Buddha Hotei - what it symbolizes in Eastern culture. Hotey for wealth and health Laughing Buddha what's in his hands

He is the god of happiness, communication, fun and prosperity. He is often called the laughing Buddha, the Buddha of Abundance, and the "canvas bag." Figurines depicting Hotei are used all over the world as an effective talisman.

What does God Hotei give people with a sack on his back?

Although Feng Shui gives people success and luck in business, attracts good luck, wealth, prosperity and happiness to the inhabitants of the house. He is the personification of generosity, happiness, carefreeness and world harmony.

According to legend, the god of prosperity is able to predetermine the fate of a person and fulfill his cherished desire.

The God of Wealth according to Feng Shui is a source of positivity. In addition, he is capable of destroying the negative and deadly energy of Shi, as well as preventing the harmful effects of flying stars that bring troubles and diseases.

How the god of fun and prosperity is depicted

Hotei in Feng Shui is depicted as a bald, pot-bellied man with a huge belly, who is never parted with a huge bag. According to one version, a lot of money, gold and jewelry were collected in the bag of the god of fun. Another version claims that his bag contains human sorrows, troubles and problems.

Figurines of God Hotei are carved from various materials. Wood, stone, clay, gypsum, metal and stone chips are used to make it. The sizes of the figures are also varied, from miniature to huge. Hotei is also made in the form of keychains.

According to Feng Shui, it is desirable for Hotei to be painted golden or white.

The figurine of Hotei can hold various attributes in his hands: pearls, rosary, vase, fan, peach, rocker. He can sit on a snake, elephant or turtle, or be next to the Dragon.

Pearls indicate material and spiritual wealth, and peach guarantees long life. Rosaries speak of finding a spiritual path, and coins and gold bars speak of wealth. A fan in the hands of the god of fun will get rid of all barriers and obstacles, and a rocker will bring unexpected wealth. God Hotei, holding a staff, a pumpkin and a bunch of ancient Chinese coins, will bestow success, a happy long life, financial well-being and purity of family relationships.

If Hotei stands next to the Dragon, then he will help attract financial flows and monetary luck to the business. If the God of Wealth sits in a pyramid, and he is surrounded by sand and coins, then he will constantly attract cash flows into your home and help you succeed in business. The God of fun, surrounded by children, will help you have offspring.

When choosing a figurine or figurine, you should pay attention to one nuance. The sitting God Hotei is the source of feminine Yin energy, and Hotei, who is standing, distributes the male Yang energy.

Where to put the Hotei talisman

Before you place the Hotei figurine, you should decide what you want to purchase. If your goal is honor and respect, then place the figurine in the hallway next to the front door. At the same time, according to Feng Shui, God Hotei should look at the door. If you dream of recognition, then Hotei should be placed in the southern part of the house. If you strive to become lucky in money, to win big money in the lottery, then the ideal place for the Hotei talisman is. If you want to find harmony in your family, then put up a figurine. The God of Wealth, Hotei, placed on your desktop, will take conspiracies, stress and betrayal away from you, and will attract career growth.

A treasure with coins or gold bars must be placed in the zone that is responsible for wealth. The best place for Hotei with a cane is the health sector. The god of wealth carrying pearls should be placed in. A hotei surrounded by children can be placed in the southwestern or western part of the house.

But in any case, the figurine can be placed in the most visible place in the house. You can purchase several figurines of the god of wealth and place them in different parts of the house.

Hotei will fulfill your cherished dreams

According to Feng Shui, to get Hotei's help, you should rub his tummy clockwise 300 times, thinking about your dream. It is also recommended to stroke his belly before leaving the house: good luck will accompany you.

What does the legend about Hotei say?

The prototype of Hotei is a small fat monk named Qi-Tsi, who lived in China at the end of the tenth century. He traveled around the world, carrying with him a large canvas bag and a rosary. The monk brought people luck, health and wealth. Moreover, he infected everyone with his carefree, sincere laughter. When asked what was kept in his bag, the monk answered that the whole world.

