was Buddha depressed because he was fat, or did he overeat because he wasn't happy?

Question

watcherofmankind:

stop ironing your underpants and lighten up

Answer 1

The Buddha wasn't depressed at all. He was enlightened, which is the ultimate bliss. He likely wasn't even fat, either.

Answer 2

So what was the Buddha like?

The Buddha was about six feet tall with coal black hair and a golden brown complexion. When he was still a layman he wore his hair and beard long but, on renouncing the world, shaved them both like every other monk. All sources agree that the Buddha was strikingly handsome.

Vacchagotta said this of him:

"It is wonderful, truly marvellous, how serene is the good Gotama's appearance, how clear and radiant his complexion, just as the golden jujube in autumn is clear and radiant, just as a palm-tree fruit just loosened from the stalk is clear and radiant, just as an adornment of red gold wrought in a crucible by a skilled goldsmith, deftly beaten and laid on a yellow-cloth shines, blazes and glitters, even so, the good Gotama's senses are calmed, his complexion is clear and radiant."

http://www.buddhanet.net/

Answer 3

The image of the Buddha is symbolic of prosperity and happiness. People associate large, round bellies with good humor...sort of like Santa Claus. There's no real historical basis for the symbolic Buddha other than the compounded image that eh took over the centuries and later maintained.

Answer 4

The "Buddha" which you probably have in mind is Hotei (commonly called the "Laughing Buddha") who was not a Buddha at all but a monk in the Chinese and Japanese Buddhist traditions. He is what could be called the Buddhist version of "Santa Clause" for want of a better term. Hotei is said to have traveled the countryside giving gifts to children from a sack that he carried. He was represented as a happy monk having realized The Dhamma; hence his smiling face and rotund belly--much like St. Nicholas (Santa Clause) is depicted in the West. Hotei is said to represent an actual historical figure who presented small gifts to children.

Those who take offense to your question may wish to refer to http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/hotei.shtml and http://www.luckfactory.com/chinahoteibuddha1.html for further information.

So you see, what some viewed as an irreverent question is actually a good teaching tool to present a historical lesson. We Buddhists must remember that we need to have good humour in our dealings with questions. It is a lesson we from which we could all benefit. As it is written, "The mind is malleable. Our life can be greatly transformed by even a minimal change in how we manage our thoughts and perceive and interpret the world. Happiness is a skill. It requires effort and time." ~ Venerable Matthieu Ricard

May all be at peace.

John

Answer 5

Oh good god,
I'm gonna act like you didn't just ask this question.
The Buddha don't eat at the time because
He's trying to figure it out how to stop greed, selfish and people's problem. But then He realized that it's no use so he started to eat again. After that, he knew how to get out of those problems by meditation and clear your mind or blahblahblah. I'm not a religious person anyway but I'm Thai so I know a little bit.

Answer 6

The two issues I know of in Buddha's history that deal with eating:

(1) Before he received enlightening truth, he "strived" to induce it by ascetism, extreme physical torture where he almost starved himself to death following other religious practices and teachers. This did not work so he gave it up.

So if anything he tried undereating, not overeating!

(2) His death was attributed to eating mushrooms that he supposedly knew were poisoned and would kill him. The tradition was not to turn away any food that was offered in hospitality. The wisdom of this -- and the extent to which you should accept your circumstances -- is still debated.

In general, Buddha's teachings advise against any extreme in thought or behavior, but to avoid extreme suffering or extreme pleasure so you are not attached to material conditions but are focused on spiritual life and harmony without false striving which causes suffering.

So I doubt he overate, as this would be considered out of balance or harmony and not consistent with good health.

Answer 7

The fat version of Buddha was Chinese. The real Buddha was Indian and was a prince. He was not fat at all but very slim. He deserted his wife and baby and went to sit under a Peeple Tree where he found enlighenment. I have no idea why the Chinese depict him as being fat.

Answer 8

Buddha wasn't fat. What you are thinking of is the statue depicting the Laughing Buddha (Hotei). Which in parts of southeast Asia is considered symbolic of humor and prosperity.

Answer 9

See there's the difference between men and women. He could be fat (and be perfectly happy) and not get told constantly that he was less of a person by the opposite sex. I don't believe depression was part of the Buddha's vocabulary.

Answer 10

There is more than one Buddha, you know.
Yes there was a Buddha who was obese, but he was known for always laughing and children adored him. There are even restaurants named after him - "The Laughing Buddha".

How could a Buddha be depressed and achieve englightenment?

Answer 11

Someone was telling me the fat guy was not Buddha, it was Hotei. The skinny dude with the crown is Buddha.