Mudrā (English spelling)

Japanese: 印契 - いんげい（英語表記）mudrā

A mudra or combination of fingers that indicates the type or characteristics of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. It is also called a mudra or hand gesture. It originally originated from a descriptive gesture of a certain action of Shakyamuni Buddha, but became standardized with the development of esoteric Buddhism. The meaning of mudra is interpreted quite differently in exoteric Buddhism and esoteric Buddhism, with exoteric Buddhism taking it to mean a "sign," while esoteric Buddhism interprets it as a symbolic expression of the enlightenment, vows, and merits of the various Buddhas. Among mudra, symbols that use objects are called mudras, and symbols that use hand shapes are called hand mudras. Representative hand mudras include the exoteric mudra of demon-subduing, the wheel-turning mudra, the meditation mudra, the wish-granting mudra, and the fearlessness-giving mudra of esoteric Buddhism, as well as the twelve-hand gesture of the basic mudra of esoteric Buddhism, and the six types of fist. There are various objects held, including the medicine jar of Medicine Buddha and the lotus of Kannon Bodhisattva.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

手ぶりや手指の組合せによって仏菩薩の種類や特徴を示したもの。印，印相ともいう。もとは釈尊のある特定の行為の説明的身ぶりから生れたものであったが，密教の発展に伴って定型化した。顕教と密教では印契の意味についてかなり異なった解釈をし，顕教はこれを「しるし」の意味にとっているが，密教では諸尊の悟り，誓願，功徳の象徴的な表現と解する。印契のうち持物を用いる象徴を契印，手の形による象徴を手印という。代表的な手印には顕教の降魔印，転法輪印，禅定印，与願印，施無畏 (せむい) 印，密教の基本的印母の十二合掌，六種拳があり，持物には薬師如来の薬壺や観世音菩薩の蓮華をはじめ，さまざまなものがある。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

<<: Corpus cavernosum - Corpus cavernosum

>>: Inggung - Inggung