A Buddha statue is often used as a tool for meditation. Buddha statues are symbols of Buddhism's founder Siddhartha Gautama, who taught us that by eliminating all desires from our lives we are able to reach Nirvana. This is a state of existence where suffering does not exist. When one has achieved Nirvana the cycle of rebirth and death ends. The key to achieving that Nirvana is mental discipline and the ability to comprehend and follow the eightfold path.

Buddha statues come in a variety of poses and styles from the more classical Tibetan and Nepali Buddha statues to the whimsical laughing Buddha also known as the happy Buddha. Meditation, dispelling fear, teaching pose, reclining Buddha, and earth touching pose are just a few of the popular Buddha statue positions. Quite frequently the Buddha is seen sitting on a lotus flower symbolizing purity and divine birth. One Buddhist quote suggests, "the spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the new Lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it."