Why is the Indian version of Buddha thinner than the chinese version?

Answer 1

As someone said already, the Indian Buddha is the historical Buddha, Siddartha Guatama. Before he was enlightened, he was an ascetic and practiced extreme starvation to try to reach Nirvana. As the legend goes, he found this path to Nirvana not working, so he went on to "discovered" the middle path. The Middle Path is a way to reach Nirvana without going to the extreme, (ie. Extreme starvation or extreme gluttony)
The Chinese version one that I think you are talking about is Matreya (In chinese religion, there are many Buddhas and most of them are not portrayed as being overweight. (example, Amitabha, The budda of the western paradise, Samantabhadra, etc, etc). Matreya is the Buddha of the Future (he is right now a bodhisattva (they are Beings who have achieved Nirvana but delayed entering it so that they can come back and help the suffering). His Story can be found in the Lotus Sutra, just one of the holiest text in Mahayana Buddhism). If you look at images of Matreya in Indian art he is not portrayed as being overweight and even in Chinese arts, he is not overweight (even though he looks like it). The reason why he is portrayed like this is because of a chinese concept of Chi. Chi, to put it simply is the life of the universe, It flows through everything in this universe and in Human the personal chi resides in the belly. So, on the facade, it looks like he is obese, but in reality his belly is full of chi. An interesting fact about Matreya, during period of unrest in china long history (usually before a Dynastic change), there are usually group of cults that looks to Matreya as a salvation figure (what the Christian look to Christ during the second coming). These cults usually forms rebellion and cause civil unrest that the Emperors needs to outlaw and put down. That is ONE of the reason why the Chinese government control the religions in China and why they fear the Falun Gong.

Answer 2

the skinny buddha is the historical buddha- Siddhartha Guatama, while the fat buddha is Mi-Lo-Fwo/ Maitreya http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/maitreya2.htm. they are not the same.

Answer 3

Hello there... Sometimes, the illustrations vary a little bit. When Siddartha was in India, he tried being a hermit to see why there was death( I think..) and when He and His disciples went to China, he had already achieved it... Hope I helped... Good Luck!!

Answer 4

that is a prosperity buddha....not the Buddha....The Buddha was skinny.... he often fasted near death....in his early years....

the prosperity buddha eats well thus is fat.... he is at chinese restaurants because he represents this......