2006-06-08 12:08:14 · 9 answers · asked by CHARLIEBROWN 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Buddha is not a person, but many persons.
Whoever has become enlightened becomes a Buddha.
Anyone of them could be the Buddha you are referring to.
2006-06-08 17:04:02 · answer #1 · answered by Aritmentor 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are several buddas. The thin man, and the most known buddha, is Siddhartha Gautama. The fat one is known as the Laughing Buddha. Basically, a buddha is any being that has become enlightened and has reached Nirvana.
2006-06-08 19:14:29 · answer #2 · answered by akhaiyan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buddha finally reached enlightenment AFTER he quit fasting. so the fat one is the fulfilled happy one. people in INDIA like fat people. they are so rare. so they portray him as fat and happy. they would all like to be like that instead of starving.
of course there are many different Buddha Images too. USA has adopted the fat one as the one they most relate to.
I always tell people i have a body like a GOD ( Buddha) ha ha
but of course Buddha was NOT a god at all, just a guy who wanted things to be different or at least understand reality better.
his idea is we can all do what he did so everyone is potentially buddha. just follow his 8 step program ( like the AA)
BUT, before you are ready to take the first step, you must get pure. this is the hard part. the steps are EZ. go for it.
2006-06-08 19:52:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buddha didn't spend all his time fasting. He did that at a time in his life when he was trying to find his way in life. He emulated the behaviors of many different disciplines thinking he would find the meaning of his life, and eventually found that meditation, abounding love, good deeds for the sake of the deed, and simple living would get him closer to his goals to become a truly happy person. Many statues of Buddha are based on what he represents. Thin Buddha for simple living, Fat Buddha for just rewards for a good life, Healthy Buddha for his knowledge and his willingness to sacrifice his comforts for others so that he would arrive in the afterlife at a higher station. I keep a bust of healthy Buddha, and my Dad kept one for years for good blessings in wealth and contentment. We're not Buddhists, but respect the teachings of Buddha, as well as Confusious and The Bible. Well, at least we try.
2006-06-08 19:25:22 · answer #4 · answered by Melissa B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The image of a fat man makes buddah more appealing to the masses as a fat man is stereo typically happy and content. So the image is a metaphor for what buddah believed in.
2006-06-08 19:13:26 · answer #5 · answered by StatIdiot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is symbolic!
Fat, those ages represented progress!
Also, in some Buddha is represented having extremely large ears, to hear our wishes! Many hands to give us, etc.
2006-06-08 19:14:46 · answer #6 · answered by soubassakis 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know...go figure.
They do the same with Jesus. They make Him this REALLY handsome blonde-haired, blue-eyed ladies man. It's not what is in His Word.
Isaiah 53:2
...and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
2006-06-08 19:13:12 · answer #7 · answered by blakelycollierbrown 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are 80,000 sects of Buddhism. I cannot recall which one they replicated this one after.
2006-06-15 18:56:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've always wondered about that myself.
2006-06-08 20:29:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