"Hotei"

"Hotei "  believed to be The god of contentment and happiness, guardian of children, and patron of bartenders. Hotei has a cheerful face and a big belly. In Chinese he known as Budai or Putai and  in Japan as  Hotai and for the rest of the world we know him as a Laughing Buddha. The statue we see of laughing budha is actually statue of Hotei. Although Many Westerners confuse Budai with Gautama Buddha. I first heard about him from my "Guru". He used to say "laugh like  Hotei". Later on i found a proverb "Laugh like Hotei". Thats always make me curious to know more about Him and his life. He carries a large cloth bag over his back , one that never empties, he carries all his belongings in a bindle wherever he goes.  He also stuffs the sack with donations of food and clothing from laymen and candy to give to children. Indeed, the Japanese spelling of “Hotei” literally means “cloth bag.” He also holds a Chinese fan called an oogi  (said to be a “wish giving” fan   moreover in the distant past, this type of fan was used by the aristocracy to indicate to vassals that their requests would be granted). 

His large, fat stomach is a symbol of happiness, luck, and abundance and many believed that if one rubs the belly of laughing Budai, it brings good luck and wealth

Legend says that Hotai was not use to talk, his massage was just laugh and smile. While he entered any village with his sack he start to stare at the people looks lame and sad and start to laugh. With laughing sometime he fell on ground and keep laughing. By watching him laugh there everyone start to laugh and its spread among people to people and from villages to villages. people there always wait for him when hotei will come and bring the good luck and happiness.

There’s a Zen story about Hotei.  When someone asked  him “What’s the meaning of Zen?” he put his sack down on the ground and saying nothing. Then when he asked  him again “How he will  understand Zen?” he picked his sack on his back up  again and walked away. What a  Clever Hotei!  without saying a word Hotai simply gave him the wisdom of zen  that is— letting go and dropping off whatever we’re holding and this is actually the significance of zen and by carrying his sack on his back he gave the massage that this is the way to learn zen — that do your job that you have to. 

In western culture, the laughing Buddha is often referred to as the "fat Buddha." As a jolly fat man who frequently distributes candies and presents to children, Ho Tai most closely resembles what Westerners think of as Santa Claus. However, his tidings of good fortune can be enjoyed year round. Ho Tai is also considered the patron of bartenders and restaurant owners and is frequently seen displayed prominently in Asian restaurants. Overindulgence in food and drink are often credited to the influence of the laughing Buddha.