What do the different statues of buddah represent?

Answer 1

Laughing Buddha

• Symbol of good luck, prosperity and abundance

• Where to place: Should be placed facing south-east

Teaching Buddha

• Symbolizes the teaching or the union of wisdom and method, one of Buddha's teaching methods.

Meditating Buddha

• Most common posture used by Buddhist for praying

• Meditation is the way of looking into inner self

• Buddha in meditating posture symbolizes enlightenment.

• Where to place: Should be placed facing East

Blessing Buddha

• Depicts Buddha bestowing fearlessness and compassion

• Idol to keep in office space and home.

Reclining Buddha

• Represents the later age of Buddha

• Helps transition from life to death

Answer 2

There are many subtleties in the positions of religious statues. This is true in Christian iconography as well as Buddhist. In Buddhism the sitting positions, hand positions. posture and many other factors each have a meaning. The Link discusses some of them. There is one exception - the "Laughing Buddha" sen in many Chinese restaurants is actually not a Buddha, he is Hotei a is a Chinese folkloric deity.