The Samadhi Buddha Statue, which probably dates from the 4th century AD, is a magnificent image of the Buddha in Samadhi, a Buddhist term for deep meditation, or more literally, concentration. Samadhi is used in connection with the practice of meditation and refers to the fixing of the attention on a single object, thus discouraging discursive thinking. Three degrees of intensity are distinguished:

(1) Preparatory concentration
(2) Access concentration
(3) Attainment concentration.

This remarkable image has an expression depicting 'extinction of feeling and compassion,' an expression that seems to change as the sun's rays cross over it. Crafted from limestone, it was originally one of four seated at the cardinal points around a long deceased bo-tree. The one feature of this image that diminishes it is the nose, a later restoration that jars with the rest of the work.

Nevertheless, the Samadhi Buddha Statue has had a tremendous effect on pilgrims and visitors over the centuries. For instance, Jawaharlal Nehru, India's Prime Minister from 1947 to 1964, visited the island in 1939. In his autobiography he writes of the solace he gained from this statue while imprisoned by the British, and of his admiration for Buddhism:

"At Anuradhapura, I liked greatly an old seated statue of the Buddha. A year later, when I was in Dehra Dun Prison, a friend in Ceylon sent me a picture of this statue and I kept it on my little table in my cell. I became a precious companion for me, and the strong, calm features of Buddha's statue soothed me and gave me strength and helped me to overcome many a period of depression. Buddha has always had a great appeal for me . . . I saw many Buddhist bhikkus (monks) in their monasteries and on the highways, meeting with respect wherever they went. The dominant expression of almost all of them was one of peace and calm, a strange detachment from the cares of the world. They did not have intellectual faces, as a rule, and there was no trace of the fierce conflicts of the mind on their countenances. Life seemed to be for them a smooth free-flowing river moving slowly to the great ocean. I looked at them with envy . . ."