There are six mudra or hand gestures which are associated with the Thai Buddha images;
Touching the earth - where the right hand lies on the right thigh with the fingers pointing downwards and touching the ground. The left hand rests in the Buddha's lap. This hand gesture is frequently called "calling the earth to witness," or by occasionally more literally as "Buddha subduing Mara" (the female temptress demon who tried to seduce the Buddha with visions of beautiful women). This gesture therefore is symbolic of the Buddha's renunciation of worldly desire and attachment as the most common moral precept of Buddhism it is by far the most popular mudra.
Meditation -with this hand gesture they are lying flat down nestling in the Buddha's lap with palms pointing upwards. This posture is usually depicted with a seated Buddha and that the Buddha is meditatively disciplining his mind, which is necessary to reach enlightenment.
Charity - the Buddha's right arm is shown extended downwards, and the open palm turned frontwards with fingers extended. This 'mudra' is usually also associated with a standing Buddha. This symbolises the Buddha's and his monks need to receive alms (charity) so that their existence is deemed worthy of support by the lay community.
Absence of fear - either one or both of the Buddha's arms are bent both at elbow and wrist, with the palm outwards and fingers shown upwards. It represents either the Buddha displaying courage in the face of troubles, or encouraging others to do so. When his right hand is also raised it is known as "stilling the animals." both hands being known as "forbidding the relatives". These hand gestures are commonly represented with a standing Buddha, but seated versions also exist.
Reasoning and exposition the arm and hand are positioned in the same manner as in the absence of fear with the exception that thumb and forefinger are joined together. The gesture is made with either the right or left hands (most commonly the right), but cannot be done with both.
The gesture represents an appeal to reason, or teaching. As the Buddha is appealing to our reasonable nature, it is often thought to be the gesture of peace.
The wheel beginning to turn the hands of the Buddha are displayed in front of his lower chest, and with both hands in the reasoning and exposition position, the fingers of the left hand resting in his right. This is a more uncommon gesture as it represents a particular event during the life of the Buddha - his first teachings to his disciples, when he began his life's journey and teaching. It is used for both seated and standing Buddha images.
In the 2500 years since the Buddha's death various different representations of these hand gestures have evolved. For example the "double absence of fear ", with both hands held up in the absence of fear gesture, became common in SE Asia in the 1500s, and is now the most popular Buddha figure in SE Asian countries.
It is sometimes interpreted as "Buddha teaching with reason." Many artists wanted to represent specific incidents in the Buddha's life and so novel secondary hand gestures came into being, for instance "Buddha holding a begging bowl ", or "Buddha being given a mango" and that if a supernatural Buddha able to perform miracles. Many of these are of Burmese origin which subsequently spread to many parts of the Buddhist world.
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