LAUGHING BUDDHA

Laughter is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness exists because of the ego - it is, in fact, part of the disease. Laughter is the absence of ego.

Yes, there is a difference between when you laugh and when religious people laugh. The difference is that you always laugh at others - a religious person laughs for himself or because of the ridiculousness of human existence in general.

You can be a sectarian, but not a religious person. You can be a Christian, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jaina, a Muslim, but you cannot be religious. You believe in something, but you don't know anything. You believe in theories. A person who is not too burdened, who does not have the burden of theories over his being, begins to laugh.

The whole game of existence is so beautiful that laughter can be the only answer to it. Laughter can be the only prayer, thanksgiving.

In Japan, one great mystic, Hotei, was nicknamed the laughing Buddha. He is one of the most beloved mystics in Japan, and he never uttered a single word. When he became enlightened, he began to laugh, and whenever anyone asked him, “Why are you laughing?” he laughed even more. And so he moved from village to village, laughing.

A crowd will gather and he will laugh. And gradually - his laughter was very contagious - someone in the crowd began to laugh, then someone else, and then the whole crowd began to laugh; laugh because... Why are they laughing? Everyone knows: "This is funny; this man is strange, but why are we laughing?"

But everyone was laughing, and everyone was a little worried: “What will people think? There is no reason to laugh.” But people were waiting for Hotei because in their entire lives they had never laughed so completely, with such intensity, that after this laughter they found that their feelings became clearer. Their eyes could see better; their whole being became light, as if a great burden had disappeared.

People asked Hotei: “Come back again,” and he walked, laughing, to another village. All his life, some forty-five years after his enlightenment, he did only one thing: it was laughter. This was his message, his gospel, his scripture.

And it should be noted that in Japan no one is remembered with such respect as Hotei. In every house you will find figurines of Hotei. And he did nothing but laugh, and this laughter came from such depths that it stayed with everyone who heard it and “launched” his being.

Hotei is unique. There is no other person in the entire world who can make so many people laugh for no reason at all. And everyone was filled with laughter, and everyone was cleansed by laughter, and felt as good as they had never felt.

Something from unknown depths began to ring bells in human hearts.

This Hotei is of enormous importance. It is rare for such a person as Hotei to walk the earth. There needs to be more people like Hotei; We need more churches to be filled with laughter, dancing, and singing. By losing your seriousness, you won't actually lose anything; you'll actually become healthier and more whole. But the laughter is lost, everything is lost. Suddenly you lose the triumph of your being; you become colorless, monotonous, as if dead. Then your energy no longer flows.

People have completely forgotten that religion should be alive. This is something that must be learned. It is something that must circulate in your blood, become your bones, your very essence. It's impossible to think about it. Thoughts are the most superficial part of your being. You have to get into it.

But wherever the truth, the ray of light, is born, scientists immediately gather together - intellectuals, professors, philosophers, theorists - they jump on this truth, they crush it; they turn it into dead theories and scriptures. What was alive becomes just a piece of paper. The real rose disappears. When truth is encountered, it is not verbal, it is silent. It is so deep that it cannot be expressed in words. But sooner or later people will come who will put words into words and systematize it. And she will be killed by this very systematization.

Hotei lived a completely different life, unlike a religious person. His whole life was nothing more than constant laughter. They say about Hotei that sometimes even in his sleep he could start laughing. He had a big belly, and that belly was shaking. People asked him: “Why are you laughing? And even in your sleep!” Laughter was so natural to him that everything and everyone helped him laugh. Then all life - whether awake or asleep - is a comedy.

You turned life into a tragedy. You have made a tragic mess of your life. Even when you laugh, you are not laughing. Even when you pretend to laugh, this laughter is simply forced, forced, ostentatious. It does not come from the heart, and not at all from the stomach. It is not something coming from your center; it is just an external image. You laugh for reasons that have nothing to do with laughter. I heard...

