An upright and austere Medicine Buddha, dedicated to healing the ills of body and spirit. Meditation upon him dissolves the poisons of ignorance, greed and anger. Sitting in perfect equipoise on a lotus throne, he serenely offers enlightenment, holding his medicine bowl, which stands for the healing power of the Dharma. This fine bronze bears a black patina with golden highlights in the ringlets. The countenance of the Buddha is full of serene and eternal. His dress is simple, the curves and folds of fabric represented with a geometric solidity that adds to the sense of an unshakeable presence. On his chest is seen the revolving cross, or swastika, symbolizing the ceaseless activity of the universal life principle evolving the cosmos, the counterclockwise direction of movement of the cross symbolizing the return flow of the principle back to the base, or source. Thus the Medicine Buddha beckons us to return to our original stainless mind and to leave behind the sufferings of samsara.--RW