Is Buddha depicted as fat or skinny?

by **Wazristan** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:04 am

This is a really stupid question, but I have seen the fat little "Buddhas" at Chinese resteraunts and then the Buddhist artifacts that depict Buddha as skinny. Is the fat Buddha, a different incarnation of Buddha? I am so confused!! :blink:

by **EvilDarkMagicians** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:07 am

No being fat is just a sign of goodness or something or other.

by **Wazristan** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:09 am

Then what did Buddha actually look like?

by **EvilDarkMagicians** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:10 am

He was probably skinny, didn't he starve himself or something...?

by **Chrobalta** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:11 am

EvilDarkMagicians wrote:He was probably skinny, didn't he starve himself or something...?

Yes.

by **Meldaria** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:12 am

EvilDarkMagicians wrote:He was probably skinny, didn't he starve himself or something...?

No that was Ghandi. Bhudda was a prince and he was skinny. He was later depicted as fat, because being fat stands for happiness, healthiness, wealth, and excellent moral values.

by **Ioosi** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:12 am

Does it matter?

I think it's that he was rich so he ate to much, then whilst looking or enlightenment he starved himself and became thin - so both.

by **Mad hatters in jeans** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:13 am

My old History teacher resembled many of the statues of the fat buddha, he found it most amusing. ^...^

by **Ashmoria** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:13 am

i dont know why this should bother you.

there are many different depictions of buddha. i dont think that any are supposed to be the equivalent of a photograph. they each emphasize a different aspect of buddhism in the culture they were made in.

by **Rhodmhire** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:13 am

Mad hatters in jeans wrote:My old History teacher resembled many of the statues of the fat buddha, he found it most amusing. ^...^

Jealous.

by **Louis Blackwell** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:14 am

I think it depicts the time of his life when he meditated or the time after/before.
I took a course in buddhism at the sheffield buddhism center :twisted:

by **EvilDarkMagicians** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:15 am

Meldaria wrote:
EvilDarkMagicians wrote:He was probably skinny, didn't he starve himself or something...?

No that was Ghandi. Bhudda was a prince and he was skinny. He was later depicted as fat, because being fat stands for happiness, healthiness, wealth, and excellent moral values.

He did starve himself in the forest.
He only ate one grain of rice a day.

by **Jalanat** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:15 am

Fat Buddha looks kind of funny, like he is so jolly he would roll and bounce around

by **Mad hatters in jeans** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:17 am

Rhodmhire wrote:
Mad hatters in jeans wrote:My old History teacher resembled many of the statues of the fat buddha, he found it most amusing. ^...^

Jealous.

of whom?

by **Pannonia-Glucksberg** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:17 am

Yes he was aprince but he gave up all his wealth and status to be poor and help the needy

by **Nanatsu no Tsuki** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:18 am

I have always seen him depicted as fat.

by **Scientifica42** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:19 am

this seemingly contradictions on what Buddha looks like is like how Jesus is depicted. he is shown to be pasty white but in actuality he likelt had a Mediterranean tan.

by **Mad hatters in jeans** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:19 am

Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:I have always seen him depicted as fat.

My History teacher? how do you know him?

by **Nanatsu no Tsuki** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:20 am

Mad hatters in jeans wrote:
Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:I have always seen him depicted as fat.

My History teacher? how do you know him?

You know the Buddha?

by **Sigma Octavus** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:20 am

As i recall, buddha was incredibly skinny with the constant fasting and meditating. The fat part is a god from another religion that got mixed up with buddha as it spread. That's just what i remember, so it may not be accurate, so don't quote me.

by **New Kereptica** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:21 am

To quote Wikipedia: "Many Westerners associate the name 'Buddha' with figurine depictions of a certain fat, bald, smiling person. This is inaccurate, as the person in these figurines is not Buddha at all, but Budai, a Chinese Buddhist monk who lived in the 10th century CE."

by **Ioosi** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:21 am

Scientifica42 wrote:this seemingly contradictions on what Buddha looks like is like how Jesus is depicted. he is shown to be pasty white but in actuality he likelt had a Mediterranean tan.

Jews have Mediterranean tans? :blink:

by **New Kereptica** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:22 am

Ioosi wrote:
Scientifica42 wrote:this seemingly contradictions on what Buddha looks like is like how Jesus is depicted. he is shown to be pasty white but in actuality he likelt had a Mediterranean tan.

Jews have Mediterranean tans?

If they actually live by the Mediterranean they do.

by **Mad hatters in jeans** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:22 am

Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:
Mad hatters in jeans wrote:
Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:I have always seen him depicted as fat.

My History teacher? how do you know him?

You know the Buddha?

Does he have a boxers nose and Glaswegian accent and likes to laugh at anything?

if so yes.

But seriously speaking he claims he met the Dalai Lama and the dude spoke to my teacher (old teacher don't go to school anymore oddly enough, i'm too big for the chairs see?) he was quite pleased with the turn of events.

by **Pannonia-Glucksberg** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:23 am

New Kereptica wrote:To quote Wikipedia: "Many Westerners associate the name 'Buddha' with figurine depictions of a certain fat, bald, smiling person. This is inaccurate, as the person in these figurines is not Buddha at all, but Budai, a Chinese Buddhist monk who lived in the 10th century CE."

so buddha is the blue guy then

Is Buddha depicted as fat or skinny?

Is Buddha depicted as fat or skinny?

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