Known by many names, the 'earth touching' pose of the Buddha is the Bhumisparsha mudra, [which means literally 'touching the earth.' A mudra is a [motion or gesture of the hands and body to express a thought or feelilng.|Mudras are positions or gesture of the hands and body intended to express a feeling or thought non-verbally.] the foundation of Buddhist meditation rituals.|Buddhist meditation rituals are based on the many different mudras.] Buddha statues and is also referred to as the 'earth witness' mudra.|Buddha statues are often depicted in the earth touching mudra which is also known as 'the earth witness' position.]
can be recognized by the position of the right hand. The fingers reach downward with the palm facing toward the body.|To perform this mudra, the hand is placed on the ground with all fingers touching. The palm faces inward.] It is [a symbol of the moment when Buddha summoned the goddess, Shthavara to witness the moment in which he achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.|It's believed that Buddha assumed the earth touching position after he achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree to call the Earth goddess to witness the event.] Occassionally, you may see this mudra referred to as 'Summoning the Earth Goddess to Witness.'
Buddha figurines in the earth touching mudra have the right arm resting on the right knee with the fingers of the hand extended downward. The statue shows the Buddha with his left hand resting in his lap with the palm skyward in the meditation mudra (dhyana mudra). This is believed to symbolize the marriage of wisdom and method or Nirvana and Samasara. (Buddhist teachings tell the tale of how Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, assumed the earth touching pose to resist against the temptations and distractions of the demon Mara who sought to lure the Buddha from his spiritual life.|The teachings of the Buddhist faith speak of how the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, resisted the temptations of the demon Mara by taking the earth touching pose.] In Buddhist folklore, Mara was viewed as everything from an all powerful demon to a gremlin-like nuisance. One story tells of how Mara summoned his daughter's to seduce the Buddha and distract him from his spiritual journey. This has parallels to the mythology of other cultures, similar to Greek sirens.
The earth touching pose is associated with Akshobhya, one of the Five Great Buddhas. Akshobhya is a manifestation of strength, confidence and determination and the use of the Bhumisparsha mudra is a reflection of that. Akshobhya and Amithaba were the two Buddhas who represented wisdom and compassion respectively. The Buddhist theology evolved to include the Five Dhyani Buddhas who each represent an aspect of the Buddhist philosophy.
Akshobhya is the wise Buddha of the East, believed to possess a mirror-like wisdom that converts anger to wisdom. He is associated with the element water, mirror-like itself and symbolic of Akshobhya's ability to help people see things as they truly are.
The simple beauty of this mudra is a welcome reminder that temptation can be confronted by strength and this is the reason many Buddhists display Buddha decor in the earth touching pose.