Smile Buddha
Posted in Antiques on 08/09/2010 02:42 am by adminWhy do so many people assume the Gautama the Buddha is the man portrayed on the fat, smiling statues?
I think the majority of people think that the statues of Hotei is actually the Buddha.
This is Hotei-
http://www.holymtn.com/catalog/images/SS-BUHA20GR.jpg
This is the Buddha-
http://www.writespirit.net/religious_traditions/buddhism/Daibutsu-Buddha.jpg
Did you know they're different people? Have you ever told anyone they're different?
Hotei was a Buddhist monk, and is viewed as a god of fortune.
Hotei is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese name Budai (or Pu-tai).
Budai was a real monk who lived during the Liang Dynasty (900s CE) in Zhejiang Province. He was, the stories say, a fat, eccentric monk who lived under bridges. He could be found daily in the marketplace giving away food from the inexhaustible cloth bag he always carried.
It was said that that Budai had the ability to predict the weather. For this reason, and for alleged miracles that appeared after his death, he was recognized as an incarnation of Maitreya, the Future Buddha.
In Chinese tradition, the seat of "energy" is located in the belly, just below the navel. Budai is portrayed with a large belly to indicate that he possessed vast energy for helping ease the suffering of all beings.
It's possible that Budai is a mythical character since he resembles the Indian monk, Angida. Angida was one of the enlightened followers of Buddha and was portrayed as round, happy, and carrying a bag.
Whatever the truth, there is something universal about a rotund, laughing character who hands out presents from his large bag. Santa Claus, for example.
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