pahng peut lohk (ปางเปิดโลก)

Thai-Rajasap. ‘Position of disclosing the worlds’. Buddha image in a standing pose, with the arms pendent alongside his body, the forearms lifted slightly outwards and the palms turned forward. This gesture (fig.) represents the Buddha disclosing Trailohk, showing the three worlds of heaven, earth and hell, simultaneously, an event that took place after the Buddha had returned from the Tavatimsa heaven, where he had spent three months observing pansa during the rainy season. Hence, Buddha images in this pose are often displayed in the company of a walking Buddha (fig.), which represents the scene in which the Buddha returns from heaven. In Wat Laht Phrao in Bangkok, a Buddha image in the position of disclosing the worlds is erected alongside an image of a walking Buddha and an image in the pahng kho fon pose (fig.), i.e. the gesture that represents the Buddha asking for rain, hence referring to the entire episode, as the latter scene took place at the beginning of the rainy season and the former two scenes at the end of pansa (fig.). See TRAVEL PICTURE. 回