In a small office, the owner told an old hackneyed joke, told it many times. And everyone laughed - you have to laugh! They were all bored because of this, but the owner is the owner. And when the owner tells a joke, you should laugh, this is part of your duties. Only one female typist did not laugh, she sat straight, seriously. The owner said: “What happened to you? Why don’t you laugh?” She said, "I'm quitting my job this month."

People have their own reasons for everything. Even laughter becomes a business; even laughter is economical, political. Even laughter is not just laughter; purity is lost. You can't even laugh, just like a child. And if you cannot laugh like that, you lose your virginity, your purity, your innocence.

Watch a small child, watch his laughter - so deep, it comes from the very center. When a child is born, the first social action that he learns - or perhaps it is incorrect to say "learns", because he brings it with him - is a smile, this is the first social manifestation; through a smile he becomes part of society. It seems very natural, spontaneous. Other things will come later - when he smiles, that is the first glimpse of his being in this world. When a mother sees her child smiling, she becomes incredibly happy - because that smile indicates health, that smile shows intelligence, that smile shows that the child is not stupid. not retarded.

This smile shows that the child is going to live and be happy. The mother is simply in awe. Smiling is the first social action, and should remain the main social action. You should continue to laugh all your life. If you can laugh in all kinds of situations, you will become able to face them, and these encounters will bring you maturity. I'm not saying don't cry. In fact, if you can't laugh, you can't cry. It happens together; it is part of the same phenomenon of being true and authentic.

There are millions of people whose tears have dried up; their eyes have lost their radiance and depth; their eyes have lost moisture. Because they cannot cry, they cannot weep; tears cannot flow naturally. If laughter is crippled, tears are also crippled. Only a person who laughs truly can truly cry. And if you can cry and laugh truly, you are alive.

These moods of your inner being, these states enrich you. But soon everyone forgets this. What was natural in the beginning becomes unnatural. You need someone to make you laugh, to tickle you until you laugh - only then will you laugh. That's why there are so many jokes in the world.

You may have noticed that Jews have the best jokes in the world. And the reason is that they lived in greater misery than any other race. They had to create jokes, otherwise they would have died a long time ago. They went through so much trouble, they were tortured so much for centuries, they were crushed, they were killed - they were forced to create funny things. This was a lifesaver. That's why they have the best jokes, the funniest, the deepest.

I have to tell jokes because I'm afraid that you are all religious people. You tend to be serious. I have to tickle you, so sometimes you forget your religiosity, you forget all your philosophies, theories, systems, and you sink to the ground. I must bring you back to earth again and again; otherwise you will tend to become serious, serious. And seriousness is more and more cancerous.

You can learn a lot from Hotei. Laughter brings strength. Now even medical science says that laughter is one of the most powerful medicines that nature has provided to humans. If you can laugh when you are sick, you will sooner regain your health. If you cannot laugh even when you are healthy, then sooner or later you will lose your health and become sick.

Laughter brings some energy from your inner source to the surface. Energy begins to flow, accompanying laughter like a shadow. Have you observed this? When you really laugh, you are in a state of deep meditation for several moments. Thinking stops. It is impossible to laugh and at the same time think. These are diametric opposites: either you laugh or you think. If you really laugh, thinking stops. If you still think, then the laughter will just be so-so, it will just be somehow, somewhere behind. It will be a crippled laugh.

When you really laugh, suddenly the mind disappears. The whole Zen methodology is how to enter into no-mind. Laughter is one of the most beautiful doors to get into.

As far as I know, dance and laughter are the best, most natural, most easily accessible doors. If you really dance, thinking stops. You go on and on, you go round and round and you become a whirlpool - all limitations, all divisions are lost. You don't even know where your body ends and existence begins. You dissolve into existence and existence dissolves into you; borders overlap. And if you really dance - not controlling, but letting the dance lead you, letting it take over you, if you are obsessed with the dance - thinking stops. The same thing happens with laughter. If you are obsessed with laughter, thinking stops. And if you experience a few moments of no-mind, these glimpses promise you much more of what is happening. You just have to try harder and harder to master this quality, the quality of no-mind. More and more thinking has to be dropped. Laughter can be a wonderful introduction to a state of not thinking.

