A moment of Buddha’s victory over desires is immortalized in Buddhist art in the icon of “Bhumisparsha” or earth-touching Buddha. Extending his one hand to the ground, while keeping the other hand and his mind in meditation, Buddha called upon the goddess Earth to become a witness to his enlightenment, when he was provoked by the demon of desires, Mara to prove his virtues.
Simply, without any violence or taking up arms, Buddha became victorious over the demon and his forces, which is why this form is also called “Buddha Mara-Vijaya” or Buddha who is victorious over Mara. The moving beauty of the moment of Buddha’s victory has inspired the maker of this marvelous gilt copper statue from Nepal, who has condensed the essence of the episode in the iconography of the statue.
A meticulous sculpting of metal gives the statue a perfection beyond words, which becomes divine bathed in pure gold. Each feature of the Buddha is delegated in an unblemished manner, to underline his heavenliness. The hand softly placed in Dhyana mudra on his lap and the one about to reach the ground, add a balance of movement and stillness to the statue. With a seamless stroke of brush, the eyes of Shakyamuni are painted, infusing the face and composition with an unparalleled animation.
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