The various Buddha postures and what they mean
The Buddhist culture is hard to miss wherever you go in Thailand but why are there various Buddha postures, and what do they mean?
Throughout Thailand. no matter where you go, you are likely to see a wide range of Buddha statues. You’ll instantly notice that the various statues are displaying many different poses and this is by no accident.
In fact, there are 7 various poses representing the 7 different days of the week. Each holding a certain significance and representing different personal traits.
Sunday Buddha – Pang Thawai Net
The Sunday Buddha, Pang Thawai Net translates to “Seven Days Looking”. This posture consists of a Buddha standing with across crossed in front with the right hand always covering the left.
It represents a time soon after Buddha obtained enlightenment after he stood for 7 consecutive days in front of a bodhi tree without blinking an eye.
What it means if you were born on a Sunday?
You are deemed to be respectable, loved by both friends and family, and wise.
Likely type of occupation: Professional
Lucky colour: Green
Lucky day: Wednesday
Unlucky colour: Blue
Unlucky day: Friday
Monday Buddha – Pang Ham Yati
The posture of the Monday Buddha is one where the figure is standing with its right hand raised at shoulder height with the palm facing out. It represents Buddha pacifying the relatives after returning from heaven after three months to relatives arguing about waters flowing through their respective lands. Buddha was able to persuade them to compromise.
What it means if you were born on a Monday?
You are a serious individual with a love of travel and an exceptional memory.
Likely type of occupation: Skilled
Lucky Colour: Black
Lucky Day: Saturday
Unlucky Colour: Orange
Unlucky Day: Sunday
Tuesday Buddha – Pang Sai Yat
The Tuesday Buddha is represented by a pose whereby it is lying on its right side with head resting on its right arm and the toes perfectly parallel to each other.
The image represents Buddha making himself bigger than the evil Asura Rahu in a reclining position as to lower the pride of Asura Rahu. Seeing the sheer magnitude of Buddha in this relaxed position led to Asura Rahu succumbing to the Buddha and accepting his teachings.
What it means if you were born on a Tuesday?
It means that you are serious, active and brave.
Likely type of occupation: Quite possibly one in the services
Lucky colour: Yellow
Lucky day: Thursday
Unlucky colour: White
Unlucky day: Monday
Wednesday Buddha – Pang Umbat
The Wednesday Buddha posture is one where it is standing with both hands wrapped around an alms bowl. The statue signifies caring for others. While many initially believed that the statue illustrated a “begging” Buddha – this is in fact not the case. Rather, they collected alms from others which afforded others to acquire merit (i.e. good karma). Unlike the other days of the week, your characteristics are determined by the time of day in which you were born:
What it means if you were born on a Wednesday Morning?
You are polite, emotional and artistic.
Likely type of occupation: Something in the creative fields
Lucky colour: Green
Lucky day: Wednesday Night
Unlucky colour: Pink
Unlucky day: Tuesday
What it means if you were born on a Wednesday evening:
You will likely be honest and hardworking.
Likely type of occupation: Professional
Lucky colour: White
Lucky day: Monday
Unlucky colour: Yellow
Unlucky day: Thursday
Thursday Buddha – Pang Samti
The Thursday Buddha is often referred to as the meditating buddha and is represented in a seated pose with hands resting in the lap. The story goes that having received bundles of grass, Buddha scattered them and remained seated on top vowing to stay seated until completing full enlightenment. Due to his steadfast determination he was able to achieve this.
What it means if you were born on a Thursday?
Generally, a person born on a Thursday will be peaceful, honest and calm which is reflected in the most relaxed of buddha postures.
Likely Type of Occupation: Something in the legal profession
Lucky colour: Orange
Lucky day: Sunday
Unlucky colour: Black
Unlucky day: Saturday
Friday Buddha – Pang Ram Pueng
The Friday Buddha is represented with a statue showing Buddha standing with arms crossed over the chest with the right hand covering the left. This pose symbolizes silent determination and tolerance for others.
What it means if you are born on a Friday?
Those born on a Friday tend to be friendly, ambitious and fun-loving
Likely type of occupation: Celebrities are most likely to be born on a Friday as most entertainers and public figures belong to this category.
Lucky colour: Pink
Lucky day: Tuesday
Unlucky colour: Light Green
Unlucky day: Wednesday Night
Saturday Buddha – Pang Nak Prok
The Saturday Buddha is represented in full lotus position in the midst of meditation under the protection of the Naga Muchalinda. It is said that the pose reflects a time following enlightenment when the Naga King protected a meditating Buddha against exposure to heavy rainfall by using his multi-headed hood for shelter while lifting him above flooded waters using his body.
What it means if you were born on a Saturday?
Normally a person born on a Saturday will be introverted yet calm and logical.
Lucky colour: Blue
Lucky day: Friday
Unlucky colour: Green
Unlucky day: Wednesday during the day
Famous Buddha Statues in Thailand
There are a number of famous buddha statues in Thailand that draw tens of thousands of visitors every year. So which are the ones most worth visiting?
Phuket’s Big Buddha
The 45 metre tall Big Buddha Phuket is amongst the most frequently visited temples in all of Thailand. Perfectly positioned at the top of a hill, the view that this buddha statue provides, especially during sunset hours, is well worth witnessing.
Wat Muang
Impressive due to its size. Wat Muang’s giant Buddha sits at 92 metres tall and is currently listed as the 9th biggest statue in the world. Painted in bright gold, the Buddha feasts its eyes over Ang Thong Province and is quite a sight to behold.
Tiger Cave Temple Buddha
The attraction of the Tiger Cave Temple Buddha largely lies in the location of the statue and the effort it takes to reach its shadows. Sitting on top of a mountain and overlooking the landscape below, to reach the summit where the Buddha rests requires the ascent of 1247 steps. But the view a visitor gets from the summit is well worth it.
Wat Pho’s Reclining Buddha
Wat Pho plays host to the most famous of the Buddha statues that are displaying reclining buddha postures. It is definitely worth a visit to observe the reclining buddha at 46 metres long and offers a different experience to the other recommendations above.
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