What is there on Buddha Head ?
The Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautam, was a spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism who lived in ancient India. Buddhists revere him as a source of wisdom and enlightenment, and his teachings and principles form the basis of the Buddhist religion. In many artistic representations of the Buddha, he is depicted with short, tight curls or ringlets on his head.
The Legend Of Snails
One of the most well-known legends about the Buddha’s curls is the myth of the snails. According to this story, one day, the Buddha was meditating under a tree when a snail noticed that the sun’s rays were directed toward his bald head. To cool the Buddha’s head and protect him from the heat, the snail made it’s way up to the Buddha’s head and sat there, with its lubricated body providing a refreshing and cooling sensation. Other snails followed suit, and soon the Buddha’s head was adorned with a “cap” of 108 snails, all of whom had given their lives to create a distraction-free environment for the Buddha’s meditation.
This legend is often used to convey the idea of selflessness and the importance of compassion and non-harming toward all beings. The snails are seen as martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Buddha, and their presence on his head is meant to remind us of this sacrifice. While this is a popular and enduring myth, it should be noted that there is no historical or scientific basis for the belief that the Buddha’s head was adorned with snails.
Conclusion
While there are a number of myths and legends that attempt to explain the origins of these curls, the most well-known of these is the legend of the snails, which tells the story of 108 snails who sacrificed their lives to create a distraction-free environment for the Buddha’s meditation.