Laughing Buddhas

Laughing Buddhas

Red and Gold painted resin      3" high       $8.50

It's hard not to smile back at the laughing Buddha! These Buddhas remind us that life is meant to be joyful, prosperous and and filled with good fortune. For those of you who have not been feeling that way lately, try placing a laughing Buddha somewhere where you will see it often. How about on the table where you eat breakfast? This energetic reminder may contribute to a whole new attitude for the day before you even leave the house. How about in your car? Maybe the next time you feel irritable, grouchy, and impatient while your driving, little Hotei will remind you to slow down take a deep breath and think of all the blessings in your life that you may momentarily have forgotten in your funk. How about on your desk at work? What if being annoyed by other people you offer a smile and a hello? Small gestures such as these can go a long way energetically and will actually attract more good fortune to you.

Hotei

The Laughing Buddha represents the later Buddhist notions that the good life was indeed attainable in this world.

 It consisted of self-mastery, a happy demeanor, purposeful endeavor, a deep commitment to the welfare of others and enlightened awareness.

Laughing Buddha ( Happy Buddha)Known as Hotei (Japan) and Pu-Tai (China), 

 He travels the country spreading joy and happiness wherever he goes.
His big belly is a symbol of happiness, good luck and generosity. Hotei is the deity of happiness, laughter, abundance and the wisdom of contentment. The image of the Hotei Buddha is almost always seen carrying a cloth or linen sack. It is usually filled with many precious items, including candy for children, food, or the woes of the world. His prayer mala is carved with a symbol meaning "good fortune". His large elongated earlobes are a sign of wisdom. The bag represents fulfillment of wishes or can also be the blessings of Buddha. Happiness is one of the Laughing Buddha's greatest gifts.

Many believe that rubbing the Laughing Buddha's belly brings joy, luck and prosperity. 

 Feng Shui has adopted the Laughing Buddha as a prime symbol of wealth & prosperity.

www.mercurytreasures.com

 The Laughing Buddha is seen in different postures,
  each having a different significance.

• Buddha with a money bag and a gold ingot represents wealth and good fortune.


• The Standing Happy Buddha brings riches and happiness.


• Buddha sitting on a large gold nugget with a smaller nugget in his hand ready for giving to others. This position of the Laughing Buddha is symbolic of good luck.


• Buddha sitting with his fan hat on his head represents enjoyment and good fortune.


• Buddha holding a gold ingot with his hands upright signifies abundant riches and good luck.


• Buddha with a fan in one hand and wu lou (bottle gourd) in the other hand brings blessings and good health. The fan wards off misfortune while the wu lou protects from illness.


• Buddha carrying a bag of gold on his shoulder symbolizes prosperity.


• Buddha carrying a bag of blessings on his right shoulder and a fan in his left hand protects you and keeps you safe during long journeys.


• Buddha with a travel stick in his hand protects you from harm during journeys.
• www.Buddhagrove.com

Feng Shui Thought:

I chose The laughing Buddha as the Buddha of the day because today was my day off and I told my dog Buddy that we were going to spend the whole entire day outside. He had no objection to that being he is a store dog five days a week. It was one of those rare perfect days, the sky was clear and blue the sun was hot and my gardens were humming with energy. Being that this is the last week of Summer according to five element theory, (there are five seasons not 4, Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Fall, and Winter. Late summer occurs the four weeks before the fall equinox, and is ruled by the element of Earth. So being that we're still in summer that is ruled by fire I actively circled my yard, weeding, tying, supporting, cutting back things that were encroaching, and basically checked in with everyone growing in my gardens that have blessed me with their presence, to make sure they were all happy. The tomatoes are huge but most are still green, I have eaten three so far but I'm positive I will have more tomatoes than I can eat so I will probably bring them to my shop and see if anyone is tomato-less. I have had to become more thoughtful about the way I mow my grass. I have created a Feng Shui-ed yard and in doing so have invited the elementals into it. There is so much busy life everywhere! Grasshoppers, butterflys, crickets, ants, hummingbirds, bees, and frogs. When I moved here 6 years ago the was nothing, except some wild Black rasperberry bushes that wanted to take over, and wild strawberry plants that never produced berries. Two weeks ago I had a near miss with my weed -wacker and sweet frog that looked at me reproachfully as if to say....you have to be kidding. I am happy to say I have vowed to give it away and never to use one in my yard again. Not sure what to do from there as the gross got longer ( I was hesitant to use my electric lawn mower as well. From a Feng Shui perspective I was very excited, my intention was to create a yard that would be a safe habitat for the all the elementals to live in and to plant things that would attract them. After my intense encounter with the frog I realized I had accomplished my objective. This is the kind of thing that makes me smile like Hotei! I call this FUN WITH FENG SHUI! 

I'm very happy to report that I have come up with an approach that satisfies all of us (even Buddy) he did a happy little swim on his back through the grass after I mowed it. I rake a section gently with the big bamboo rake to let everyone know I'm coming, then mow that section, and continue that way until I finished. It was actually more relaxing and I enjoyed it much more than usual. I also decided that mowing in the middle of the day is preferred than the morning or evening when there seems to be more activity. It was definitely a happy day for all involved, even the grass felt like it got a new haircut! 

The energy of Hotei was certainly all around today!

Tarot Inspiration: 

The Page of Wands - Fire

Osho zen Tarot Deck

The moment you start seeing life as non-serious, a playfulness, all the burden on your heart disappears. All the fear of death, of life, of love - everything disappears. One starts living with a very light weight or almost no weight. So weightless one becomes, one can fly in the open sky.

Zen's greatest contribution is to give you an alternative to the serious man. The serious man has made the world, the serious man has made all the religions. He has created all the philosophies, all the cultures, all the moralities; everything that exists around you is a creation of the serious man. Zen has dropped out of the serious world. It has created a world of its own which is very playful, full of laughter, where even great masters behave like children.

Osho Nansen: The Point of Departure Chapter 8

www.osho.com