In the early part of this period, the Buddha was usually shown giving a general gesture of benediction, with the right hand held at shoulder-height with the palm facing forward and the fingers together and slightly bent. By the end of the Gupta Empire (about 550 CE), the canon of representation had become more varied, with the seated meditative position ("dhyāna mudrā" - see below) becoming common, particularly in Sri Lanka. By the 7th century CE the canon was largely as it is seen today.