Laughing Buddha is a symbol of joy and wealth. Nowadays everyone, even who are not following the Buddhism and Taoism those are also started to feature the Happy Buddha in their homes and offices.This practice is even grown up in the western countries too. This article is a small try to know about the laughing buddha.
History
The history of the smiling or Happy Buddha can be traced back to the Bodhisattva Maitreya.
The names like Smiling, Fat, Laughing or Happy Buddha are just western nomenclature for this figure. He is usually depicted with a shine bald head,wide smile, a huge exposed belly and a bag. Because of the bag that the Chinese call him as "Budai". The Japanese name for him is "hotei" which has the similar meaning.
History doesn't record a confirmed actual person that fit the descriptions and legends of this Happy Buddha. Indian folklore are suggesting that the "Maitreya" was originally "Angida", an Indian man who is catching snakes, who become one of the regional "Arhats" of "Buddhism".
On the other hand, Chinese tradition on the Buddha history records that Maitreya or the Happy Buddha was originally a monk who lived in China during 10th Century of AD. His name was Qieci and is said to have come from the province of Fenghua.
Whatever the actual origins of the Happy Buddha, history records that his influence has been tremendous in Asia. Buddhism, Taoism and Zen Buddhism have all embraced the Happy Buddha as the embodiment of happiness and prosperity. His influence can be felt in China and Japan, and other countries where Buddhism and Taoism have taken root, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Tradition and Placement
Over the years, the Smiling / Laughing / Fat Buddha has come to represent several beneficial attributes such as happiness, prosperity,contentment and joy. Consequently, people in East Asia such as China and Japan have placed the Fat Buddha statue in their homes and offices.
Tradition or Feng Shui
While Chinese and Japanese tradition merely associates the placement of the Fat Buddha in the home or office with prayers for prosperity and happiness, there is a school of thought known as Feng Shui that also focuses on the actual position of the placement and direction the Fat Buddha statue is facing.
In Feng Shui, the reason for buying and placing figurines or statues in the home is to correct a certain imbalance in your life. The placement of particular figurines in a certain part or direction of the house is meant to bring harmony and order into your life, letting you experience a more peaceful and prosperous life. The amount of benefit achieved by such placements depends on whether the rules of Feng Shui are being followed correctly.
Fundamentals of Feng Shui
Feng Shui (literally "Wind and Water" in Chinese), is all about balance and harmony between us and our environment. Just like the Yin and Yang energies, Feng Shui is about balance. Where there is light, there will always be darkness; where there is fire, there will always be water; and so forth.
Feng Shui teaches that every individual interacts differently to their environment. Sometimes, a particular environment - such as a house or office - is so suited to you that you find that everything in your life is great. However, if you have troubled relationships or financial woes, it is quite likely that there is some discord or imbalance between yourself and your environment, manifesting in your daily life. By subtly modifying your environment, you will be able to restore this balance, and consequently improve your life. Modifying your environment can be as simple as changing the angle or position of your work desk, or by placing certain figurines such as the Fat Buddha in proper locations in your home or office.
There are many systems of authentic classical Feng Shui. This article focuses on the Xuan Kong (pronounced "Shu-en Kong") system. Xuan Kong (literally "Mysterious Void" in Chinese) is a complete system which includes complicated formulae to calculate optimal positioning and composition of an environment.
Eight Mansion (Pa-Kua) School of Feng Shui
There are a few sub-schools within the Xuan Kong system, including the popular Flying Stars school. In the Pa-Kua technique, the compass is divided into eight directions, each of which is depicted by a trigram, as can be seen to your left. Each of these directions have different significance. For example, one of the Pa-Kua directions is the life generating direction, which will be of the most interest to someone who wants their prayers for prosperity and wealth answered. Furthermore, the significance of each direction differs for each individual.
To find out how each Pa-Kua direction affects you personally, you will need to calculate your Kua Number. You can do this by Googling for a Kua Number Calculator. The calculator will provide you with your Kua Number, and more importantly, what each Pa-Kua direction means to you. In short, four of those directions will be positive and favorable to you, while the other four will have negative connotations for you. These directions will dictate where you should place Feng Shui figurines such as your Fat Buddha statues.
