What is the story of Budai?

The Budai Buddha is based on a real Zen monk who lived in Zhejiang Province, China during the Tang Dynasty. Known as the budai monk, he is a man who laughs heartily and brings good luck. It is the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. The budai monk was born from a lotus flower.

According to Buddhist scriptures, Maitreya is the future Buddha born after Sakyamuni. He symbolizes the light and happiness of the future world. When Maitreya Buddha was born in the next life, the land was flat, filled with the seven treasures, the flowers were fragrant, the fruits were sweet, the land was prosperous, the people were kind, and people could live longer. Maitreya Buddha was of noble birth. After his rebirth, he became enlightened by meditating under the Longhua tree.

Budai monk is born

It is said that one morning in the late Tang Dynasty, the sound of water in the river in front of Changting Village in Fenghua was loud and the waves were roaring. The rolling river water was like a giant dragon with teeth and claws, roaring in and rushing away, with an unstoppable force.

Lotus turns into a Budai monk

Villager Zhang Chongtian was working in the fields. He had lived by the river for half his life and was used to seeing the turbulent waves during the spring floods. However, what struck him strangely was that amidst the sounds of the waves, which were as low as the roar of cows and as trembling as thunder, there seemed to be a wisp of floating waves. The floating fairy music came from the depths of the vast universe, reverberating between the waves… What surprised Zhang Tianzhong even more was that there was actually a lotus that he had never seen floating in the deep turbid river water! It is extremely huge and golden in color. It seems to be emitting a strange light and exudes a faint fragrance. It does not flow down the river, but slowly floats upstream against the current…

Zhang Chongtian didn’t believe his eyes anymore, so he closed them hard, and then opened them again. Although the nasturtiums were gone, he saw a bundle of firewood where the nasturtiums disappeared, and there was a naked boy lying on the firewood!

Budai Monk Laughs

Facing the disaster, the little boy didn’t know it. He slept soundly as if he was lying comfortably in a cradle, intoxicated in his sweet dreams. Zhang Zhongtian didn’t think much, and quickly used the long-handled hoe to rake the ground to pull the bundle of firewood to the ground. In front of him, he picked up the little boy. Incredibly, as soon as he picked up the child, the bundle of firewood scattered and disappeared. The child in his arms seemed to have known that he would be fished out of the flood. Same, smiling at him.

Budai Monk was named because of this

Zhang Chongtian saw the child with round head, big ears and dignified appearance, and he couldn’t put it down. He took him home and discussed with his wife Dou. They believed that the child would be blessed if he survived the disaster, so they decided to adopt him. Later, Zen Master Xiankuang of Yuelin Temple across the river from Changting Village named him “Qi Shi”. “

Budai are lucky stars

Xiao Qiji is not only rich and handsome, but also a lucky star. He is innocent, lively, playful and active, bringing endless joy to Zhang Chongtian and his wife. he is very popular. What’s even more amazing is that Dou, who had not given birth for many years since adopting Qi Zi, is now blessed with a girl and a boy. Of course, this is also the result of Zhang Dou and his wife’s good deeds and virtues.

Budai are connected with temples

Qi Chi often went to Yuelin Temple with his parents to worship Buddha since he was a child, and he even called himself brothers and sisters with the statue of the Arhat monk in the temple. As he grew older, he and his friends in the village often went to the temple to play. This seems to have had a strong attraction to the tall buildings, splendid Buddhist halls and majestic Buddha statues of Yuelin Temple. At the same time, he was also subtly influenced by his parents’ worship of Buddha, which made him develop an interest in Buddhism.

Agrees to become a monk

After he became a monk in Yuelin Temple, he may have achieved great enlightenment after experiencing spiritual hardships, or he may have achieved great wisdom and enlightenment after transcending the world of mortals. He often did some things that made the world feel interesting. The most special thing is that no matter where he goes, He always carries a big cloth bag. When someone asks him his Dharma name, he answers in verses:

The origin of cloth budai

I have a cloth bag, which is empty and has no worries;

Expand it in all ten directions, and feel at ease when you enter.

From then on, he was named after Budai and was called “Budai Monk”.

Has everything in the bag

The cloth bag of Monk Budai is really curious. All the utensils in it, whether it is water bottles, clay bowls, wooden fish beads, tattered clothes, and rotten straw sandals, are all stored in the bag. It seems that everything is available and can never be taken out. The Budai monk usually picks up trash discarded by people and puts it into the bag. People may ridicule that the cloth bag is a garbage bag, and they laugh and reply with a verse: “There are times when there is no need to prepare, and the useless becomes useful.”

Budai Monk Appearance

The Budai monk’s appearance is very characteristic, “shaped with a round belly, a wrinkled belly”, a wrinkled nose, a big belly, and a short and fat body. His behavior is also very strange. When it is about to be dry, he wears high-toothed wooden clogs, and when it is about to be flooded, he wears wet straw sandals, so that people can know the weather. Moreover, he sleeps everywhere, even in the snow in winter, without touching anything on his body.

