The Journey

Stone Buddha footprints bearing 108 auspicious symbols were carved in the Theravada Buddhist countries of Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. This large stone carving represents the Buddha's right foot. The sequence of symbols begins at the far left of the top row and is arranged clockwise. In the second row are six identical symbols for the great rivers, with a seventh river in the third row; as the column descends, symbols for the seven great mountain ranges are followed by symbols for the seven great lakes, which circle around the lotus medallion. These are followed by twenty-five miscellaneous symbols, many of them animals thought to roam the semi-mythical Himalayan foothills at the base of Meru, the cosmic mountain. Finally, there are symbols of the upper reaches of the Buddhist cosmos, all in the form of temple-like pavilions.