Laughing Buddha ( Happy Buddha ) is known as Hotei ( in Japan) and Pu-Tai ( in China), these figures embody the ideals of the good life, health, happiness, prosperity and longevity.
They represent the later Buddhist notions that the good life was indeed attainable in this world.
It consisted of self-mastery, a happy demeanor, purposeful endeavor, a deep commitment to the welfare of others and enlightened awareness.
Hotei (year of birth unknown - 917(?)) was a legendary Buddhist monk who lived in Mingzhou (now Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China) from the end of the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties.
In Japan, it is worshiped as one of the Seven Lucky Gods.
Hotei / laughing Buddha is one of the seven deities of good fortune.
Considered a good subject for ink painting, it is depicted as a pot-bellied monk carrying a large bag on his back.
Hotei is said to bring overall good fortune such as wealth, prosperity, business success, matchmaking, good health, love relationship , protection, and marital harmony and is a popular god in Japan.
Its origin is said to be a monk named Keishi who lived in China in the 800s and 900s.
In other words, Hotei is not an imaginary existence such as a myth, but a special case in which an actual person was sublimated into the Seven Lucky Gods.
There is also information that Keishi, who was the origin of Hotei, was a monk who was also called Jōō Daishi or Chōteishi, and died in 916.
There are various anecdotes about this monk named Keish, and from those anecdotes, he became a sacred object after death and was worshiped.
Specifically, it is said that Hotei was as follows.
* He always carried a large bag and received alms in it. This appearance is the origin of Hotei.
* There is information that he belonged to a temple called Gakurinji, but he basically never stayed in one place and continued to wander.
* He was short with a so-called pot-bellied body, and was half-naked with his belly exposed no matter how cold it was.
* Even if he lie down and rest in a place covered with snow, only the place where Hotei was resting didn't accumulate any snow.
* Even after his death, there were reports of sightings of him here and there.
* Prediction accuracy was very high.
* It is said that he left a famous quotes just before his death,
``Miroku is the true Maitreya, and he has 100 billion copies of himself.
From this anecdote, it is said that he was an incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva, the highest being among bodhisattvas.
⇒ Based on this idea, a pot-bellied Maitreya Bodhisattva is enshrined in China that resembles a cloth bag.
・No one saw the contents of the bag, and when he was asked about it, the answer was, "It contains people's happiness."
Because of these various origins and the fact that he was worshiped during his lifetime, the monk Keishi came to be worshiped as Hotei and was enshrined as the god of good fortune.
A mysterious anecdote has been told about his final moments.
In the Tenpuku era (end of the 9th century), he died in Hosen Prefecture (there is another theory that he was transferred to Gakurinji Temple in 917) and was buried there.
There is a record that the custom of painting Hotei was practiced in the Konan region not long after his death.
According to the Keitoku Dentoroku, Hotei was on the verge of death,
he left his famous quotes below,
" Mitreya ( Miroku ), Maitreya, 100 billion alter ego (Miroku is the true Maitreya and has 10 billion alter ego)
Time indicates time, time and person are ignorant
—Osho Hotei, "
From this, the legend spread that Hotei was actually an incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva.
Some people consider Hotei to be a Zen monk, but in the ``Tang Mingshu Fenghua County Shakei Koko'' (Hotei) in the 21st volume `
`Kantsuhen'' of ``Song High Priests'' written in the latter half of the 10th century, , never mentions his relationship with Zen.
The relationship between Hotei and Zen Buddhism can be seen in the beginning of the 11th century, in "Keitoku Dentoroku" ,
Kanzan Jittoku and other high-ranking priests, along with other high-ranking priests, were established as
'Meishu Hotei Osho'.
Faith in China
Since the Middle Ages, in China, the shape of the drum belly, which is likened to a cloth bag, has been drawn as the figure of Maitreya Buddha, and it has become customary for it to be enshrined in the main Buddhist hall of a temple.
In Japan, you can also see the golden Maitreya statue in the shape of a cloth bag enshrined with the Shitenno and Idaten in the Tennoden, which is located between the Sanmon gate and the Daiohoden, at Manpuku-ji Temple, the main temple of the Obaku sect.