It is said that Hotei did not want to call himself a Zen master or gather disciples around him. Instead, he walked the streets with a knapsack on his back full of sweets, fruits and pies - he gave them to the children who gathered and played around him.

Sometimes these children were really children, and sometimes these children were young people, and sometimes these children were old people - do not be misled by the word "children". Old people, much older than Hotei himself, they were also children with him. In fact, to come into contact with Hotei, you had to be an innocent child. And he gave out all sorts of things: toys, sweets, candy. He was saying something symbolic: that a religious person brings you this message: don't take life seriously - it is nothing more than a toy. Don't take life seriously - it is nothing but sweetness. Try it, but don't let it take over you. There is no nutrition in this. There is no truth in this. You can't live on this.

Have you heard the words of Jesus: Man does not live by bread alone. Can a person live on sweets alone? Bread, at least, satisfies, sweets - not. The taste is good, but the effects can be harmful.

To children and old people - he always considered everyone as children - he gave toys; this is very revealing. There is no better way to say that the world is just a toy. And this life, about which you think that it is life, is not the truth at all - it is just a fake, a dream, something transitory. Don't get attached to her.

If you are a meditative person, you give, you share - you do not hoard, you are not miserly. You don't own anything. What can you have in this world? You were not here, but this world was, one day you will not be, but the world will remain here. How can you own? How can you get attached to that "I am the owner"? How can you own anything? And if you are meditative, your whole life will be giving; you will give everything you have - your love, your understanding, your compassion - everything you can give - your energy, body, mind, soul - everything. And you will enjoy it.

There is no greater pleasure than sharing something. Have you given anything to anyone? That's why people are so happy when they give gifts. It's an absolute pleasure. When you give something to someone - maybe something worthless, maybe very valuable - then this simple way, just a gesture, incredibly satisfies you. Just think of a person whose whole life is a gift! Every moment of which is a return; he lives in heaven.

This was the teaching of Hotei: Share! Give it away! What more can be said, what more can be taught?

Zen believes that truth cannot be expressed in words, but it can be expressed in gestures and actions. Something can be done. You can't say it, but you can show it.

Be detached, but be here - because there is no other place to be. This is the only world - there is no other world. Therefore, your monks who sit in temples and monasteries, in Himalayan caves - they are just fugitives. Renounce! - but there is no need to run away. Renounce - and yet be here. Be in the world, but don't be out of the world. Stay in the crowd and stay alone. Do a thousand and one things, do whatever needs to be done, but never be a doer. Don't accumulate - that's all.

There is nothing wrong with earthly existence. Be earthly, and yet remain unearthly - this is what art actually is, the art of living between two opposites, balancing between two opposites. This is a very narrow path, like a razor blade - but it is the only path. If you lose this balance, you will lose the truth.

Stay here-and-now in this world, and continue to live in your own way, continue to live with deep laughter in your being. Dance in your own way for God! Sing in your own way for God!

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Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!

Today we will get acquainted with the good-natured Buddha, whom many have probably seen in the form of figurines brought from the East. His name is Buddha Hotei, and he promises to bring happiness to any home where he is loved.

The article below will tell you many interesting things about this Buddha: what is its significance in Eastern culture, where it is especially revered, what attributes it can be found with and what they mean.

You will also learn an interesting story that tells why Hotei has such a big belly. And at the end, we will share with you tips on how to make a wish to Want, where to put it in the house and which way to stroke your belly so that your dream will certainly come true.

God of happiness

Hotei is highly revered in China, in the practice of Feng Shui, but especially in Japan. According to local myths, he is considered one of the seven gods of happiness. He is very loved in the East, because he gives a rich, prosperous, happy, cheerful life, filled with communication with interesting people.

Buddha Hotei

It is called differently:

• Hotei - in Japanese;
• Budai - in Chinese.

