Martial Arts Gear

Laughing Golden Buddha on Keychain

The history of the Smiling or Happy Buddha can be traced back to the Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha that is predicted to succeed Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

The names Smiling, Fat, Laughing or Happy Buddha are just Western nomenclature for this figure. He is usually depicted with a bald head, wide smile, a huge exposed belly, and always carrying a bag. It is because of the everpresent bag that the Chinese call him Budai, meaning calico or cloth bag. The Japanese name for him is Hotei, which has the same meaning.

For the Happy Buddha, history does not record a confirmed actual person that fit the descriptions and legends of this icon. Indian folklore suggests that Maitreya was originally Angida, an Indian man famous for catching snakes, who became one of the original Arhats of Buddhism.

On the other hand, Chinese tradition on Buddha history records that Maitreya or the Happy Buddha was originally a monk who lived in China during the 10th century AD. His name was Qieci and is said to have come from the province of Fenghua