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Buddha literally means "enlightend" or "the enlightend one". It is the Past Participle of the Sanskrit root ''budh'', i.e. "to awaken" or "to become aware". In Buddhism , a Buddha ( Sanskrit , Pāli ) is any being that has become fully Enlightened , has permanently overcome Anger , Greed , and Ignorance , and has achieved complete liberation from Suffering , better known as Nirvana . It is commonly used to refer to Siddhartha Gautama , the historical founder of Buddhism. Generally, Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama to have been the only Buddha. The word ''Buddha'' is simply a title that means 'The Awakened One'. A Buddha is considered anyone who has become Enlightened (i.e. having awakened to the truth, or ''Dharma''), and experienced a state of Nirvana . Hence, Siddhartha Gautama , also known as ''Shakyamuni Buddha'' is in fact one of many such beings who have existed in the past, and will continue to exist in the future. Some Buddhists believe the next great Buddha will be one named Maitreya . While anyone can become Enlightened and experience Nirvana , some Buddhist texts such as the Lotus Sutra imply that all beings will become Buddhas at some point in time. Sravaka Buddhas (Pali: ''Savaka-Buddhas'') experience Nirvana by hearing the Dharma as passed on from a Samyaksam-Buddha. This includes many of the disciples of the Historical Buddha, who according to the sutras, heard the teachings of the Historical Buddha and would immediately gain Enlightenment. In Mahayana Buddhism, this is also a synonym for an Arhat . Pratyeka Buddhas (Pali: ''Pacceka-Buddha'', sometimes called Silent Buddhas) are similar to Samyaksam-Buddhas in that they attain Nirvana , however unlike the Samyaksam-Buddha, they are unable or unwilling to teach the Dharma to others. ETERNAL BUDDHA The idea of an everlasting Buddha is a notion popularly associated with the Mahayana scripture, the , of which the Buddha is said to be an embodiment. Dynasty sculpture of Amitabha Buddha, found in the Hidden Stream Temple Cave, Longmen Grottoes , China indicates.]] The doctrine of an eternal Buddha is not, however, a feature of Theravada Buddhism . Theravada, or The School of the Elders, claims to preserve the original teachings of the Buddha from the First Council Of Buddhism . Theravada Buddhism places great value on the Master's words that 'none is eternal', and believes that even the life of an enlightened one does indeed have an end. Interestingly, The Buddha described Nirvana as neither existing, nor ''not-existing'', so what does occur after a Buddha passes away is something known only to the Buddhas. Also appearing in Theravada Buddhism is the notion of Anatta as one of the 'trilakshana' (the three characteristics of reality). This embodies the idea that there is no definite, fixed, unchanging entity constituting a "person" that passes from one life to the next; Theravadin interpretation (along with that of most, if not all, Buddhist schools) of " Anatta " also denies the existence of a fixed, unchanging, ever-enduring personal soul. The concept in place of the soul is the 'Bhava' ("becoming"), which is an ongoing flow of karmically projected energies that derive from, and give rise to, volitional thoughts and emotion. . NAMES OF THE BUDDHAS In most Theravada countries it is the custom for Buddhists to hold elaborate festivals to honor 28 Buddhas. depicts the spiritual leader on the verge of death.]] , northern Pakistan , 1st Century AD .]] The following are the names of 28 Buddhas: DEPICTIONS OF BUDDHA IN ART Buddhas are frequently represented in the form of statues. Commonly seen designs include: statue of a seated Buddha. Kurunegala , Sri Lanka .]]
Most depictions of Buddha contain a certain number of ''markings'', which are considered the signs of his enlightenment. These signs vary regionally, but three are common:
The poses and hand-gestures of these statues, known respectively as Asana s and Mudra s, are significant to their overall meaning. The popularity of any particular mudra or asana tends to be region-specific, such as the '' Vajra '' (or ''Chi Ken-in'') mudra, which is popular in Japan and Korea but rarely seen in India . Others are more universally common, for example, the ''Varada'' (Wish Granting) mudra is common among standing statues of the Buddha, particularly when coupled with the ''Abhaya'' (Fearlessness and Protection) mudra. The Buddha statue shown calling for rain is a pose rarely found outside of Laos . Another very rare Buddha statue is the so-called 'Emaciated Buddha' which shows Siddartha Gautama during the ascetic phase of his life, starving himself in meditation. SOURCES
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