“Why is that Buddha statue fat?”

This familiar statue, with a big happy smile and an even bigger tummy, seen in Chinese Buddhist centers (and restaurants!) represents Maitreya Bodhisattva and is modeled after a monk called Budai. When offered alms, the venerable would put them in his cloth bag, or budai. With his bag always with him, he became known as Budai.

When someone asked him what Buddhism was, he would smile and put the bag down, indicating that Buddhism teaches letting go.

When asked what one should do next, he lifted the bag to his shoulder and walked away. A sign of taking up the helping of others.

So Buddhism teaches one to let go of everything and to help others. Just before he passed from this world, Budai revealed that he was a manifestation of Maitreya. Since then, in China, the image of Maitreya has been modeled on Venerable Budai. His broad smile reminds us, “Want to learn Buddhism? Be happy and greet all with a smile!” His big stomach symbolizes great tolerance and equality.

“What do you Buddhists believe?” 

When we get asked this, we often mention rebirth and karma. Rebirth can be a stretch for many people, so for them we may not want to linger too long on it. Cause and effect usually proves easier to discuss.

But wait, if the person isn’t comfortable with the concept of rebirth, how do we explain causality?

We could ask some questions, like what happens if she misses a deadline at work?

What happens after she goes out of her way to help another? As she ponders the questions, tell her that our action will set into motion a karmic train. She nods and tells you that she has gotten sullen looks from coworkers before. But also a grateful hug from someone she had helped.

Explain how, with awareness, patterns can be discerned. Acting in certain ways, certain things happen: adverse actions often result in distress while those that are positive most often lead to feelings of well-being. Then, with enough time and effort, we do more than just accept this truth. We look for opportunities to do what we know is right.