Ever wondered how to choose and place the perfect Laughing Buddha for your home or office? This blog is a complete guide to all your queries regarding the pot-bellied Buddha. Learn about the different types of Laughing Buddha statues, their meanings, ideal materials, and Feng Shui-approved placements to attract luck, wealth, happiness, and positivity. In the end, we discuss tips on dos and don’ts of placing a laughing Buddha statue in your home and office, and answer FAQs to create a joyful space with the help of the adorable laughing Buddha.
Pot-bellied, laughing like a little child, Laughing Buddha is one of the most popular pieces when it comes to home décor. For anyone looking to decorate their home with positive energy and joyfulness, a laughing Buddha statue feels like the perfect option. Many people, however, buy laughing Buddha statues without realizing that the energy they bring depends on the type and placement of these statues. Let us guide you with this blog, so that you are ready to pick the best laughing Buddha idol, based on artistic value and Vastu and Feng Shui principles.
According to Chinese tradition, he was a monk named Pinyin, who lived 1000 years ago and followed the path of Buddhist asceticism. He was jolly-natured and roamed from one place to another, carrying his earthly possessions in a small sack of cloth, spreading smiles and peace everywhere he went.
🔶His followers believe him to be the incarnation of Bodhisattva Maitreya or the future Buddha, born to help them with the problems of the current world. From Zen Buddhism in Japan to Korea, India, and even the western world, the Laughing Buddha statue is the go-to piece for home decor.
🔶A high level of demand has resulted in an abundance in the availability of laughing Buddha statues online, making it a challenge to find the one that fits your expectations. Treat this blog as your guide to finding your own laughing Buddha statue for your space. Budai or the Laughing Buddha according to Chinese Zen traditions was contemporaneous to the later Liang dynasty.
🔶The Japanese call him by the name of Hotei (literally cloth sack). He is one of the “eccentric saints” revered in Zen Buddhism. The Laughing Buddha statue can be seen adorning the entrance of several Chinese temples, with his quintessential smile, bald head, and protruding stomach. His good-humored depiction, while wearing simple clothes and having minimal possessions, signifies his ability to be content with almost nothing.
🔶At the same time, he has the power to bestow the utmost wealth and prosperity on those who bring him home. Merely rubbing his belly every day with optimistic intentions is supposed to ensure luck and success. This is why feng-shui and Vaastu experts are big proponents of keeping a laughing Buddha statue at home.
There are numerous types of Laughing Buddha statues online and in the market, which charmingly capture the personality and aura of the lovable Budai. One needs to understand the symbolism and meaning behind all of these forms in order to know the right placement of the laughing Buddha.
🔶With Children: An absolutely adorable idol of the laughing Buddha is one where he is shown with several children. According to Chinese Zen myths and folklores, when Budai roamed in villages, children used to gather around him, filling the air with their chatter and laughs. Such a statue is believed to bring fertility and good luck to the children when placed in your home.
🔶With Fans: Budai also removes misfortune from his surroundings. Laughing Buddha idols where he is holding a fan are kept in homes and offices to ensure this. His fan is believed to possess magical powers like a wand. It is said that Budai fans off the grievances of those who bring him home.
🔶With Beads: A beaded rosary in Budai’s hand brings wealth, health, and affluence. Since the beads also symbolize meditation, an idol of the Laughing Buddha with beads in his hands brings peace and positivity to the house it inhabits.
🔶With Bowl: Laughing Buddha, when shown with a bowl, highlights his aspects as a monk who has devoted his life for the benefit of this world. He collects good fortune and prosperity in his bowl which he spreads in his surroundings.
🔶With Gold Ingots: Several laughing Buddha statues show him standing straight, with his hands raised above his head, holding a gold ingot. In this pose, he attracts immense luck and prosperity of the heavens for those on the earth.
🔶With Sack: Among other types of laughing Buddha statues used in home decor are the ones where he is carrying a bag or sack. In this form, he collects all the misery from wherever he goes, keeps that in his bag, and replaces it with luxuries and positivity.
🔶Meditating: When placed in your home or office as a meditating monk, Budai emits calming vibrations and helps you focus on your tasks. It fills the atmosphere with such positive energy that the mind immediately gets at ease when someone enters the space.
