Laughing Buddha
Budai (Pu-tai, Jpn. Hotei) is a nickname given to the historical Chinese monk Qieci (Chinese: 契此; pinyin: qiècǐ) in the Later Liang Dynasty, who is often identified with and venerated as the future or Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism and Buddhist scripture. With the spread of Chan Buddhism, he also came to be venerated in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Budai is said to have lived around the 10th century CE in the Wuyue kingdom.
The name "Budai" literally means "cloth sack", and refers to the bag he is usually depicted carrying as he wanders aimlessly. His jolly nature, humorous personality, and eccentric lifestyle distinguish him from most Buddhist masters or figures. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the "Laughing Buddha". Budai is traditionally depicted as overweight and having a huge stomach (possibly a symbol of abundance or forgiveness) and many stories surrounding Budai involve his love of food and drink. Because of this, he is also referred to as the "Fat Buddha", especially in the Western world, where he is often mistaken for the original Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.
The main textual record of Budai's life resides in a collection of Chan Buddhist monks' biographies known as The Transmission of the Lamp.
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