Budai

Budai
Glazed ceramic sculpture of Budai. China, Ming dynasty, 1486.
Died	916 or 917 CE
Chinese name
Chinese	布袋
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin bùdài Wade–Giles Pu4-tai4 IPA [pûtâɪ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Bou-doih Jyutping Bou3-doi6 IPA [pɔw˧tɔj˨] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Pò͘-tē
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	笑佛
Literal meaning	Laughing Buddha
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiào Fó Wade–Giles Hsiao4 Fo2
Second alternative Chinese name
Chinese	胖佛
Literal meaning	Fat Buddha
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Pàng Fó Wade–Giles P'ang4 Fo2
Third alternative Chinese name
Chinese	快乐佛
Literal meaning	Happy Buddha
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Kuàilè Fó Wade–Giles K'uali'he4 Fo2
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Bố Đại
Chữ Hán	布袋
Thai name
Thai	พระปู้ไต้
RTGS	Phra Pu Tai
Korean name
Hangul	포대
Hanja	布袋
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Podae McCune–Reischauer P'odae
Japanese name
Kanji	布袋
Hiragana	ほてい
Transcriptions Romanization Hotei

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Budai (Chinese: 布袋; pinyin: Bùdài; Korean: 포대, romanized: Podae; Japanese: 布袋, romanized: Hotei; Vietnamese: Bố Đại) is a nickname given to the Chinese monk Qici (Chinese: 契此) who is often identified with and venerated as Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism. With the spread of Chan Buddhism, he also came to be venerated in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.^[1] He is said to have lived around the 10th century CE in the Wuyue kingdom.

The name "Budai" literally means "cloth sack",^[1] and refers to the bag he is usually depicted carrying as he wanders aimlessly. His jolly nature, humorous personality, and eccentric lifestyle distinguish him from most Buddhist masters or figures. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the "Laughing Buddha".^[a][2][3] Budai is traditionally depicted as overweight and having a huge stomach (possibly a symbol of abundance or forgiveness) and many stories surrounding Budai involve his love of food and drink. Because of this, he is also referred to as the "Fat Buddha", especially in the Western world. He is often mistaken by Westerners to be the original Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.^[4]

The main textual record of Budai's life resides in a collection of Chan Buddhist monks' biographies known as The Transmission of the Lamp.^[5]

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