Mudras are esoteric ritual or non-verbal modes of communication and self-expression using hand gestures and finger-postures which symbolize divine manifestations. Many such hand positions were used in Buddhist sculptures and paintings of India, Tibet, China, Korea and Japan. They indicate to the faithful the nature and function of the deities which are represented by the sculptures, etc. They are also used by monks in their spiritual exercises of ritual meditation and concentration and are believed to generate forces that invoke the deity.

The mudra may be made with one or both hands. When made with both hands the hands are generally held at the level of the stomach or on the thighs. The right hand is placed above the left, with the palms facing upwards, and the fingers extended. This sculpture displays the Dhyana mudra which helps mortals achieve this transformation from physical to spiritual.