LEGEND OF THE OCCURRENCE OF THE BUDDHA'S FOOTPRINTS IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM

Abstract

The Buddha’s footprints are the footprints of the Lord Buddha who had stamped in many important places: it was the symbol of virtue that meant the prosperity of the Buddhism propagation in various regions in order to help all living beings to be free from suffering. The Buddha’s footprints often appear on the stone of the highest mountains. There are footprints in both of the pair and single, it also is medium and large sizes, it also appears in and out of scriptures. There are five places in the legends,1) the Buddha’s footprint on Suwanmali mountain),2) the Buddha’s footprint in the Suwanna mountain,3) the Buddha’s footprint in the Yonaka-Pura,4) the Buddha’s footprint on the Sumana-kuta and 5) the Buddha’s footprint at the Narmada river in India. The occurrence of the Buddha’s footprint is not accident but it arose from the invitation of the deities, nagas, ascetics, and human beings who request him to put down his footprints as the spiritual anchor to remind the Lord Buddha and for worship to be the highest good fortune.