Budai monk has no place to stay

The Budai monk has no fixed residence and often goes to the market to beg for food. Regardless of whether it is good or bad, he eats what he eats and puts some in his cloth bag. What is even more peculiar is that wherever he begs, business is particularly good.

Budai monk smiles when he meets everyone

Budai monk smiled when he met everyone, and his words were unpredictable but often effective. Within a few years, people all knew him. He often bares his chest and potbelly belly, laughs and laughs, teasing the children to chase him away. At the same time, he also distributes the desserts and dried fruits he brought in his cloth bag for alms to the children around him.

Budai monk approaches the people

Qi Chi was gifted with intelligence since he was a child. After becoming a monk, he was very close to the common people. He had rich life experience and popular vocabulary, so he was often able to express complex thoughts and profound philosophies in verses.

Budai Monk Story

Budai monk once went out to beg for alms. A layman asked him: “What is your surname, monk? What year, month and day are you born? What is the geometry of Fala?” The master said: “Don’t you know that my surname is Li and I was born on February 8th. Only this Budai is the same age as Void. “Ju Shang said to his master: “Monk is here. If anyone asks, what is right? Don’t fall into other people’s wrongs.” Budai monk replied with a verse:

Budai Monk’s verses

I hate the world too much, so I think carefully about what I can do.

He is broad-minded but always endures humiliation and willingly obeys him.

If we meet close friends, we must rely on each other. Even if we meet enemies, we will be in harmony.

If you want to keep your mind free from worries, you will naturally achieve the six paranas.

Verse meaning

This poem expresses the Buddhist monk’s philosophical thoughts of seeing through the right and wrong of others, not getting involved in right and wrong, and being patient and tolerant. Among them, “I hate the world more than I do right and wrong, and think carefully about what I can do.” It tells us that things in the world are complicated, and people often have resentment toward people who do not meet their own aspirations because of differences in opinions and self-cultivation levels. These hatreds include jealousy and even covert harm caused by disputes over fame and wealth among colleagues, as well as resentment caused by failed love relationships. Many tragedies in the world are caused by resentment. In short, there are too many grudges and grudges caused by various reasons in the world. A loving couple may become strangers in an instant, and friends who are friends in times of need may also part ways. Things are changing. For so many good and bad things in the world, Budai monk didn’t care about them because he already took worldly things very lightly. So when there is love, don’t be complacent, and when hate comes, deal with it calmly. Always treat things with a normal heart. Naturally, right, wrong, and hate will not be able to influence you.

The following verses tell people to be considerate and learn to be tolerant of others’ excessive words and deeds. Even for those enemies who have had grudges with you, you should treat them with tolerance. Over time, those enemies will wake up from your tolerance and feel ashamed of their wrong actions, and they will respect you even more. As a practitioner, you should have the tolerance to tolerate humiliation.

The origin of Maitreya Buddha

Budai monk has an optimistic and harmonious personality, is tolerant and generous, is happy-go-lucky and lies down on the floor. Being able to respond to all insults and insults with a smile without getting angry or upset, and never taking it personally, and being able to indicate good or bad luck to others, is all effective. So people liked him very much and called him “Happy Buddha”.

Budai monk passed away

In the third year of Zhenming in the Later Liang Dynasty (917), Qi Si sat on a rock in Yuelin Temple and recited a verse:

Maitreya is the real Maitreya, with tens of billions of clones.

It is always shown to the world, but no one knows it.

Budai monk is the incarnation of Maitreya Buddha

After saying that, he smiled slightly and passed away. After his death, Qichi caused a sensation in the Buddhist world, and people suddenly realized that he was the incarnation of Maitreya Buddha in his next rebirth, but “the world didn’t know it.” Therefore, many temples mold Maitreya Bodhisattva according to his image when modeling it.

Conclusion

Maitreya is the transliteration of Sanskrit Maitreya, and the free translation is Cishi. It is said that this Bodhisattva is always compassionate. The “Amitabha Sutra” explains: “Maybe Maitreya is called Maitreya, but this is called Cishi. Since he cultivates compassion more and enters loving concentration more, he is called Cishi. The practice of loving kindness is the most excellent, and the name is invincible.” His name is Ayi. Too many means “incapable of winning”.

Final words

A big belly can tolerate things that are difficult to tolerate in the world;
Smile when you open your mouth and laugh at the ridiculous people in the world.

Hui Xiangyao

May this be a blessing. The solemn Buddha’s pure land.
Reported quadruple grace. The three journeys to relief are difficult.
Universally willing to fulfill the Dharma Realm. Indulge in all sentient beings.
If anyone has seen it. Learned Bodhicitta.
Make this newspaper itself. Born together in the land of bliss.