Shakyamuni Buddha's Long Large Ears
Did Prince Siddhartha Gautama Have Elongated Ear Lobes?
Feb 9, 2009
There is no standard way of portraying Shakyamuni Buddha. The iconographical canons unique to each culture, as well as the artistic inspirations of – and interpretations by – individual artists and craftsmen, have resulted in a multitude of Buddha images.
Despite this, common features are observed in portrayals across different cultures. One typical feature is Buddha's long ears and elongated ear lobes, which can be seen in presentation forms ranging from porcelain statues and stone sculptures to paintings.
Over the years, many explanations have arisen to explain the significance of Buddha’s long ears. Here, a few significant explanations are examined.
Buddha’s Early Life as Prince Siddhartha Gautama
Since there were no photographs or pictures of Buddha when he was alive, no one knew how he actually looked. When artists wanted to paint pictures of him, and when craftsmen wanted to create statues and sculptures in his image, their only point of reference was the way Prince Siddhartha Gautama (who later became Shakyamuni Buddha upon enlightenment) might have looked like during his times.
The artists and craftsmen would have imagined Prince Siddhartha to have dressed similarly as the other important and rich people from his culture. The prince was born in Lumbini and raised in Kapilvastu (both located in modern-day Nepal), where the cultural norm was for men to display their wealth on their ears. This was done through the adornment of large and heavy ear ornaments made of precious metals and stones, which resulted in the men having stretched ears. Since the prince grew up and lived in the palace, it was likely that he would have worn similar ear ornaments from youth till adulthood as a sign of his nobility and wealth, hence the likelihood of him having elongated ear lobes.
Although the prince stopped wearing ear ornaments when he left the palace and became an ascetic and later on, a monk, his ear lobes remained stretched. These are indicative of Buddha’s renunciation of the material world.
Ears that are Always Listening
Zen Master Dae Kwang noted that eastern cultures have always regarded large ears as an auspicious sign and an indication of wisdom and compassion. This is unlike western aesthetic views, where small ears pinned close to the head are thought to be the most beautiful.
Since Buddha is the wise and compassionate one, it is only natural for artists and craftsmen from the east to depict him as having long ears. With his ears, Buddha is able to always hear all the sounds of the world and the cries of suffering mortal beings. He in turn responds with compassion.
This serves as a reminder for Buddhists to be always compassionate. After all, it is not the physical size of one’s ears that matter, but rather, how open one is to the sufferings of other beings and how one responds with compassion.
Sign of Wealth and Great Compassion
According to Munisha, a member of the Western Buddhist Order, another interpretation for Buddha’s long ears is that he was wealthy not merely in terms of material wealth, but rather, in terms of his wisdom and compassion.
This interpretation makes reference to both Buddha’s noble origins as a prince and his great compassion. It reflects the believers’ wish to have him portrayed as important, wise and always listening. It also gives believers the assurance that since Buddha hears their cries and knows the sufferings of the mortal world, they would not be left helpless but would be saved by Buddha, who will respond with compassion.
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