The Laughing Buddha — Who Was He Really? | The Story of Budai | TJR Spirituality

Who is the “Laughing Buddha” — and who was Budai? The smiling, round-bellied figure popularly known around the world as the “Laughing Buddha” is generally associated with Budai (布袋), a Chinese Buddhist figure surrounded by historical traditions, legends and centuries of artistic development. But how did Budai become the familiar figure we recognize today? This presentation explores: 🪷 Who Budai was 🪷 His traditional association with the cloth sack 🪷 The legends surrounding his life 🪷 His connection with Maitreya 🪷 The development of the familiar laughing, round-bellied image 🪷 How Budai/Hotei became associated with prosperity, happiness and good fortune in later popular culture 🪷 The distinction between Budai and Gautama Buddha