🔶With Different Animals: In the treasures of innovative laughing Buddha statues online, you will also come across the monk with different animals. A laughing Buddha statue with a tortoise, mostly a dragon-like tortoise, helps students and people with jobs excel at whatever they do, by removing any and all obstacles from their path. Laughing Buddha with an elephant, the wisest member of the animal kingdom, symbolizes wisdom and prosperity. When accompanied by a fish, the laughing Buddha statue is the bearer of financial benefits and health.
When choosing a Laughing Buddha statue for your space, the material plays a key role in the kind of energy it attracts. Here is a quick look at the popular materials available and their significance, which will help you choose the ideal statue for your home or office:
🔶Metal: Metal Laughing Buddha statues, especially made with brass or bronze, they are durable and perfect for attracting wealth and luxury in life. You can place them indoors or outdoors, based on the size and style of the statue.
🔶Jade or Green Stone: Jade has long been worshipped in Chinese tradition as a stone that heals and calms the mind. A jade Laughing Buddha brings peace, emotional balance, and harmony into the home, making it a popular choice among buyers.
🔶Wood: Wooden Buddhas have a natural, grounding aura and are perfect for homes that have a minimal or rustic aura. They add warmth and are great for meditation corners or earthy interiors.
While Laughing Buddha brings happiness and luck, how and where you place them has an effect on the energy that it emits. These are some simple Feng Shui principles to work with when placing a laughing Buddha statue in your space-
🔶Never place the Laughing Buddha in bathrooms or kitchens, as these places are used for cleaning negative energy, dirt, or leftovers, which can become an obstacle to the positive energy that the Laughing Buddha creates.
🔶Avoid keeping a laughing Buddha statue directly on the ground, as it is disrespectful and can restrict the natural flow of positive energy.
🔶Do not place the statue in a place that is dirty or cluttered, as it may reduce the overall energy that the laughing Buddha brings.
🔶Always place the statue above eye level, preferably on a clean, raised platform.
🔶Choose a respectful and quiet spot, like a living room shelf or a dedicated altar.
🔶Keep the area well-lit and clean to maintain a positive aura around the statue.
Certain forms of Laughing Buddha are deeply associated with wealth and abundance. Here’s how to place them for maximum effect:
🔶Buddha with Gold Ingot: This statute works best when placed in the southeast corner of your home or the Feng-shui wealth sector. This form brings financial success and prosperity in work and life overall.
🔶Buddha with Sack: Keep this statue near the entrance of your home. As per tradition, Budai gathers negativity and misfortune at the entry and replaces them with positivity and good luck.
🔶Buddha with Beads: Perfect for your meditation room, yoga studio, or a peaceful corner where you read or exercise since this form brings spiritual abundance, mindfulness, and mental clarity.
Feng-shui (meaning wind-water) is a Chinese science of harmonizing human energy with its surroundings. One of its key ideas is the right placement of any piece in your space in order to ensure maximum gains from its presence. Now that you are familiar with the types of laughing Buddha statues online, let us delve into the placement of laughing Buddha as per the rules of Feng-shui.
Each individual is believed to have her/his specified direction in Feng-shui which is known as ‘Sheng-chi’. If you place the laughing Buddha statue in this direction, it will ensure your overall well-being. When kept in the east direction, this idol brings fortune and harmony to the family. Placed in the southeast corner, Budai brings a manifold increase in the wealth of the family.
By placing the laughing Buddha statue in a corner in such a manner that it is facing or is diagonally opposite to the main door you can ensure that only good energies enter your home. There are certain Feng-shui tips regarding the placement of laughing Buddha statues in different spaces of your home so that there is a constant flow of goodness in your abode.
🔶Your entrance is the first thing that meets the eye when someone reaches your home. Placing the laughing Buddha statue here is a way of signaling your aspirations to gain joy, laughter, and abundance.
🔶A favored space for the laughing Buddha statue is the living room. Regularly gazing at his joyful expressions will attract similar energies in your daily activities.
🔶You can also place the laughing Buddha statue in your garden. Standing here, he will attract the positive spirits of nature, which will make the ambiance pure and blissful.
🔶A laughing Buddha statue on your office desk will bring good luck to your career prospects, and prosperity will follow you in whatever work you do.
🔶Placing a laughing Buddha statue in your meditation room will instill his qualities in you when you meditate while focusing on his attributes.
While all laughing Buddha statues are auspicious and bringers of joy and abundance, for home space, laughing Buddha with a large belly, sack, or with children are considered the best. These statues of the laughing Buddha present happiness, protection, and prosperity for the whole family. You can also choose a form based on the Feng-shui requirements of your home.
