Mi Lo Fu Happy Fat Laughing Money Buddha
People often ask me about the origins of Mi Lo Fu Buddha (布袋 Budai / 笑佛 Laughing Buddha / 胖佛 Fat Buddha / 快乐佛 Happy Buddha / Mi-Lo Fwo / Maitreya) image with my head on it. His nickname was “Cloth Sack” — Budai in Chinese. It’s actually a large original oil painting by Shanghai artist Yang who was inspired after learning of my trip to Mt. Jiuhua Buddhist Temple.
He painted this and surprised me with it.
I am fat. I have a large belly, and an (almost) bald head. Apparently, I smile and laugh a lot. Put this all together in China, and apparently it means I am the reincarnation of ‘Mi Lo Fu’ – the laughing happy money buddha – he’s also large fat and indescribably happy.
Because of the apparent similarities between my real body and that of Mi Lo Fu, I often (VERY OFTEN) have my belly rubbed by complete strangers (in elevators, shopping, bars & restaurants) — rubbing the belly apparently is good luck and brings wealth to the person rubbing. When in the south of China particularly, I often get dragged into wedding photos of couples I never met.
Immortalized
In 2008, an artist friend in Shanghai surprised me with a gift or a large oil painting…
The oil painting shows my head on the Mi Lo Fu Buddha cloaked in golden robes, holding a gold bar worth RMB 1 million, and with a giant exposed belly, rubbed above the belly button.
This oil painting has since been adapted into animations, stickers and other things for daily use in China as it has become an iconic symbol of me within my circle of friends.
Now I was better prepared to understand the random belly rubs and touches from complete strangers in the years that followed.
Buddhism has had a long history in China and has been instrumental in shaping Chinese culture and tradition. Throughout the millennia, Buddhists in China have faced persecution under various leaders. Chinese Buddhism is one of the oldest forms of Buddhism in history and hosts the world’s largest Buddhist population. Unlike Buddhists outside the country, Chinese Buddhists believe in a combination of Taoism and Buddhism, meaning they pray to both Buddha and Taoist gods, the latter of which teaches that enlightenment can be achieved in a single lifetime without reincarnation.
Another way in which Chinese Buddhism differs is in the depiction of Buddha. Original Buddhist teachings taught that Buddha was extremely gaunt. In most Buddhist countries, Buddha is depicted as being very skinny and meditating under a tree.
In stark contrast, China’s Mi-Lo Fwo, (laughing buddha) is the most common and most popular depiction of Buddha in China for centuries.
Chinese Buddhists’ main goal in life is to ‘be happy’, and it’s for this reason that depictions of Buddha show him as being fat and laughing – just like me.
During my tour of the musical FAME in China, a general manager from the city of Wuhan wanted to take a photo of me a short walk away from a press conference location. I did not know why at the time. Once I saw the photograph, I understood:
A symbol of hope for a better world
Budai (布袋) is a Chinese monk who is venerated as Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism. He lived around the 10th century in the Wuyue kingdom and is revered in folklore as a wandering vagabond who brought abundance, fortune, and joy to all he encountered with the help of his mystical “cloth sack” bag. Budai is most jubilant when in the presence of others, especially children.
His name literally means “cloth sack”, and refers to the bag that he is conventionally depicted as 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, the “Laughing Buddha“. As he is traditionally depicted as fat, he is also referred to as the “Fat Buddha“.
Also known throughout S.E. Asia as:
Vietnamese: Bố Đại
Vietnamese Hán-Nôm: 布袋
Thai: พระสังกัจจายน์จีน
Korean Hangul: 포대
Korean Hanja: 布袋
Japanese Kanji: 布袋
Japanese Hiragana: ほてい