Japanese Budai, Stone Hotei Statue

Budai, called Hotei in Japanese (布袋), is a historical Chinese monk who is revered in Buddhism as Maitreya Buddha. Later, he also became part of the Japanese Zen tradition. It is said that he lived around the 10th century in the Wuyue Kingdom. His name literally means “cloth bag” and refers to the bag with which he is usually depicted.

His cheerful character, humorous personality, and eccentric lifestyle distinguish him from most Buddhist masters or figures. He is almost always depicted smiling, hence his nickname the Smiling Buddha.