Laughing Buddha with gold ingot, sitting on gold coins, or laughing Buddha with Ru Yi (sceptre) are the best options for offices and workspaces. These idols bring growth in career, lead to increasing wealth, and protection from negative energies. Place the Laughing Buddha at your desk or near the entrance of the office to invite success and a positive work environment.
For bringing wealth and abundance in life, Laughing Buddha with a gold ingot, sitting on a mountain of gold coins, or Buddha holding a wealth ball are considered ideal. This statue of the laughing Buddha attracts financial success, luck in business, and overall prosperity. The wealth area or southeast direction is the best spot for placing such idols of the laughing Buddha.
The ideal places to keep a Laughing Buddha at home are:
🔶Near the main entrance, facing the door to invite wealth and protect the home from negative energies.
🔶In the living room, on a clean, raised platform or table, for overall harmony and happiness.
🔶In a personal altar or prayer room, for spiritual blessings and emotional well-being.
🔶Avoid placing a laughing Buddha statue in bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, or directly on the floor.
The best places to keep a laughing Buddha statue at home and office are-
🔶At home, it should be placed near the main entrance to absorb and neutralize incoming negative energies.
🔶In the office, place it facing the main door or in the southeast direction (wealth sector) for attracting prosperity.
🔶If placed on a personal desk, ensure it faces into the room to spread positive vibes inside the space, not outwards.
There are several popular types of Laughing Buddha statues, each with its unique symbolism:
🔶Laughing Buddha with a sack: Spreads happiness, removes sadness, and troubles.
🔶Laughing Buddha with gold ingots: Attracts wealth and financial prosperity.
🔶Laughing Buddha with beads: Symbolizes meditation, wisdom, and spiritual practice.
🔶Laughing Buddha with a fan: Represents good luck and the fulfillment of wishes.
🔶Laughing Buddha surrounded by children: Symbolizes blessings for family and fertility.
🔶Standing Laughing Buddha: Represents victory and happiness over difficulties in life.
Keeping a Laughing Buddha at home or office offers many benefits:
🔶Brings happiness and joy into everyday life.
🔶Attracts wealth, prosperity, and good luck.
🔶Reduces stress and promotes a positive atmosphere.
🔶Offers protection from negative energies and misfortunes.
🔶Boosts career and business success, especially when placed properly.
🔶Encourages mindfulness and peace, particularly the bead-holding Buddha.
A Laughing Buddha with a money bag should be placed at the entrance of your home or in your office, facing the main door. This allows Buddha to collect all the wealth that enters your life and maintain it for longer periods. It is also auspicious to place such statues in the southeast corner of the place, which is associated with wealth and luxury in Feng Shui.
Jade laughing Buddha is a popular form of Budai, which is perfect for the positive, healing, and protective energy of laughing Buddha. Jade is an ancient stone connected with purity, balance, wisdom, and guarding energies, making it an ideal choice for creating a laughing Buddha idol. A jade statue of the laughing Buddha thus brings material and spiritual benefits in life.
Laughing Buddha is called Budai, also called Qieci in Chinese tradition, and worshipped as a lucky god in Japan known as Hotei. In all the legends associated with him, he is a plump and joyful wanderer who brings auspiciousness wherever he goes.
No, Laughing Buddha and Gautam Buddha are different beings. Gautama Buddha is the Tathagata, the enlightened one one from whom Buddhism started. Laughing Buddha, on the other hand, is a human monk, popular as the bringer of luck and wealth.
No. While Kubera and laughing Buddha are both pot-bellied and are associated with wealth, Kubera is the god of wealth and luxury in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, while laughing Buddha is a monk who blesses people with auspiciousness.
You have acquainted yourself with the variety and placement of the laughing Buddha statue. It is clear that each form is associated with distinct qualities and attributes of Budai, and in every form laughing Buddha brings good luck and abundance. There is a long list of the types of laughing Buddha statues online, available in different materials, sizes, colors, and postures.
However, Exotic India Art prides on bringing to you handpicked collection of laughing Buddha statues in the purest material and created as per the rules of Feng-shui. Prepared by skilled artisans and selected by our experts, the idol collection on our website is a bouquet of the finest laughing Buddha statues. From buffed stone images to smooth metal icons in all the forms mentioned above, the assortment on the Exotic India Art website will definitely be the last stop in finding your favorite Laughing Buddha statue for your home.
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