Do you know who Laughing Buddha is? 

Almost all of you have seen a cute little Laughing Buddha show piece at home, isn’t it? It mostly comes in golden colour but you may also happen to spot it in white, black and green colours. The postures also vary with the Laughing Buddha standing, sitting, raising his hands, carrying a sack or holding some beads. The materials are also different, starting from wood and ceramic to stone, metal, etc. But have you ever thought where did this happy-looking Buddha come from? Is this Buddha some version of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism? Why is it called Laughing Buddha?  Let us answer all these questions for you while shedding light on the significance of its various colours, position, and materials.  

Laughing Buddha is actually ‘Budai’ 
The Laughing Buddha that we see is actually Budai, a Chinese monk, believed to have lived around the 10th century AD in the Later Liang Dynasty of China. He is often identified with and venerated as Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism (an indigenous form of Chinese Buddhism). According to the Buddhist tradition, Maitreya Buddha is one who will be born to teach enlightenment in the next age or the ‘future Buddha’. As Chan Buddhism grew in popularity, Budai also came to be venerated in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. But what is the meaning of Budai? In the Japanese language, Budai is pronounced as ‘Hotei’ which literally means ‘cloth sack’. It refers to the bag that he is conventionally portrayed as carrying everywhere. It is believed that if you rub the Laughing Buddha’s belly, it will bring you good luck and wealth. He is also understood to be one of the seven Japanese Shinto Gods of luck (an indigenous form of Chinese Buddhism).  

But did this Chinese monk Budai actually exist? Well, the main textual evidence pointing to Budai resides in a collection of Chan Buddhist monks' biographies known as The Transmission of the Lamp.  

Why is he called Laughing Buddha?  
His humorous personality, jolly nature and eccentric lifestyle has made Budai different from most other Buddhist masters or figures. Since he is always shown with a large protruding stomach, smiling or laughing, he started to be called the "Laughing Buddha" in Chinese. He also goes by the name ‘Fat Buddha’ in many western countries as he is traditionally shown as overweight and also for his love of food as mentioned in the stories on Budai.  

Laughing Buddha in various cultures 
In the Chinese traditional practice Feng Shui, it is believed that a statue of Budai in the house would correct certain imbalance in the life of the people living there. It also has its relevance in Indian Vastu Shastra (traditional Indian system of architecture). Practitioners encourage the placement of Budai at home for prosperity. Interestingly, the Laughing Buddha bears a striking resemblance with Kubera (the Indian god of wealth). It is believed that if you rub its belly every day with a positive mindset, your wishes will come true. 

Laughing Buddha: Symbolism 
The different postures, colours and materials of the Laughing Buddha carry different symbolic interpretations. The one with a sack or bag would gather one’s sufferings and put them in his sack giving back abundance and positivity while the Buddha holding beads is believed to bring prosperity and good health. Similarly, there are many other versions with different symbolisms. Buddha in the golden yellow colour symbolises prosperity and abundance while black-coloured Buddha helps to welcome fluidity, good luck and wisdom. A white-coloured Buddha, on the other hand, would bring wealth, peace and happiness. The sitting posture of Buddha is considered to be that of love and it symbolises stability of thoughts and tranquillity whereas the standing Buddha symbolises treasure and happiness.