Although the Buddha was not represented in human form until around the 1st century CE (see Buddhist art), the Physical characteristics of the Buddha are described in one of the central texts of the traditional Pali canon, the Digha Nikaya, in the discourse titled \"Sutra of the Marks\" (Pali: Lakkhana Sutta) (D.iii.142ff.).

These characteristics comprise 32 signs, \"The 32 signs of a Great Man\" (Pali: Lakkhana Mahapurisa 32), and were supplemented by another 80 Secondary Characteristics (Pali:Anubyanjana). These traits are said to have defined the appearance of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama and have been used symbolically in many of his representations.

General characteristics

Historical Buddha as recorded in the Pali canon:

The Buddha had an elongated, lengthy body with long appendices (long arms with a span equal to body length, long fingers, long hands, elongated face, protruding and well-formed nose).; His hair was fine, black and with soft curls.; His eyes were wide, and strongly blue or bluish.; His body was golden-colored.;

The Face of The Buddha

The first statues and busts of the Buddha were made in the Gandhar (now Kandahar) region of modern day Afghanistan. The sculptors were either descendants of Greeks who settled in the region after Alexander's arrival or were influenced by Hellenistic traditions. Before any such statues were made, the Buddha was symbolised by the Chakra, a holy symbol in Buddhism. The chakra also appears on the Sarnath pillar of Ashoka.

The first representations of the Buddha were made nearly 300 years after his death. Although the holy texts and canons do contain some information about his looks, their exact authorship and time of writing is debatable.

Many statues and busts exist where the Buddha and other Boddhisatvas have a moustache. This is in keeping with the view that a man of significant stature must have a big moustache. Later versions however do not show the moustache and the Buddha is always clean shaven even during his days before he attained Buddha-hood.

The 32 signs of the Great Man

There are 32 main characteristics (Pali: Lakkhana Mahapurisa 32):

He has feet with a level sole (Pali: supati thapado). Note: \"feet with level tread,/ so that he places his foot evenly on the ground,/ lifts it evenly,/ and touches the ground evenly with the entire sole.\" (Lakkhana Sutta); He has the mark of a thousand-spoked wheel on the soles of his feet (Pali: he thapadatalesu cakkani jatani).; He has projecting heels (Pali: ayatapa ni).; He has long fingers and toes (Pali: digha nguli).; His hands and feet are soft-skinned (Pali: mudutalahathapado).; He has netlike lines on palms and soles (Pali: jalahathapado).; He has high raised ankles (Pali: ussa nkhapado).; He has taut calf muscles like an antelope (Pali: e nimigasadisaja ngho).; He can touch his knees with the palms of his hands without bending. (Pali: thitako va anonamanto).; His sexual organs are concealed in a sheath (Pali: kosohitavatguyho).; His skin is the color of gold (Pali: suva n nava no). \"His body is more beautiful than all the gods.\" (Lakkhana sutta); His skin is so fine that no dust can attach to it (Pali: sukhumacchavi).; His body hairs are separate with one hair per pore (Pali: ekekalomo).; His body hair is blue-black, the color of collyrium, and curls clockwise in rings. (Pali: uddhagalomo).; He has an upright stance like that of a brahma (Pali: brahmujugatto).; He has the seven convexities of the flesh (Pali: satusado). Note: \"the seven convex surfaces,/ on both hands, both feet, both shoulders, and his trunk.\" (Lakkhana Sutta); He has an immense torso, like that of a lion (Pali: sihapuba dhakayo).; The furrow between his shoulders is filled in (Pali: pitantara mso).; The distance from hand-to-hand and head-to-toe is equal (Pali: nigrodhaparima n dalo). Note: incidentally, these are also the ideal proportions according to Leonardo Da Vinciâ€™s Vitruvian Man.; He has a round and smooth neck (Pali: samva d dakhando).; He has sensitive taste-buds (Pali: rasagasagi).; His jaw is like a lion's (Pali: sihahanu).; He has 40 teeth (Pali: cata.lisadanto). Note: The average person normally has 32 teeth.; His teeth are evenly spaced (Pali: samadanto).; His teeth are without gaps in-between (Pali: avira ladanto).; His teeth are quite white (Pali: sukadanto).; He has a large, long tongue (Pali: pahutajivho).; He has a voice like a Brahmaâ€™s (Pali: brahmasaro hiravikabha ni).; He has very blue eyes (Pali: abhi nila netto). Note 1: \"very (abhi) blue (nila) eyes (netto)\" is the literal translation. Nila is the word used to describe a sapphire and the color of the sea, but also the color of a rain cloud. It also defines the color of the Hindu God Krishna. Note 2: \"His lashes are like a cow's; his eyes are blue./ Those who know such things declare/ 'A child which such fine eyes/ will be one who's looked upon with joy./ If a layman, thus he'll be/ Pleasing to the sight of all./ If ascetic he becomes,/ Then loved as healer of folk's woes.'\" (Lakkhana Sutta); He has eyelashes like an ox (Pali: gopa mukho).; He has a white soft wisp of hair in the center of the brow (Pali: una loma bhamukantare jata). Note: this became the symbolic urna.; His head is like a royal turban (Pali: u nahisiso). Note that this denotes his cranial protrusion, visible on Buddhist iconography.;