23 September 2013

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25 Facts about Laughing Buddha Understanding Laughing Buddha

25 Facts about Laughing Buddha Understanding  Laughing Buddha


Who is Maitreya Buddha?

We know him as a Laughing Buddha or Happy Buddha.
Laughing Buddha was a big heart Zen Master

Laughing Buddha –
The Laughing Buddha (also known as Hotei in Japan or Pu-Tai in China) is thought to be based on an actual wandering Chinese monk who lived at the time of the Liang Dynasty (907-923 AD).

He is usually shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname the Laughing Buddha.
He is also called as the "Happy Man"

His large protruding stomach and jolly smile have given him a common designation ‘Laughing Buddha’.

Laughing Buddha can be seen gracing various amulets, temples and restaurants and many shops and homes even Hospitals
His figure appears throughout Chinese culture as a representation of contentment
Some Buddhist traditions consider him a Buddha or a bodhisattva, often identifying him with Maitreya (the future Buddha)

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Fat Laughing Buddha statues have been believed to bring good fortune to the homes and businesses of those that display them

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For few the statue of the fat laughing Buddha is simply a beautiful decorative piece

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The Laughing Buddha is not the same as Siddhartha Gautama. an Indian prince who became the founder of Buddhism in 520 B.C.E.
Laughing Buddha and Siddartha Gautama both are different persons.

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Laughing Buddha the character is thought to be based on an historical Chinese Buddhist monk who lived more than 1,000 years ago.

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The celestial Buddha named Hotei or Pu-Tai is best known as the jolly Laughing Buddha.
In China, he is known as the loving or friendly one. He is based on an eccentric Chinese Ch’an (Zen) monk who lived over 1,000 years and has become a significant part of Buddhist and Shinto culture.
Because of this monk’s kind and generous nature, he came to be regarded as an incarnation of Bodhisttava who will be Maitreya (the future Buddha).

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According to a legend, if one rubs the belly of Laughing Buddha, it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity.

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The kind and generous Buddha is also regarded as deity of abundance and contentment.

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It is also believed that the Laughing Buddha can absorb negative energy and emanate positive energy.

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Budai or Pu-Tai   or Hotei in Japanese, Bo Ð?i in Vietnamese, is a Chinese folkloric deity.
His name means "Cloth Sack and comes from the bag that he is conventionally depicted as carrying.

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In Japan, Hotei persists in folklore as one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichi Fukujin) of Taoism

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Some Buddhist traditions consider him a Buddha or a bodhisattva, often identifying him with Maitreya (the future Buddha)
His identification with the Maitreya is attributed to a Buddhist hymn
he uttered before his death following
Maitreya, the true Maitreya
have billions of incarnations.
Often he is shown to people at the time;
other times they do not recognize him.

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Laughing Buddha may be found sitting on a cart drawn by boys, or wielding a fan called an oogi (said to be a "wish giving).
All of these images display Hotei as a wandering monk who goes around and takes the sadness from people of this world.

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He is incorporated in Buddhist, Taoist, and Shinto traditions.

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Laughing Buddha Story legend –
He was truly a great Zen master and legend has a great story, which is so inspirational for all of us.
he was used to go from one place to the other.
He was so funny looking and always smiling that people used to crowd around him.
He would then distribute sweets and small toys to all children who had gathered around him. Then keep his bag down, look to the sky and just start laughing.
He used to laugh freely without bothering about presence of others and he was not interested whether other laughed or not.
Soon his laughter used to be contagious and all who had gathered would start to laugh.

The whole town used to laugh and laugh.
After sometime he would pick the bag, which he had kept down, smile to all, and go to the next town.

All his life he did only this action and it was said that many people attained Nirvana, enlightenment just through this process.
Hence he was called as the laughing Buddha because Buddha is someone who is enlightened and laughter was his unique method.

Never before him or never after him such a simple aspect was used to achieve what all humans strive for-moksha or enlightenment


He would rarely speak and once when he was asked to describe his method he told, that he gave sweets to children to symbolically that the more you give, the more comes to you.

Thereby he unveiled the secret of "Giving with joy".

The bag represented problems that all humans encounter.
The problems appear big because we are associated with it- calling it as "My Problem".
Look at a funny phenomenon, if anyone comes to you with any problem of theirs and seek solutions or advice, what you do.
You tell them so many solutions so easily as though you are an expert in all the fields in the Universe.
You can easily solve the problems of other people
You became master blaster problem solver
But then what happens to your own problems.
is impossible to find any solution, small problems become big problem which no one will ever solve it

This happens only because of your attachment and association with the problem.

So laughing Buddha said, simple keep your problem down (symbolically keeping the bag down) means
 "Disassociate with your Problem",
"Separate form it" and yes just Laugh.
What else can one do? Think and thank nature that you only have such a small problem as compared to so many others.
Whether you laugh or cry the problem is going to be there right.
So why not laugh at it.
Therein is the magic no small magic, it is huge,
apply it to realize about the power of laughter.

The problem now looks too tiny and as you pick it (symbolically he picks back the bag before going to the next place) the problem is solved.

Now science has also proven Laughing helps lot
On laughing our whole internal chemistry changes and thereby the body produces certain enzymes that are only released in a state of laughter.

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Whole life Hotei lived in Laughter. And when the time came to pass away, he knew he had to give up his life at an appropriate time.
He called his disciples and said that after he passes away, they should immediately burn his body.
The disciples were surprised because there was no tradition of burning in Zen.
But they followed the master wishes.
And as they lit fire to his body, "Fire Works and Crackers" started flying all over.

Hotei was so great that just before he died he hid a lot of crackers and rockets in his clothes.
So there also he created such laughter by the suddenness of the situation.
So Hotei not only lived in laughter all through his life, he also died in laughter.

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Fertility and Laughing Buddha –
some women supposedly rub the Buddha’s stomach in the hopes becoming pregnant soon.

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In authentic Buddhism, Maitreya Buddha is the "future Buddha," the one who will come in the distant future to revive Buddhist teachings and bring an end of suffering.

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Why laughing Buddha so happy?
Because he is tolerant of everything and will not hold a grudge against anyone.

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Why does laughing Buddha represent prosperity?
Because his big heart gives generously and therefore receives abundantly as well.

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People think that when I will win the lottery ticket I will give money and donations to everyone now I will not give anything to anyone not even needy one

That’s wrong concept
Here laughing Buddha opens our eyes
give without any expectations of returns or recognition before you can be ready to receive the bounties that life has to offer.

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Tao represented by laughing Buddha says you have to start giving first and expect absolutely nothing.
In all likelihood you still will not hit the next jackpot, but you will, with unconditional certainly, win the grand prize of life.

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It is said that when Hotei attained enlightenment he started laughing.
He lived at least thirty years afterwards; he continued laughing for thirty years.
Even in sleep his disciples would hear him giggling.
His whole message to the world was laughter;
he would go from one town to another just laughing.
He would stand in one marketplace, then in another, just laughing, and people would gather.
His laughter had something of the beyond - Buddha's laughter.
His laughter was so contagious that whosoever heard it would start laughing.
Soon the whole marketplace would be laughing; crowds would gather and laugh and they would ask him, "Just give us a few instructions."

He would say, "Nothing more, this is enough. If you can laugh, if you can laugh totally, it is meditation."

Laughter was his adevice.
It is said many people became enlightened through Hotei' s laughter.
That was his only meditation: to laugh and help people laugh.
Just watch life, and you will be surprised.

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Placement of Laughing Buddha statue -
In home where to place or keep Laughing Buddha as per Feng Shui theory
According to Feng Shui theory, for instance, the ideal placement for the Laughing Buddha statue in our home is directly opposite the main door in the living room.

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Place the Laughing Buddha at such a place where you will always see him
This way, the Buddha will be the first thing a person sees as he enters his house.
Laughing Buddha should be positioned on an elevated surface, since placing it directly on the ground would be considered a sign of disrespect.

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next time you look at the statue of "laughing Buddha" associate with that great teaching
he gave all of us, the power of laughter.

Each time you see the Laughing Buddha and if it reminds you to laugh, the Laughing Buddha magic has worked

In that state of true enlightenment, you and I will give everything without a second thought
and receive the universe.

You will feel relaxed and your mind will start to work towards solving problems

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Difference Between Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and Laughing Buddha

Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Shakyamuni, or simply the Buddha, was a sage.
The founder of Buddhism.
According to the Buddhist tradition, Gautama was born in Lumbini, nowadays in modern-day Nepal, and raised in the Shakya capital of Kapilvastu, which may have been in either present day Tilaurakot, Nepal or Piprahwa, India. He obtained his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, gave his first sermon in Sarnath, and died in Kushinagar.

Who is Laughing Buddha?

According to Chinese history, Budai was an eccentric Chán monk
who lived in China during the Later Liang (907–923 AD).
He was a native of Zhejiang, and his Buddhist name was Qieci

He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the Laughing Buddha

the image of Laughing Buddha or Budai is often mistaken for Gautama Buddha, and is hence called the Fat Buddha

He is usually identified with or seen as an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha, so much so that the Budai image is one of the main forms in which Maitreya is depicted in China.

Basically they are two different people, one is born and died and one will again born in future.

Gautam Buddha or regular Buddha has already been born, achieved enlightenment, and died

Laughing Buddha or Budai is believed to be an incarnation of Maitreya, a Bodhisattva, who will appear sometime in future, gain enlightenment, and guide people


Laughing Buddha Photos –









Reality views by sm –

Monday, September 23, 2013

Tags – Laughing Buddha Facts Placement

24 comments:

sukumar September 23, 2013  

My Boss presented me a laughing Buddha and my suffering started day one .I had to leave my office taking transfer with in six months in 2005 weeping!

rudraprayaga September 23, 2013  

Thank you for this post as I wanted to know about laughing Buddha.I was thinking that it was lau.Budda not Buddha.Anyhow a much wanted info.

Destination Infinity September 24, 2013  

Excellent article SM. I am sharing this on my blog.

Destination Infinity

Jeevan September 24, 2013  

wow! great reading on this laughing legend... I too received one idol from my friend. came via DI's blog

Unknown March 07, 2014  

Siddhartha, was not indian prince. He was born in Nepal. check this site by UNESCO http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/666

SM March 08, 2014  

@Sashant Sigdel

thanks
Please read the point no. 3 again
thank you for comemnt

Unknown August 17, 2015  

It is india at that time

Unknown November 07, 2015  

Well, the admin needs to do a genuine research. Siddhartha Gautama aka Gautama Buddha was from Nepal, and a Nepali Prince, not Indian.

Hahahehehoho May 17, 2016  

My son burst out laughing during monks singing, and made The Dalai Lama giggle. I always smile when I think of this. At first I was appalled, but His Holiness the Dalai Lama laughed so I now see it as possibly auspicious. Certainly sweet.

aakash May 26, 2016  

in this article There is written that buddha was prince of India but thats not true he was born in lumbini(Nepal).so could you please notify if..."Buddha was born in Nepal"

jyotsana July 19, 2016  

It is said that Buddha was an Indian prince because Nepal was a part of India then. As was Pakistan and Bangladesh a few years back.
Besides Buddha's enlightenment, his first sermon, his leaving his body, all took place in the current geography of India.
Just because of India getting divided in 1947 and making mohenjo daro a part of Pakistan now does not mean that this ancient civilization was Pakistani.
It was and it is very much Indian.

SM July 20, 2016  

@Paromeeta,
@Hahahehehoho,
@Unknown,
@jyotsana,
thanks.

Adhyan August 31, 2016  

Thanks for sharing such meaningful information.

Anonymous,  October 13, 2016  

He was a prince, he left his kingdom and went in search of truth at an early age when he encountered an events while traveling which made him realise that price or beggar, strong or weak, young or old, whatever the case on cannot escape the inevitable death. If everyone is born to die what is the truth of our birth, why are we born. With this in mind he left his kingdom and went in search of knowledge and got enlightened under a bodhi vruksh.

Unknown May 08, 2019  

Hi I received laughing budhaa from a friend and I ended up losing my job. Although I'm experienced icu nursing sister I've been to 5 interviews with no outcomes. Life from furfillment has now become like end.

Unknown November 16, 2019  

I buy a plot for Home in 2012..now I making my home.. during digging gutter pet..I found a statue of laughing Buddha..it is very old and made of pink stone..but little bit crakes on it... somebody guide me...is it good for me or..not..can I place it in my home?