Sheng Chi (Life Generating) - This Pa-Kua direction is your prosperity and wealth direction. You would focus on this direction if you want financial strength.
Tien Yi (Heavenly Doctor) - This direction is your health direction. You would focus on this direction if you are interested in health and physical matters.
Nien Yin (Relationships) - This direction is your relationships direction. You would focus on this direction if you want to improve your love life and/or your marriage.
Fu Wei (Stability) - This direction is your stability and knowledge direction. You would focus on this direction if you want to achieve tranquility and knowledge.
Ho Hai (Mishaps) - The first negative Pa-Kua direction is your misfortune direction. You would focus on this direction if you want to reduce accidents or loss.
Wu Gwei (Five Ghosts) - This direction is your financial loss direction. You would focus on this direction to prevent theft and other financial woes.
Liu Sha (Six Killings) - This direction is your "evil" direction. You would focus on this direction to ward off malevolence against you.
Chueh Ming (Total Loss) - This direction is your loss and death direction. You would focus on this direction to reduce physical loss and death around you.
BaZi Analysis
If you are interested in looking at other methods to improve your happiness or your life in general and have your prayers for prosperity answered, you might want to consider using the BaZi techniques.
BaZi (pronounced Par Zhee) is not related to normal Feng Shui. It is a form of Chinese astrology and divination, and is able to plot the course of your life using your birthdate.
Using BaZi, your strengths and weaknesses can be revealed, and you will know when your luck and prosperity cycles will peak and drop, including those crucial "clashing" points when significant changes will occur in your life. You can also find out your compatibility and relationship with your family as well as potential spouses.
Types of Laughing Buddha Statues
The following is a list of Smiling / Laughing / Happy / Fat Buddha statues. These Laughing Buddha statues have been attributed to provide their owners with beneficial effects such as happiness, prosperity, contentment and wealth. As such, many people have purchased various forms of these buddha statues to place in their homes or at their offices and businesses, hoping that they will receive some of these attributes too. You will find a number of these fat buddha statues being the centerpiece of many home decorations.
The Buddha and his Mighty Sack
This laughing Buddha statue depicts the maitreya sitting on a huge sack.It represents the wealth and increased longevity as depicted by the huge sack. The entire statue represents happiness and prosperity as achieved via an increase in wealth and longevity.
This statue generally made of plaster and coated with a matte gold fish to give it that sophisticated, polished look. This is a very popular item suitable for any household or business.
Pewter Laughing Buddha
This Laughing / Smiling / Happy / Fat buddha statue is a symbol of happiness, joy and prosperity. Being made of pewter, considered a metal element in Feng Shui, it is said to also be able to ward off sickness and accidents.This intricately carved pewter piece is definitely a work of art, and will last a very long time due to being molded out of quality pewter.
This is one of the most popular statue of the Laughing Buddha, with his jovial face and exposed belly, and carrying his ever present gourd.
The Buddha of Fulfillment
This is another popular depiction of the contented one, this laughing buddha statue shows him surrounded by a group of happy children. In this depiction, he is said to be the protector of children and guardian of their innocence and joy.This piece is popular with people who have young children, or those who want children.
The Six Laughing Buddhas
The piece showcases the Laughing Buddha in his six forms. The Buddha's posture has different meanings but finally all of them symbolizes happiness and joy.The six Buddha's postures are described below.
HAPPY HOME: seating with a parasol behind his back.
LOVE: seated with his feet together, holding a wealth ball and a bag over his shoulder.
LONG LIFE: seated on a bag of blessings, holding a wealth ball in one raised hand, and a ru-yi pot (bowl of plenty) in his other hand.
SPIRITUAL JOURNEY: holding a gourd of enlightenment hanging froma stick, a fan in his other hand, and a necklace of beads.
ABUNDANCE: raising his hands above his head and holding a ru-yi pot (bowl of plenty).
Laughing Buddha Incense Burner
It is actually an incense burner molded to look like the fat buddha. An incense is lit inside the statue and covered up. The smoke will then slowly rise through the ingot in the statue's hand. 
This figurine still symbolizes and is said to enhance happiness and prosperity. Add that to the soothing effects of incense and you can't go wrong with it.
More info links
http://www.smiling-buddhas.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui
