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by CT on October 9th, 2009
No its because there are lots of Buddha's I have several and only one of those is the Jolly one..In China they call him the Jolly Buddha..though if he has another name I can't remember at the moment :D
by elephantSmiles on October 9th, 2009
There are many Buddhas. That one is the laughing Buddha if I recall correctly.
by Sokoot on October 9th, 2009
This is just my opinion, maybe in the culture that Buddhism is coming from being fat is not considered a curse. And maybe the Buddha statue that you have was made by someone from another culture who converted to Buddhism but was not okay with a curvy leader!
by Bull wears a COAT of many colours on October 9th, 2009
Not western. It just depends on where you are in the orient.
by VandalEyes on October 9th, 2009
The fat one isn't a Buddha at all. It is a kitchen god from China that tourist and soldiers bought and made the mistake of calling it Buddha. Its cool though. Buddha wouldn't care a bit.
by Anonymous on October 9th, 2009
I've noticed that the fat Buddhas are almost always Chinese in origin. Fat=Prosperity +4 Jadey
by Elle Pantelakos on January 17th, 2010
There are many Buddhas. The original, first Buddha, was very thin - he experimented with near-death experiences and one of his experiments involved starvation.
In Chinese buddhism, the fat Buddha is the Merry Buddha - he represents happiness.
Fat people - like Santa Claus for example - are stereotyped as being happy because fat releases endorphins, the chemical which triggers the brain to feel happy.
by beverleyexton on May 1st, 2010
was my answer submitted properly???
by Kristina_R4082 on December 7th, 2010
The Buddhas you see that look more Indian with the elongated ears, almond shaped eyes, webbed fingers and adorned with sanghatis are the past Buddhas. There are many types of Buddhas, there are the past Buddhas (which are the first personifications of Buddha which originated in India) the present Buddha (where Buddhism became dominant in Asia and we began seeing more oriental features) and the future Buddha (which is the jolly man Buddha we see now who is actually an incarnation of a bodhisattva, which is a Buddha to be, hence 'future Buddha'). How did the personification of Buddha change so drastically though? I can't quite remember exact names but through the course of preaching the jatakas and Chinese folklore, the tales of Buddha and the tale of a jolly fat man who was supposed to bring luck became mixed and eventually through some amazing course of action Buddha was represented as this jolly fat figure.
by unclenick on December 31st, 2009
That is a buddha that has been stereotyped. Alot of people own the Joyfull Buddha as an ornament not a visualisation.
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You're reading Why is Buddha sometimes portrayed as fat? .. I have Buddha statues from the East and he is skinny in those, so is the idea of a fat Buddha a Western thing maybe?
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Comments
Thanks for your answer =)
by Jadey - Vive la difference on October 10th, 2009
You are welcome Jadey :D
by CT on October 10th, 2009
I think you are talking about Bodhisattva Maitreya... at least according to: http://www.katinkahesselink.net/tibet/buddha.html
by Persky Bunkermeister on January 17th, 2010
This is really the Maitreya Bodhisattva whose name refers to "one who has loving kindness". Maitraya, or Mi Lo Fo in Chinese, will be the next Buddha to appear in this Saha world. At present he presides over Tushita Heaven. Traditional Indian statues of Maitreya depict hin as a typical Bodhisattva. The metamorphosis into his more jovial protrayal occurred in China during the Sung Dynasty (AD 960-1278) when a rotund and generous itinerant monk became associated with the Bodhisattva. Mi Lo fo's gigantic belly and hemp sack represent plentiful wealth & prosperity, for in China only a wealthy person could possibly have enough to eat to become obese.
by beverleyexton on May 1st, 2010