What are the four marks of Buddhism?

Answer 1

A laksana or mark of a great man is a characteristic than distinguishes a Buddha from other men. The Buddha is said to possess 32 of these marks according to some of the ancient Buddhist texts one of them which is known as the Mahavastu. The 32 marks or laksana according to the Mahavastu are as follows: 1) He has feet with level tread;

2) He has designs of wheels in the soles of his feet; 3) He has long toes and fingers; 4) He has broad and projecting heels; 5) He has sharply arched feet; 6) His legs are like an antelope; 7) His body is divinely straight; 8) He can touch his knees with his hands when standing erect; 9) His male organ is enclosed in a sheath; 10) His body is proportioned like a banyan tree; 11) His hands are soft and

tender; 12) His hands and feet are net-like; 13) His body is perfectly formed; 14) The down of his body

grows in single hairs, one to each pore; 15) The down of his body grows straight upwards; 16) He has

a smooth skin; 17) He has a [?] skin; 18) He has the gait of a swan; 19) There is no hollow between his

shoulder blades; 20) His body has seven convex surfaces; 21) He has an exquisite sense of taste; 22)

His skin is the colour of gold; 23) He has the bust of a lion; 24) He has regular teeth; 25) His teeth are

perfectly white; 26) His bust is consistently rounded; 27) His tongue is long and slender; 28) His voice is that of a Brahma; 29) His eyes are blue; 30) His eyelashes like a cow; 31) Between his eyebrows he has a hairy mole (urna); 32); His head is shaped like a royal turban (usnisa).

Answer 2

mark of self, mark of others, mark of living beings, mark of life