buddha statues Archives -

Wood Artists of Cambodia

January 26th, 2023

I first met Chandreas 18 years ago. He was a 12-year-old boy helping his mother in their wood statue business, struggling with English. Upon arriving in Cambodia and having him greet me after a 5-year hiatus I was amazed at the man he has become. His mother has passed away and now it is just Chandreas, his sister, and his father, Prou Kea running the business.

Chandreas sells wood statues and panels of Hindu and Buddhist motifs carved from recycled wood. The wood is from old houses, beds, and even pagodas. The wood panels are made from wood planks that are used for beds and the larger statues are carved into the thick old pillars of houses. The wood is an old, slow-growing, dense wood that is illegal to cut down anymore in Cambodia. You can feel the weight of the statue when you pick them up. They feel dense.

I love nothing more than looking through his shop, searching in the corners for the old pieces that have a good layer of dust on them, and listening to Chandreas tell tales about what the story is behind the statue or where the wood is from.

We took a trip out to where the statues are made on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. It is a big, open area just littered with sawdust and half-carved statues. The 68-year-old Prou Kea greeted me. We spent the next two hours together climbing through his shop digging in corners to find some hidden gems even he forgot about. He showed me the raw pillars that the statues are carved from and the wood planks used for the panels from old beds. A great find was 4 antique ox cart wheels that are from French colonial times and an antique rice mortar used for pounding the husk off of rice.

After we finished looking through the workshop, Chandreas’s uncle and some of his father’s friends were enjoying the afternoon next to a smokey fire, so I decided to join them.

We spent the afternoon eating salty, dried fish, and dried buffalo with ginger and stir-fried duck while drinking a fair amount of beer. On each sip of beer, everyone put their glasses together saying “Some Chul muy!” which is a respectful way of saying, cheers. The whole time I am grinning ear to ear thinking how fortunate I am to be here at that moment.

While writing this, I am watching Prou’s video where he is talking about the old wood and he is just a wonderful man. They have a wonderful family. I am honored to be associated with people like this.

New Shipment Just In From Thailand!

Another new shipment has just arrived! These incredible lost wax method Thai Brass statues will be posted to the site soon.

Check out the video below for a glimpse at what’s to come!

Here are the links to where the newThai Brass statues will be posted.

New Arrivals ~ we post new statues daily!

Thai Brass Buddha Statues

If you are searching for something specific please don’t hesitate to email kyle@ lotussculpture.com to ask if we have it. We just may!

Postures of the Buddha

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The Buddha is often depicted within art and sculpture holding many different poses or postures. A lot of times these poses include specific hand gestures as well as positioning of the legs. Many people wonder the meanings behind these certain hand gestures and seated positions. The Buddha is often seen with either his ankles tucked, called the Double Lotus position, or with one leg resting atop the other which is called a Single Lotus position. These seated positions are in combination with certain hand gestures called Mudras.

One such posture that is commonly seen is the Buddha sitting with crossed legs (Double Lotus) and both hands resting palms up upon his knees. This stance represents meditation and is the most common posture due to the Buddha’s enlightenment through meditation underneath the Bodhi Tree. This stance, called the Meditation Buddha, represents inner wisdom, emotional stability, and clarity of the mind.

Another important posture is that of the Buddha with legs crossed (Double Lotus), left hand resting face up within his lap, and right hand pointing to the ground with his palm facing towards him. This pose is regarded as the Buddha calling the earth as witness to the moment he reached enlightenment. This stance, called the Enlightenment Buddha, signifies gaining insight, achieving great character, and having self-discipline.

Here are a few more common postures of the Buddha:

Protection Buddha: The Buddha sits in either Double or Single Lotus position with right hand raised facing outward and left hand in the lap. This position represents having courage and offers the bearer protection against fear, delusion, and anger.

Teaching Buddha: The Buddha sits in a Double Lotus position with hands up at chest level. His hands form a circle by joining thumbs and index fingers with the right palm facing in and the left facing out. This position brings about wisdom, understanding, and finding the truth behind your life’s path.

Contemplation Buddha: The Buddha stands with legs together and both arms against the chest, palms in, and right hand on top of the right. This pose represents patient understanding.

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The Two Schools of Buddhism: Mahayana & Theravada

Many do not know that there are two major schools of thought within Buddhism. Just as Christianity is split into different sects such as Catholicism and Protestantism, so too is the Buddhist Religion. These two differing schools are known as Theravada and Mahayana.

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Theravada Buddhism is a school of thought that stresses the need to follow the teachings of elders. They believe that the longer practicing monks have gained more wisdom; therefore their teachings should be very highly regarded. Younger Theravada monks are passed on with teachings of those that came before them. The main goal of those who practice Theravada Buddhism is to become free of suffering. Shedding the chains of suffering is the ultimate attainment in their eyes. Typically Theravada is practiced in more eastern areas of Asia such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma.

Mahayana Buddhism on the other hand stresses the importance of following the Buddhas teachings to go out into the world and spread the Dharma to others. They are much more teaching oriented, believing that one’s own worship is just as important as spreading wisdom on to others. Mahayana literally translates to mean ‘the Great Vehicle’ which is metaphor for the spreading of Buddhist teachings throughout the world. Mahayana monks are a vehicle for knowledge, passing that knowledge unto others. These monks are known as Bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhism is mostly practiced in countries such as China, Tibet, Vietnam, and Japan.

Although these schools of thought originate and are practiced widely in the Far East, both schools have made their way into the west. Many westerners may choose one school over the other in their practice, or take principles and examples from both. Both schools are centered around the same teachings but hold special importance on ways to live and practice, one focusing more on individual practice, and the other more on teaching to others.

Buddha as Wandering Ascetic & His Path to Enlightenment

After leaving his Fathers kingdom behind him in renunciation of his former plentiful life as a prince, Siddhartha Gautama began to drift from place to place as a devoted wanderer. In search of the ultimate meaning of life he found and studied with the wisest men of the time. But to his disappointment, no matter how far he traveled, not one knew the answer to ending the suffering that had so greatly affected him.

As his frustration grew, Siddhartha turned to asceticism, an extreme life of deprivation, in hopes that he might find the answers he was looking for. For six years Gautama starved and deprived his soul in search for meaning, hoping that these extreme measures may hold the truth. But soon he found that this new extreme, a life of complete scarcity, nor his previous life of opulence held the answers he was so determined to find. Gautama then decided to take the middle ground. He began to eat and nourish himself again but sought a new path to enrich his soul.

One full moon day within the month of May, Gautama sat beneath a Bodhi tree in a state of deep and unhindered meditation. He decided he would not leave his position beneath the tree until he was able to find the answers he had spent so long seeking.

He was tested constantly by the evil Mara who tried to steer him from his concentration and ultimate goal. Mara sent upon him the temptation of women, the torment of torrential rain and lightning, and armies of weapon clad warriors. But not one was able to sway him from his mission. As he sat beneath the Bodhi tree, Gautama eventually realized the cause of suffering and how to remove it from one’s life. It was then that he became the Buddha, or the Awakened one.

After reaching enlightenment, the Buddha sought to teach his ultimate wisdom to others so that they too may be free of suffering. He went to five holy men and explained his realization, making them his most devoted disciples in spreading his knowledge upon the world. For the next forty five years the Buddha and his disciples traveled throughout India teaching the Dharma to all those who would listen.

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