indian theater is told about in the 'Natyashastra' which translates to 'The Drama Manual.' According to the manual, the art form of theater was created by the God Brahma. At the time, there were four Vedas, which are old scriptural texts in India. Brahma created the fifth Veda so that all could understand it. This turned into the Natya Veda. This was then used in forms of dance. The Natyashastra also created the idea of the Rasa and Bhava. The Bhava refers to the emotion that the dancer or actor portrays in their performance whereas the Rasa refers to how the Bhava makes the audience feel. The Rasa is the emotion that the audience obtains as a reflection of the Bhava. These became basics for performance in Indian culture and led the way for mudras to become part of the performance (Bharata and His Natyashastra, 2018).

Mudra is Sanskrit for 'seal' or 'mark.' This process actually has origins in Buddhist and Hindu religious practices as well as in the Natyashastra. Mudras are commonly used in meditation, devotional practices, and yoga. It is thought that performing mudras has a greater connection. They allow one to connect with different areas of their health and spiritual being. A theory of how the mudras came into the religious context is actually that they were used as a point of concentration during the chanting of the Vedas (scriptural texts) like the Vedas that were pointed out in the reference of the Natyashastra. Eventually, the mudras began to be used in ritual dances and performances as a way to portray the gods and to explain feelings or happenings. They also were thought to connect people and performers to a greater truth. They were able to unlock spiritual knowing and sentiments that other forms of prayer and worship had not yet done so. (Mudra, 2019).

Bharatanatyam

This is one of the seven classic styles of Indian dance and is one of the ways that we see mudras most commonly performed today. It is the oldest of the dance forms and the most widely performed. It has its origins in religion as well, as it was formed in the temples of Tamil Nadu for worship. However, over the last century, it has been updated for the use of the stage. Most commonly, the performance of the Mudra is used in dance numbers like in Video 1 below. These dance numbers are often Bharatanatyam. It combines facial expressions with quick movements and bodily gestures to add to what is seen in the performance. Of course, there are many performances of Bharatanatyam outside of the theater, but when the two are combined it is used as an interlude of sorts to re-explain the story in a new way to the audience (About Bharatanatyam, n.d.).

Yoga

As mentioned before, mudras are commonly used in yoga, rituals, and self-care today. Most of the mudras used in yoga are Hasta Mudras, or hand mudras. It is said that the use of them 'directs the flow of energy into the body and help to stimulate the brain' (Madani, 1970). In yoga, the five fingers all have a specific connection. The thumb is fire; the pointer finger is air; the middle finger is space; the ring finger is earth; the pinky is water. These are used to ground the basis of certain mudras. An example of a common mudra used in yoga is thePrithvi Mudra. This is done by connecting the tip of the ring finger to the thumb and is often seen during times of meditation. It is said that this mudra lessens fatigue, balances the elements in the body, heightens self-confidence, and opens the mind. The figure below also shows and describes more mudras that are often used in self-care and yoga practices (Madani, 1970).

Mudras as a Gestural Language

Mudras were eventually used not just in rituals or as a connection with the body, but to tell stories. When Sanskrit was being used as the predominant written language of the culture, there were many people who were not actually able to read it. As a way to bypass the issue of illiteracy in Sanskrit, the gestural language was formed. Many of the mudras have multiple meanings that depend on the context of the story and are meant to be decoded by the viewer. Either way, the gestures made it easier to tell stories and have been added into Indian Theater performances as well as Indian dance, such as Bharatanatyam. In some dance performances, mudras are used for both the purpose of emotion and to tell stories. In the video below, many common gestural mudras that would often come up in stories are explained and shown (The Secret Language of Hands, n.d.).

An interesting point to note about the mudras in the video is how they can be very specific. For example, during the time of 0:30 – 1:15 in the video, all of the mudras being shown are about flags. Pataaka is a flag. Tripataaka is a flag with three colors. Ardha pataaka is half of a flag. The changes in these three start out small, but then by the time the Ardha pataaka is formed, the gesture looks to be very different from where it started, yet it is still related (Kalavenue, 2013).

