Eyes of Buddha

The Eyes of Buddha (also called Buddha eyes or Wisdom eyes^[1]) is a symbol used in Buddhist art. The symbol depicts two half-closed eyes, a style sometimes referred to as the Adamantine View (Sanskrit: Vajradrsti).^[2] In between and slightly above the eyes is a circle or spiral which represents the urna,^[3] one of the thirty-two characteristics of a great man (Sanskrit: Mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa) in Buddhism.^[2] Directly below the urna is a curly symbol stylized as १, which represents the number one in Devanagari numerals.^[4][5] The curly symbol, which represents either a nose or a divine fire emanating from the urna above, symbolizes unity.^[1]

Eyes of Buddha adorned on a Stupa in the Gobi Desert in the Dornogovi Province of Mongolia

The Eyes of Buddha symbol represents the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha,^[6] or sometimes more specifically represents the eyes of the Ādibuddha.^[1]

On stupas

The Eyes of Buddha are painted^[7] onto the upper portions of many Tibetan-style stupas, mostly throughout Nepal.^[1][8] The symbol is painted on all four sides of the cube at the top of the stupa to symbolize the Buddha's wisdom seeing all things in all four cardinal directions.^[1] Two of the most well-known examples are the historic stupas at Swayambhunath^[9] and Boudhanath,^[10] which both comprise two of the seven Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site monuments located in Kathmandu in Nepal.^[11]

Other uses

Similar to its use on stupas, the symbol is painted on the upper portion of many caityas.^[2] The symbol is also sometimes inscribed on mani stones alongside the Sanskrit mantra Om mani padme hum as a form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism.^[12]

The Eyes of Buddha are painted on the silo housing the world's largest kaleidoscope, the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope in Mount Tremper, New York.^[13]