Buddha Statue Meaning Hand on bag Beads in other hand Legs crossed Smiling What does this mean?

Question

I have a Buddha statue that I cannot figure out the meaning of, even after searching everywhere online. He has one hand on a bag (money bag?) and his other hand has beads in it. He is smiling. Does anyone know what this statue symbolizes? Also: Does anyone know of a website/guide that shows meanings of all of the Buddha symbols in one place? Please help...Thanks!!!

Answer 1

Is your statue of a plump fellow? If so, then it doesn't represent Buddha, but a Chinese monk named Budai.

Budai lived around 1,100 C.E. in central China and was famous for his good humor and generosity. Budai was able to forecast the weather. Thus, when he died, it was determined that he was Maitreya, the future Buddha.

The beads, known as a 'mala,' represent never-ending meditation practice, even when engaged in worldly activities. The bag represent spiritual wealth and generosity.

The first link below contains more information about Budai.

The second and third links will take you to more information about symbols in Buddhism.

May this answer benefit you!

Answer 2

That is actually a Bodhisattva, one that has enlightened to a level right under the buddha. The one you are speaking of is the Maitreya Bodhisattva, also known as the World Honored Future Buddha, who will teach this world buddhism after this world as ended.

Well..Maitreya Bodhisattva is actually, in a sense, like Santa Claus with his bag of gifts.

But the reason why the Maitreya Bodhisattvas (World Honored Future Buddha) manifests the appearance of a fat, jolly man is much to do with his personality and compassionate giving.

Maitreya Bodhisattva has immense patience in which nothing can make him unhappy. He is unmovable. If you spit on him, he would let it dry up rather than even acknowledge the bad causes of others. If he wiped the spit, it would mean he had a negative impression on the spitter and the spitting. Instead, his compassion leads him to not bare negative feelings towards anyone, no matter what. His patience causes him to be able to withstand any suffering.

So that is why he is always laughing and smiling. He is always happy.

Out of his full compassion for all living beings, the Maitreya Bodhisattva practices a great kind practice of giving and compassion. That is why there is his bag of "gifts" that fulfills everyone's wish. That is also why he is considered good luck and good fortune because he fulfills your heart's desire (in which that trust leads to people listening to the dharma that he would teach you along the way).

In part of his giving, he stomachs all your unhappiness and woes. All your troubles, suffering, tears, woes, difficulties, etc... all of it, he stomachs it for you and takes it, hence I wrote the 3rd paragraph of this answer. And that's why his stomach is so big! That's all of the suffering and sadness he takes from you.

It's like he is saying, "You don't want that suffering? Okay, don't worry, I'll take it. I'll eat it up, break it down, and stomach all that sadness for you. I just want you to be happy, so I'll fulfill your wishes too."

Whatever people don't want, he stomachs it for you. And whatever you want, he gives to you, hence the bag of gifts.

With his compassion and patience, he can take all that suffering. That's why he'll take it and stomach it for you. No problem to him. He can take it. So he'll take it. And whatever makes you smile, he'll try to accommodate.

This Bodhisattva is extraordinary in happiness, giving, patience, and compassion. He has been conferred by prediction of the Buddhas that he will be the next Buddha of this world. When the dharma has completely been forgotten in this world, and the world has ended by human evils, the Maitreya Bodhisattva will attain full and equally proper enlightenment to that of all buddhas, and be the next buddha to teach this world, earth. He will introduce the Buddha Dharma just as Shakyamuni Buddha introduced the Buddha Dharma to this world as Siddhartha.