In China, the name ``Bùdài héshàng'' is difficult to understand, so it is generally called ``Mílè''. As a result, Westerners called him Maitreya.
Faith in Japan
In Japan, Hotei was accepted as the subject of Zen paintings during the Kamakura period.
It was worshiped by the common people as one of the gods of good fortune, and in the latter half of the Muromachi period (1336 - 1573 ), it came to be included in the Seven Lucky Gods.
At Kiyoshikojin Seicho-ji Temple, the head temple of the Shingon Sanpo sect, he is regarded as a follower of Sanpokojin.
An obese hotei was considered to be a person with a wide sense of size, a harmonious personality, and to control wealth and prosperity, and the bag that was a personal possession came to be regarded as a 'patience bag'.
At first, Hotei was also drawn as an incarnation of Miroku Bosatsu, but gradually, human-like ``Hotei'' such as ``Belly rubbing Hotei'' and ``Sleeping Hotei'' came to be drawn.
The Seven Lucky Gods were established in the late Edo period. ( 1603 - 1868)
In Sengai's "Shichifukujin Gasan ," ( Art galley of seven lucky gods ) which also drew many 'Hotei-zu,'( Hotei- drawing ) Hotei is depicted, but Inari is depicted instead of Fuku-roku-ju. ( good luck, wealth, longevity )
Among the seven gods of good fortune, Hotei is a god who means ``breadth of magnificence'' and ``massiveness,''. and his blessings are wide-ranging.
There are so many things picked up, such as improving financial luck, improving career luck, improving personal connections, improving work luck, good health, harmonious couples, childbirth, etc.
Blessings of Hotei ( Laughing Buddha )
Hotei's benefits are various, such as childbirth, overall luck, matchmaking, financial luck, business prosperity, good health, and marital harmony.
Among them, the most popular one is "Hotei Karako-zu," which is playing with a child with a big belly, and it seems that the image of the god of fertility has been established from there.
Also, it is common to think that the bag that Hotei carries is a ``pan' bag," and since he is the Seven Lucky Gods, which means magnificence, he is smiling with a big bag of equanimity.
I am convinced that we are connected.
Hotei's ( laughing Buddha ) mantra is
"Om Maitaleya Sowaka".
This mantra is called a mantra in Sanskrit and means "truth word of Buddha" or "secret word".
It is also a point that the Shingon sect is derived from this Shingon.
Hotei himself lived a life far from money, such as walking around the countries and living on charity, but by sharing happiness with many people, other people's financial fortunes improved.
So it is thought that other people's fortune will also be improved.
However it's also said that one can receive good fortune when one is helping others, so it's not like one can get everything just by praying.
Since it is a god that raises various fortunes, it is said to have the effect of improving career and work luck.
In addition, because Hotei was a man of character and was very popular, so he was often drawn with children, and from there, it is said that there are blessed for children as well.
It is said that by placing the image or statue of Hotei/laughing Buddha / Happy Buddha in your home, you can invite financial luck.
It is also quite popular as a feng shui item, and it is said that it is common to place it in the entrance of the house, in the center of the house, in the alcove, or in the living room.
If you wear the image of Hotei / Laughing Buddha, he will clean your energy and protect you from negative energy and will bring good fortune.
The more you help others or make people happy, the more you receive blessings. However you also need to make yourself happy.
As a precaution when placing a Hotei/Laughing Buddha statue or image, good to put it in a high and clean place.
Also, when you place Hotei/laughing Buddha in a high and clean place, good to be grateful every day.
This is for showing your respect to Hotei/ Laughing Buddha.
It's said that you get what you give.
The more grateful you are, the more blessings come your way.
Hotei is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the Laughing Buddha or Happy Buddha.
He had a big belly, and his big belly is a symbol of happiness, good luck and generosity.
Many believe that rubbing the Laughing Buddha's belly brings joy, luck and prosperity.
In recent years, Laughing Buddha / Hotei 's pendant necklace is becoming more and more popular because it attracts positive energy and good fortune.
It doesn't matter whether you are Buddhist or not, anyone can wear the image of Joyful Laughing Buddha ( Hotei) pendant.
Happy Buddha / Laughing Buddha
Lucky charm / Good luck jewelry