This video is also about Asamyuta Hastas specifically. That means one handed gestures or mudras instead of two handed or full body mudras. The narrative nature is more noticeably present in the one-handed hastas over the ones that use more of the body. The greater use of the body is often for the display of emotion to the audience rather than to just describe something with a simple gesture such as the Asamyuta Hastas (Kalavenue, 2013).

Mudras In the Theater

Why does the use of the mudra matter in the theater? The mudra has now become integrated into Indian performance. In fact, many cultures have developed a gesture form similar to the mudra in their own performances. The use of gestures, whether they be full body, two hands, or single handed Hastas, narrates a part of the story and evokes certain emotions in the audience. In Indian theater especially, the grounding from the Natyashastra and religious practices gives mudras an untouchable place in the performance. It is just as much a part of what is happening on stage as any dance number, song, costume, or act.

What does this mean?

If one has not noticed through reading this, there seem to be many variations as to where the mudras actually came from and what constitutes them. Throughout my research, I had come across sources that tried to define how many mudras there were, what they meant and how to go about them. For example, a source said that the Natyashastra laid out a specific 66 mudras among its pages. However, looking at the yoga, or ritualistic mudras, these seem to be of an entirely different sort. On one end, these mudras are used to constitute emotions; on the other, they portray certain objects; somewhere in between, they can be used for healing. This not only leaves one questioning of course what the truth is in the somewhat muddled origins of mudras, but what exactly these bodily movements can mean for us.

In order for there to be so many variations on the same idea, somewhere along the way, it must have been agreed upon that mudras are an important factor in everyday life and performance. People likely came upon a realization of the ability of the human body to portray a multitude of concepts. There is so much that can be added to a performance by being fully engaged not just intellectually, but physically as well. The re-introduction and creation of multiple kinds of mudras throughout Indian culture shows that.

The purpose of the body in performance is ever growing and seemingly endless. To what end or what origin exactly may be foreseeably still in question. Nevertheless, there is no questioning that gestural practices like the use of mudras will continually have their place in theater and the practice of living in itself.

Works Cited:

Figure 1:

Lally, Brendan. Sitara Thobani Odissi classical dance mudra India. 10 February 2011. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sitara_Thobani_Odissi_classical_dance_mudra_India_(19).jpg. Accessed 25 March 2019. Licensed under CC BY 2.0

Figure 2:

Mudras Chart Pdf

Dan, Mirahorian. Mudra 456. 8 January 2008. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/4jrC91. Accessed 25 March 2019. Licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Video 1:

IndianRaga. 'Shiva Shambho: Most Watched Bharatanatyam Dance | Best of Indian Classical Dance.' YouTube, 15 Sept. 2017, http://youtu.be/JWhA3ldZcyY.

Video 2:

Kalavenue. 'Bharatanatyam – Learn Asamyuta Hasta [HD] (Video Lesson for Beginners).' YouTube, 7 July 2013, youtu.be/Y_vUCoufnws.

'About Bharatanatyam.' Sadhana Dance Theater, www.sadhanadancetheater.com/about-bharata-natyam. Accessed 5 April 2019.

List Of Mudras And Meanings

'Bharata and His Natyashastra |.' Asian Traditional Theatre & Dance, 22 Feb. 2018, disco.teak.fi/asia/bharata-and-his-natyashastra/.

Mudra Chart Pdf Files

Gerould, Daniel. Theatre, Theory, Theatre. Applause, 2003.

Madani, Linda. '23 Sep The Meaning of Hasta (Hand) Mudras.' Intuitive Flow, 23 Sept. 1970, www.intuitiveflow.com/the-magic-of-the-hand-mudras/.

'Mudra.' Mudra – New World Encyclopedia, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mudra. Accessed 5 April 2019.

Yoga Hand Mudras Pdf

Nair, Sreenath. 'Mudra: Choreography in hands.' :: Body, Space & Technology Journal:: http://people.brunel.ac.uk/bst/vol1102/sreenathnair/home.html.

Mudra Hand Positions And Meanings

'The Secret Language of Hands.' Esplanade.com, www.esplanade.com/discover-and-learn/insight/secret-language-of-hands.