The main companion of the laughing Buddha is a canvas bag, which in Japanese translates as “ ho tay" This is where his name comes from.

Hotei is often called Buddha for some external resemblance to his statues. But from the point of view of Buddhist philosophy, they have nothing in common - Hotei comes from a different culture.

Hotei figurines - famous characters from Japanese arts and crafts netsuke. They can be of different sizes: from quite large statues, for example, at the entrance to a store, to small keychains that fit in a pocket. But Hotei’s strength does not depend on size - he is always ready to give wealth and financial success to his owners.

In any oriental souvenir shop you can meet this kind fat man. Shop owners buy them to attract greater profits, and ordinary family people place them in their homes to find happiness, harmony and well-being. The area of ​​activity of the Buddha of Abundance depends on which area of ​​the apartment you place the figurine in.

In Chukotka there is an analogue of the god Hotei - he is called “peliken”. He also takes the form of a man with a kind smile and a huge belly, and his appearance in the house promises happiness and good luck to the owners.

Peliken - Chukchi mascot

Story

There are several funny legends associated with the god Hotei. Its prototype was a real monk from China who lived in the 10th century. His name was Tsi-Tsi.

But, unlike other monks, he did not like the life of a recluse. Tsi-Tsi traveled a lot, wandered around the country, constantly coming to fairs, bazaars - where there were a lot of people. He made money by predicting the weather or receiving alms.

He had with him only a wooden rosary, a staff and a canvas bag. The other bag was his huge belly, which could not be hidden under any clothing. But the Chinese loved him very much for this - it was believed that it was there that the vital energy of qi was concentrated, and Qi-Tsy had so much of it.

They also loved him for his kind disposition and wide, sincere smile. Wherever the good-natured monk appeared, fun began, and the people around him experienced good fortune, luck and wealth. When asked what he was hiding in the bag, the fat man said that the whole world was hidden in it.

Laughing Buddha

Since then, the world began to call him Hotei. He was depicted in figurines, statues that brought good luck to their owners. It reached its peak of popularity in the Land of the Rising Sun in the 15th century, but even today the decor of any Japanese home is rarely complete without its image.

Another version of the origin of the god of happiness goes back to Feng Shui, which connects him with Buddha Maitreya. Hotei, or as he is called in China, Budai, was a god, very handsome and good-natured. He drove thousands crazy with a woman, but could not be with any of them and, without meaning to, left them unhappy.

To stop the suffering of women, he took the form of a fat, bald deity. And to quench their sadness, he gave each woman happiness, wealth and good luck.

Varieties

Hotei is depicted in the figurines as an old man with a bald head, a wide smile, a bottomless belly and, of course, a bottomless bag. Some say that he keeps happiness there, while others say that he collects people’s grief and sorrow there.

Hotei on a dragon turtle

Figurines come in different sizes, but are usually white, green or golden. Clay, wood, plaster, metal, stone - the material does not play a special role.

Another thing is the attributes and satellites of Hotei. It depends on them what exactly the god of happiness will give you. It can be depicted in different ways:

• on a toad with three legs - promises the owner a quick acquisition of wealth without much effort;
• on an animal - a mixture of a dragon and a turtle - helps businessmen build good relationships with partners, enter into profitable contracts, successfully invest money and make friends with successful people;
• with a pearl - also brings wealth, but also stimulates spiritual growth;
• s – gives well-being and opens the door to gaining knowledge;

Hotey with rosary

• with a fan - creates a wind of change that changes life in the best way;
• with a ginseng staff, bamboo or pumpkin bowl - attracts wealth, health and long life;
• with a rocker - entails untold wealth, happiness in the family, because the rocker holds a basket of gold, solid bars and coins;
• with a mountain of sand made of gold and coins - promotes concentration on an important matter, without being distracted by trifles, and soon - a rise up the career ladder;
• with a bag behind your back - gives luck, prosperity, which will be achieved with ease: work will bring pleasure and be given without difficulty;
• with a crown - patronizes celebrities;
• with children - helps a married couple to quickly conceive long-awaited children and brings money for their upbringing.

