The fat Buddha images are not representations of Siddhartha Gautama, the best known “Buddha” at all. His burly body is usually gluttony and the cult of excess rather than that of enlightenment and the relatively austere path of the “religious” Buddha. Tradition says that a fat Buddha symbolizes the blessings for a prosperous and rich future; her image is also believed to be associated with fertility (with her fat belly symbolic of that of a pregnant woman).
A statue of Fat Buddha found in many Chinese and Vietnamese companies is the one known as Jambhuvala, which is the guardian king of prosperity, My Fo. His fat and cheerful image may be sitting on a sack of coins and gold and holding in his left hand a gold ingot much like that of a ship or hat.
This statue is also associated with a jewel-spitting mongoose and can also be shown holding a fan or walking stick, and holding a ‘mala’ in its left hand. There is also a counterpart to the Tibetan Fat Buddha named Namtoseh.
As already noted, the “Fat Buddha” is not THE Buddha. When statues and images of the Buddha began to be made several hundred years after his death, no one knew what his image would have been. However, they knew that, as a prince, the Buddha came from a noble Indian family and that the literature described him as tall, thin, and of “manly build.” A fat body then, as now in some cultures, was firmly associated with prosperity and good luck, so creating some “fat” images and statues of it would have been a natural course to follow.
However, the image of a fat and overfed “Buddha” is at odds with that of his teachings and with that of an “enlightened one.” Buddhism arrived in China around 100 AD and became widespread in 600 AD, from where and when the legend of the Fat Buddha began to appear.
Three theories behind the fat Buddha
The first theory is that the fat body represents a well-fed leisure person. The Enlightenment had led to material success and wealth and a position at least close to nobility. There was also a belief that fat men were inherently generous by nature and behavior, like Jolly Ol ‘St. Nick, for example. People often rubbed a fat man’s belly in hopes of bringing luck and plenty of food.
The second theory is that of a 6th century Chinese Buddhist monk. He had a fat belly that trembled like jelly. This cheerful individual dedicated himself to helping others and was regarded as the incarnation of Boddhisattva Metteya, the future Buddha who had achieved nirvana but stayed behind to help people.
The final theory is the one held by most Buddhist scholars. A wise but fat Zen monk appeared in China in 850 AD and died in 916 AD. This monk was called “Knowing this” (ChiChe). No one knew where he came from, and he was carrying a big full bag and was most famous for his fat belly.
When asked how nibbana or maximum enlightenment should be obtained, the fat monk would put down his bag and not say a single word. When later the fat monk was questioned about what happened after reaching nirvana. she would pick up her bag and leave without saying a word.
This monk is believed to be the inspiration behind the legend of the Fat Buddha. Statues of the fat Buddha began to appear in the late 800s, some 1,200 years after the Buddha’s death. In the body of an authentic statue of Fat Buddha you will see him carrying a sack on his back. In particular, the Eastern tradition says that rubbing the belly will help bring good fortune to the supplicant, in a similar way that Catholics often rub the feet of Saint Peter.
