Abhaya Mudra

Abhaya in Sanskrit means " peace", "saftey", "absence or removal of fear", "fearlessness"...

The Abhaya mudra (mudra of no-fear) represents protection, peace, benevolence, and dispelling of fear.

In Theravada Buddhism, it is usually made with the right hand raised to shoulder height, the arm bent and the palm facing outward with the fingers upright and joined and the left hand hanging down while standing. In Thailand and Laos, this mudra is associated with the walking Buddha, often shown having both hands making a double Abhaya mudra that is uniform.

In Gandhara art, it is seen when showing the action of preaching. It was also used in China during the Wei and Sui eras of the 4th and 7th centuries.

In Mahayana Buddhism, it is often paired with another mudra using the left hand. In Japan, the Abhaya mudra may be seen with the middle finger slightly projected forward, symbolic of the Shingon.

The gesture was used by the Buddha when attacked by an elephant, subduing it as shown in several frescoes and scripts. In Mahayana Buddhism, the northern schools' deities often paired it with another mudra using the other hand.

Abhaya mudra is generally symbolic of fearlessness and good intentions, but it can also be interpreted with a more specific meaning depending on the region and era in which it was used.

When depicted on images of the Buddha using only the left hand, this gesture is said to be a means of forbidding relatives to fight, referring to an event in which he used abhaya mudra to dispel a family argument over water rights.

In images of the Buddha with both hands raised, abhaya mudra is also referred to as the gesture of ‘calming the ocean,’ symbolic of an occasion where Buddha is said to have prevented a flood.

This ancient gesture is thought to be the first mudra the Buddha used after reaching enlightenment and is depicted on a number of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh images.

The mudra was probably used before the onset of Buddhism as a symbol of good intentions proposing friendship when approaching strangers. Since it is a gesture that displays the hands empty of weapons, it is likely that abhaya mudra predates the emergence of religion and was used long before as a symbol of peace and good intention between strangers.

It is also associated with preaching, and could be interpreted as symbolic of openness towards a congregation.

In yoga, abhaya mudra can be used during meditation in any stable seated posture such as padmasana (lotus pose) or virasana (hero pose). It is sometimes practiced in a modification of Virabhadrasana II (warrior II), in which the practitioner raises the front hand into abhaya mudra as a display of humility and strength. This mudra can be called upon as a means of overcoming fears or phobias, and to provide a sense of internal protection.