Hidelly-Ho, Raised Arms Happy Buddha!

As I continue along my ninety day Big Sit experience, I also continue to accrue items for my home altar. As you may recall, I recently acquired one of the more common visitors to many Zen altars, (including my own "homemade" one now), the Red Robe Laughing Buddha (or "RLB"). Yesterday, while on my way home from running errands, I purchased a "friend" for RLB, an individual who is best (and very generically) eponymously described as a 7" Raised Arms Happy Buddha (RAHB). Like many objects or images that have a spiritual value, what he means or is intended to represent often has a number of interpretations.

In fact, the statue I purchased at a local eccentricities store has some unique elements, as well as many familiar ones, with those I was able to track down online. At the very least there are some elements which are common to Chinese statuary that have fairly clear meanings.

The RAHB appears to be widely recognized as representing Chinese monk named Ho Tai (sometimes spelled "Hotei"), but is more commonly referred to by non-Buddhists as “laughing Buddha” or “happy Buddha.” Many believe that he is an incarnation of a Buddha who will appear in the future and might properly called a Bodhisattva. Another online source suggests that the statue represents Hotei, the god of contentment and happiness, one of the seven lucky gods. Perhaps they are one in the same as a Bodhisattva could be thought of as "godlike."

RAHB is usually depicted as the picture exuberant good health with his arms are raised high above his head. In most cases, each of his hands hold a legendary Peach of Immortality, though in the piece I have his hands are empty. A rosary is draped around Hotei's neck, highlighted by a lingzhi, the fabeled "fungus of immortality." (This corresponds to the plant Polyporus lucidus, a woody fungus usually dark in color with a lacquer-like sheen.) This lingzhi motif is found in every medium of Chinese art, and is a wish-fulfilling as well as a longevity symbol. Hotei's robe is meticulously etched with knot patterns, representing prosperity.

Even without the Peaches of Immortality, Hotei is a welcome addition to my altar...