Hotei with children

Hotei in the interior

The power of the god of happiness also depends on where he is placed in the house:

• in the hallway, facing the front door - gives respect to others, glory, honor;
• in the south of the apartment - entails recognition of the talents and abilities of the head of the family;
• southeast sector - attracts wealth, for example, finding a new, more profitable job or winning the lottery;
• sector of the east - gives warmth of the family hearth, harmony;
• zone of the west or southwest - helps to have children, raise them to be good people;
• desktop - promotes a successful career, ease of work, the desire to create and create, saves from gossipers and ill-wishers.

There may be several Hotei figurines in the interior. They know how to work miracles and fulfill specific wishes. To do this, you need to stroke the fat man's stomach three hundred times in a clockwise direction, continuously thinking about the object of your desires.

Hotey with a crown

You can stroke your tummy every time before leaving the house - then Hotei will give you good luck and luck for the whole day. But it is important to remember that he loves cleanliness and attention - the figurine should be in a prominent place so that all guests can admire it, and the space around it should be constantly tidied up. Then Hotei will certainly make your every day happy, rich and successful.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! May wealth, luck and family well-being always be present in your life.

And join us - we will search for the truth together. See you!

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The figurine of Hotei is also called the Laughing Buddha. This is probably the only feng shui symbol surrounded by many meanings and interpretations and having such a huge number of varieties.

The first legend for the figurine called the Laughing Buddha says: Buddha was very handsome, for which women loved him. You know, dear reader, that attraction can often be a punishment rather than a blessing. Due to the huge amount of problems and broken hearts that Buddha caused with his beauty, he decided to change his appearance and became a smiling fat man - a merry fellow.

The Second Legend of Hotei is what this figurine is also called. The story told us about a wandering monk who had a heavy bag behind him. In it he collected all human problems and misfortunes that they told him about. In return, he bestowed a person with many benefits: ease, abundance, prosperity, fun and good mood, as if he had lifted a huge burden of problems from his shoulders.

How to determine who is in front of you - a figurine of the god Hotei or Buddha?

Once you have learned about the legends accompanying these figurines, it will not be difficult for anyone to distinguish them. If in front of you is a laughing fat man, a monk with a bag, this is Hotei. In all other cases, and there are many of them - .

Types of Laughing Buddha Statues?

Since many people confuse the names because they are actually the same figurine and this is not of fundamental importance, we further combine the concepts of the laughing Buddha and the monk Hotei. You can often find the name God Hotei.

• Buddha with a coin
• Buddha with a fan
• with a pumpkin bowl,
• with a pearl
• with a dragon on his shoulder,
• with a rosary or scroll in his hands,
• Buddha with a Chinese crown on his head,
• with children
• with a rocker.

Which laughing Buddha or Hotei should you choose? Although the meaning

What does the figurine of Hotei mean? Laughing Buddha meaning?

The general meaning of the Hotei or Laughing Buddha figurine is fun, good health, ease of life and unobtrusive solutions to life's problems. With his smile, Hotei seems to be telling us: if you look at a huge problem or your fear through smiling eyes, it depreciates and becomes not so scary.

How to make a wish on a figurine of the god Hotei so that it comes true 100%?

Before you think about and make a wish in front of the figurine of the god Hotei, you should prepare and perform the ritual without mistakes. First, get to know him. Do not make a wish immediately after the figurine appears in your home. Introduce yourself, place the figurine in the sector of wealth, or health, spiritual development. It depends on what type of Hotei figurine you have. Pat the figurine on its tummy more often.

1. Prepare an offering to Hotei. Place 3 grains of rice, 3 coins, and some sweets into the bag. Tie with yellow thread.
2. Write your wish on a piece of paper. The more humorous and fun the note is, the better.
3. Light the candles and sit for a while with Hotei. Look at his cheerful face. This mini meditation will free your mind and attract energy to accomplish what you want.
4. Place the bag under the figurine. Pat your belly 9 times.
5. Rub your tummy daily. This is how you create a situation where what you want will come to you. You will only need to take small steps towards it.

