"Buddharūpa (literally, "Form of the Awakened One") is the Sanskrit and Pali term used in Buddhism for statues or models of beings who have obtained Buddhahood, including the historical Buddha, Gautama Buddha."
"A statue or a painting of Buddha always illustrates a mudra or gesture. Among hundreds of mudras, the five transcendental Buddhas, also called “Dhyani Buddhas” or “Pancha Buddhas,” bear the most important mudras. These mudras are as follows.
Dharmachakra Buddha Mudra – Vairochana:
Dharmachakra mudra has two hands held against the chest with the tips of the thumbs and forefingers of each hand united. This mudra represents a gesture of teaching.
Bhumisparsa Buddha Mudra – Akshobhya:
This gesture, “touching the earth” (Bhumisparsa) mudra, became Buddha Akshobhya's mudra. The Buddha called upon mother earth to bear witness to his attainment of Enlightenment. To indicate this, he touched the earth with his right hand as witness to his perfection. Thus, this mudra is formed.
Varada Buddha Mudra – Ratna Sambhava:
In this mudra right hand lies open near his right knee. His left hand is seen holding an alms bowl. In Sanskrit, Varada means ‘granting a boon’. The gesture shows the right palm turned towards the receiver of boons, with the fingers pointed downwards.
Dhyana Buddha Mudra – Amitabha Buddha:
This mudra has palms joined with the right on the left, two thumb fingers touching each other. As bowl is placed in between his two palms. Here the meditating hand gesture represents a state of deep meditation and the unity of wisdom and compassion.
Abhaya Buddha Mudra – Amoghsiddhi :
Abhaya mudra represents the hand gesture of fearlessness and protection. The gesture of fearlessness and protection, usually shown as the left hand with palm turned outward and all fingers extended upwards. The symbolic meaning of the dispelling fear pose is an interpretation of the action of preaching. It is said that one gains fearlessness by following the Bodhisattva path."
(from Wikipedia)
Buddhist Sculptures and Monuments