When I empty out intentions and relax in meditation, what is this force that moves my body in complex patterns? For example, when I let go for a bit I start walking and making circles and doing movements with my hands (mudras), and even martial arts type of moves with intricacy and intelligence. There is a force making me doing it and I feel my body following energies like a magnet. So the questions are: 1) why does it happen? 2) what am I suppose to do with it? 3) is this like wu wei of taoism or Tibetan Buddhist Shamans channeling spirits?

I have seen images of Buddha in different mudras like karana mudra etc on the Internet. However I have not read about any mudras in suttas. My question is : Is there any Sutta which talks about mudras to practice ?

As I see and learn there are typically two different positions of palms and hand that I see people meditating in. One is keeping the palms turned up and kept on knees like this picture; which is a classic yoga pose and the other way is to keep the palms in your lap with thumb tips touching each other, like this; the classic zen pose. When I meditate I keep on changing between these two, as I feel comfortable. The two poses yield different mindfulness for me. I think, most of the Buddhist meditate like the second pose, but the first one also yields better meditative awareness. I want to ask are there any instructions in the suttas about this. Is there a Buddhist pose and Non-Buddhist pose?

What raised mudra is depicted on this particular Buddha rupa at the London Peace Pagoda and what does it mean? Also, which Buddha is this?

Do Buddhists use the Shambhawi mudra ? What kind of tradition use it and for which purpose? (if possible with some references)

For meditation purpose, and for appeasing suffering, I think I need a symbol associated with renouncement. Is there a mudra that would particularly fit with this idea ? Or a symbol that would come to your mind ?

The question regarding the gesture while sitting for meditation has always intrigued me. When I tried to ask this to a Vipassana teacher in my 10-day course, he put it off saying I should concentrate on meditation first without worrying about these matters. Does it mean that it doesn't make any difference? I personally use the dhyana mudra (fore-finger touching the thumb in a circle, and other three fingers straight out) while sitting cross-legged. But in many of Buddha's statues, I've seen him keep the left hand over right, and in some others, thumb touching forefinger and hand kept straight across the chest gestures. Want to know from advanced practitioners, what do the Buddha's postures indicate? More importantly, does having a certain gestures have any good or bad effect on our vipassana practice?

At the Buddha's enlightenment, he pointed to the earth or touched the earth, meaning the earth (or world) was adequate witness to his spiritual accomplishment or new status, or, perhaps the only witness that would be acceptable to Mara. Mara accepted the witness. I do not understand the principle or truth of this event. Earth or the world seems to be personified in some way, or endowed with a capacity to accept or reject a plea for witnessing. Explanations and clarifications would be greatly appreciated. Thx.

In Suzuki's "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" (online copy here ), instruction is given on how to form the specific hand position (mudra) when meditating. He advocates "put[ting] your left hand on top of your right." This is the position I have been using in my short months of meditating, and is the position also taught to me at my local Zen center. However, this resource , by Ven. Mahathera Nauyane Ariyadhamma, advocates the opposite: "back of the right hand over the palm of the left." Question: why the difference? and, Does it even matter?

This is a practice question. I know both Mahayana buddhists and Vajrayana buddhists use mudras. In the former they show up in inconography, and hand resting positions while meditating, in the later it's part of elaborate rituals. How are mudras used in lay and monastic practice in Mahayana? Outside of being a step in larger rituals, how are mudras used in lay and monastic practice in Vajrayana?

In Buddhist iconography the figures are illustrated or depicted with various hand gestures. The symbolic hand gestures are called mudras. What is the significance of a Buddhist mudra? What are the various meanings for different popular mudras? Courtesy of Jordan Courtesy of