Budai
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- For the Japanese musician, see Tomoyasu Hotei.
"Laughing Buddha" is the common English name for the Buddhist figure variously known as Budai or Hotei (布袋). He is the interpretation of the Bodhisattva Maitreya (translated as Mílè Fó (彌勒佛) in Chinese), the predicted Buddha to succeed Gautama Buddha in the future.
He has become incorporated into Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto culture and is based on an eccentric Chinese Chan monk who lived in the time of the Liang Dynasty. His image graces many temples, restaurants, and amulets. Budai has become a deity of contentment and abundance, when adopted by Religious Taoist. In Japan, Hotei persists in folklore as one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichi Fukujin). He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the "Happy Buddha" (Chinese: 歡喜佛; pinyin: Huānxǐ Fó)
In Chinese, he is known as Budai (Chinese: 布袋; pinyin: Bùdài; literally "Cloth Bag"), or sometimes as Budai Luohan (布袋羅漢, Bùdài Luóhàn, Calico Bag Arhat). In Japanese, the same characters (布袋) are pronounced Hotei.
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[edit] History
[edit] As Angida Arhat
The Laughing Buddha derives from the time of Sakyamuni Buddha, where there was a monk named Angida, whose name also meant calico bag.[1] Angida was one of the original eighteen Arhats of Buddhism. According to legend, Angida was a talented Indian snake catcher whose aim was to catch venomous snakes to prevent them from biting passers-by. Angida would also remove the snake's venomous fangs and release them. Due to his kindness, he was able to attain bodhi. Both Hotei and Angida have similar resemblances, as they both are obese, seen laughing and carrying a bag.
[edit] As a Chinese Buddhist monk
In the Chinese tradition, Budai was a monk who lived during the Liang Dynasty (907 - 923 AD) of China. He was a native of Fenghua, and his Buddhist name was Qieci (Chinese: 契此; pinyin: Qiècǐ; literally "Promise this"). He was considered a man of good and loving character. Apart from his character, his identification with the Maitreya Bodhisattva (the future Buddha) is also attributed to a Buddhist hymn (Chinese: 偈语; pinyin: Jiéyǔ) he uttered before his death:
- 彌勒真彌勒，化身千百億，時時示時人，時人自不識
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- Maitreya, the true Maitreya
- has billions of incarnations.
- Often he is shown to people at the time;
- other times they do not recognize him.
[edit] Description
Budai is almost always represented as carrying a cloth or linen sack, which never empties, and is filled with many precious items, including rice plants (indicating wealth), sweets for children, food, and the woes of the world. Sometimes it can be filled with children, as they are seen as some of those precious items of this world. His duty is patron of the weak, the poor and children. In some Japanese representations, Budai may be found sitting on a cart drawn by boys, or wielding a fan called an oogi (said to be a "wish giving" fan -- in the distant past, this type of fan was used by the aristocracy to indicate to vassals that their requests would be granted).
In Chinese Buddhist temples of the Chan sect, Budai's statue is traditionally placed in the front part of the entrance hall. He is depicted in the familiar likeness of the above described Laughing Buddha; a stout, smiling or laughing shaved man in robes with a largely exposed pot belly stomach symbolic for happiness, good luck, and plenitude. The stomach is also considered the seat of the soul in Chinese mythology and so the large stomach can be taken as an allegory for Budai's open heartedness.
Some sculptures have small children at his feet. Another item that is usually seen with the Budai figure, is a begging bowl; to represent his Buddhist nature. All of these images display Budai as a wandering monk who goes around and takes the sadness from people of this world. Because he represents prosperity and happiness, statuettes are often found in homes and businesses in China and Japan.
[edit] Faiths that revere Budai
[edit] Chan/Zen Buddhism
The primary story that concerns Budai in Ch'an and Zen is a short koan. In it, Hotei is said to travel giving candy to poor children, only asking a penny from Zen monks or lay practitioners he meets. One day a monk walks up to him and asks, "What is the meaning of Zen?" Hotei drops his bag. "How does one realize Zen?" he continued. Budai then took up his bag and continued on his way.
[edit] Folklore
One belief surrounding the figure of Budai in popular folklore is that if a person is to rub his belly, it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity. This belief however does not form part of any Buddhist doctrine. He is often admired for his happiness, plenitude, and supposedly wisdom of contentment.
There is also the story that he was a very handsome enlightened monk. People came for his teachings but most of the people came for his beauty, to stop people from coming for his beauty the monk ate himself until he was big and fat, so that people would only come for his wisdom and enlightenment.
[edit] I Kuan Tao
Statues of Budai form a central part of shrines in the I Kuan Tao. He is usually referred to as Maitreya and is taken to represent many important messages from Taoist teachings, including generosity and open heartedness.
[edit] Phra Sangkrachai
In Thailand Budai is called Phra Sangkrachai (Thai: พระสังกระจาย), which means beam, emit, radiate, broadcast. Statues of Phra Sangkrachai can be found, not just in Chinese temples, but in also in most Thai Buddhist temples and as amulets as well.
[edit] Western trends
Recently, Budai statues, statuettes and amulets have become relatively well-known in Western cultures. Misconceptions have arisen because of this new enthusiasm, including the false connection made between Budai and Gautama Buddha, the historical founder of Buddhism.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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