> Hey Gunnar
>
> The Buddha who is often portrayed as fat is usually Hotei and
> not the historical Siddhartha Gotama. He is said to be a
> wandering monk who carried a bag of sweet stuff for children.
> Sometimes he is also called the Laghing Buddha. How he
> originated I am not sure but I think he is connected with
> zen. Sounds a bit like Santa Claus.
>
> pirayaani

It might help here to note that "Kwan Yin" is often referred to as Buddha,
though orthodox tradition says she is only a Bodhisatta. Then there is the
Medicine Buddha, and so on and so on. I think it is a misuse of the term...

A Sri Lankan monk once gave a lecture in Canada about what the word Buddha
means, and he said that he himself might be considered "Buddha" because he
had learned a lot in school. Again, I think this is a misuse of the term...
He also claimed that the word "vipassana" doesn't occur in the Tipitaka (it
does, after all).

There is a book in Thailand called "Good Morning, Buddha", originating from
a Thai man who addressed the author, a foreign monk, in this way. Probably
just a lack of vocabulary in this case...

I think the fat "Buddha" is used to bring luck, and you're supposed to rub
his belly or something like that . Sometimes you see children climbing all
over him. I've also heard that it isn't really supposed to be a Buddha. I
was given some candles of a fat Buddha once. Burn them? Don't burn them?
What to do?

Suma"ngalaani,

Yuttadhammo