Where to place a figurine of Hotei or Laughing Buddha?

This Feng Shui mood symbol can be placed in any sector of the apartment. If you place a figurine with a fan in the hallway, you will get a strong protective talisman that will influence all strangers entering the room.

Laughing Buddha (Hotei) erases the cultural differences between the Chinese, Japanese, Indians, and now the Western world, as millions of Feng Shui fans in the West have already fallen in love with this cheerful symbol of good luck.

In any Indian textile shop he is known as the "happy little man" - for many years he went by this name, and nowadays even a semi-literate street vendor will tell you that the well-fed, jovial fellow is none other than Laughing Buddha(in Chinese 笑佛 xiào fú). The Chinese, who call him "Hotei" or "Budai", believe that the merry fellow actually lived in China more than a thousand years ago and was a real Buddhist monk.

The cheerful, ever-laughing monk Hotei has become a kind of symbol of a good mood: any dull gray day becomes brighter from just one glance at a shiny spherical belly, a bald head and a cheerful plump face, radiating sincere joy with all its wrinkles.

It is believed that the origin of the Laughing Buddha, or Hotei, is due to Buddhist and Shinto religious beliefs, the origins of its appearance can be traced back to the time of the Chinese Later Liang Dynasty. Once upon a time there lived a Buddhist monk known as Qiqi (契此 qiècǐ), and he served as the prototype for the well-known Hotei, the Laughing Buddha, the “happy little man” or Maitreya.

Tsitsi was considered to be the Buddha of the Future (Maitreya), but due to his large protruding belly, he was caricatured as the "Laughing Buddha".

Since the 15th century, Hotei has also been one of the seven Japanese Shinto gods of luck.

In ancient times, Buddhist monks preached their religion in Japan, trying to find the right path to the hearts of the local Shinto population. By declaring Buddhist principles through the example of Shinto kami, the monks succeeded in presenting Buddhism as the same unconditional truth. Kami were viewed by Shinto as gods and objects of worship. Buddhist monks used this belief to demonstrate general Buddhist practice, thus having a great influence on the local population. Subsequently, Buddhism became widespread in Japan. However, it was not limited to her alone - Buddhism also became part of Chinese culture. At the entrance to any Chinese Buddhist temple there is usually a statue of the Laughing Buddha, who is worshiped as the god of luck and prosperity.

It is also known about Hotei that he constantly walks around with a bag filled to the brim with treasures, candies for children, food and gifts for the poor. Sometimes he is depicted sitting on a cart drawn by young men, and sometimes waving a fan, granting wishes. Hotei's huge fat belly is a symbol of happiness, good luck and generosity.

Another item that is often seen with the Laughing Buddha is a begging bowl, a symbol that references Buddhist philosophy.

It is interesting that in Chinese and Japanese the name of the merry fellow is written the same way and is translated similarly: 布袋 - “canvas bag”, and in Japanese it is also “glutton”, however in Japanese these hieroglyphs sound like “Hotei”, the Chinese pronounce them as “ Be" bùdài.

It is believed that if you rub Hotei's belly, good luck and wealth are inevitable. Hotei decorates many houses, temples and restaurants. As one of the seven lucky gods, he became a symbol of contentment and prosperity.

One of the main misconceptions of Westerners regarding Hotei is the identification of the Laughing Buddha with Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Buddha Gautama (real name Siddhartha) was born in Lumbini (Nepal) about 2500 years ago. Laughing Buddha is one of the Buddhist monks, a follower of a religion founded 1500 years before his birth.

"Buddha", which means "enlightened one", is not the only one of his kind - it is believed that there were 7 Buddhas. Gautama's six predecessors were recluses, meditated in solitude and left the world, remaining unknown. Gautama Buddha was the seventh, he also attracted public attention, founded Buddhism and widely preached his teachings.