The round belly and open laugh stand for contentment, generosity, and the kind of fortune that grows as it is shared. His sack is said to carry away sorrows and hand out blessings, joining material abundance with ease of heart.
The Laughing Buddha is modeled on Budai, a real wandering Chan monk of tenth-century China who carried a great cloth sack and delighted children with sweets. Later tradition came to see him as an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha, and in Japan he is beloved as Hotei, one of the Seven Lucky Gods.
The round belly and open laugh stand for contentment, generosity, and the kind of fortune that grows as it is shared. His sack is said to carry away sorrows and hand out blessings, joining material abundance with ease of heart.
A statue is commonly placed where it faces the entrance, greeting guests and incoming luck with a smile. A friendly folk custom says rubbing his belly while making a wish invites good fortune.