It is recorded in Chinese history that a monk lived in the tenth century who came to be known as Budai. He also came to be known as the Laughing Buddha. Budai is much revered in several Asian cultures.
Tradition suggests that Budai carried all his possessions in a sack (Budai means "cloth Sack"). According to legend, children would follow the monk as he walked about. Today his figure represents love, peace and contentment.
Seventeenth Century Japanese Painting of Budai (Also Known as Hotei)
Image credited to Kano Koi, a painter. Public domain.
Almost all representations of Budai show him smiling or laughing. And almost always he is carrying a sack, as he is in the sculpture shown in my collage. (Note there is a child with him in the picture.)
Budai is represented as a very fat monk. Hence, the name Fat Buddha is also sometimes used in referring to him. It is believed by some that rubbing the belly of a Fat Budai statue brings good fortune.
Budai (Hotei) and Children Carrying Lanterns
Image Credit: Freer/Sackler Gallery. Used under a CC 4.0 license. Picture was painted by Utagawa Kuniyoshi in the early to mid 19th century.
There are some who consider Budai to be a manifestation of Maitreya Buddha, Future Buddha. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Maitreya Buddha will "descend to earth to preach anew the dharma (“law”) when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have completely decayed".
Budai as Maitreya Buddha, at Luoyang Museum, China
Image credits: Baomi. Used under CC 4.0 license.The age of this statue is not given, but according to one travel site, the tripgoeson, "The Luoyang Museum of Ancient Art is a collection of...some of China’s most notable emperors from the Wei Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties".
My Collage
When I first saw @shaka's photo, I appreciated the artistic merit of the design but did not respond to the picture emotionally.
@shaka's Photo
I think I'm hardwired to respond to nature, because of an early childhood spent in a rural setting. So, in my collage, I separate the sterility of the buildings and the ground sculpture, from the green area in the foreground. A church represents the division between the sterile and the vibrant/emotional.
Materials
Elements from two pictures I had drawn some years ago (for a possible memoir) were combined with elements from @shaka's photo.
The statue of Budai came from Pixaby, and is credited to hyeonjukim.
Some of the flowers (derived from a single flower,) also came from Pixabay, and are credited to luckyhand2010.
Most of the flowers, however, came from Paint 3D.
Why so many flowers? Because, besides the fact that they suggest life and joy...it has been said that when Buddha was a baby and began to walk, at "each step a lotus flower appeared on the ground".
The current round of #LMAC, with rules and conditions, may be found at @shaka's blog. Many beautiful collages are already featured there. Take a look!
Thank you @shaka, for offering the community another opportunity to express our creativity.
Dear AG,
I think your collages are so great because they always tell a story.
I like the play with the different levels. A church as a separation between a sterile background reduced to pure functionality and the foreground where life flourishes. Maybe the church together with the Buddha statue can also be seen as a symbol for the peaceful coexistence of religions.
Thanks for referring to the legend of the birth of Buddha.
All the best, very warm regards
Anna
Dear Anna,
Thank you for that perceptive comment. It was very much my intention to express "peaceful coexistence of religions". Borders--linguistic, geopolitical, ideological--these are not part of my world view. And so you see in my picture, unity.
Wonderful to see you here. And I am tickled that you voted for my collage. It's a small thing, but these small things are what matter to me very much, more and more.
Hoping you are well and happy.
Your New York friend
AG
Dear AG,
I have seen, a new LMAC challenge is online. I'm already excited about the inspiration that the photo triggers in you. Since I'm not very imaginative and don't have any skills in GIMP or Photoshop, I could hardly participate in this challenge.
Weekend is coming. Wishing you sunshine, peaceful and restful days.
Affectionately,
Anna
Dear Anna, 😄
You are tempted, I can tell😇
As my friend @borjan has told me, there is no shame in 'artsy' things. Just fun and creativity. Thank you for thinking of me. I did take a peak and love that picture. Right now I'm reading about viruses (!) and will finish this project tonight. Over the weekend, the collage will be my treat...like ice cream cake after dinner.🍰
You make me smile so much, Dear Anna. Thank you. I hope you are doing what makes you happy, right now.
With affection and a giant smile,
Your friend,
AG
Dear AG, 🌷
Borjan is certainly right with his statement. Art should bring joy to people, no matter if you are creating it yourself or enjoying. Maybe one day I will take up the challenge.
You are working on a paper about viruses? What a topical and extremely interesting issue! Then we can look forward a well-researched scientific article, perfectly realized in writing and pictures.
For the weekend I wish you lot of fun being creative for the collage. Enjoy the ice cream cake! 🍰
Weather is getting better again and invites into nature. I'm always happy there. Wishing you a wonderful weekend full of joy and peace for everything you are up to. 🌞
Affectionately, your friend,
Anna
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Thank you for this interesting read and the cheerful Buddha. Lovely, how the tree and the meadow burst with flowers. Nature takes over...
:)
Thank you for those kind words. This may not be the place to say it, or perhaps it shouldn't be said, however, here I go. I appreciate LMAC because it is a creative opportunity, but more than that I appreciate it because this community is accessible to all. In many instances, in other areas of the blockchain, bloggers feel there is no entry point for them. But here, VP and reputation are not barriers. The door is open to everyone. I think this is not only commendable (on your part, @shaka), but also essential for the health of the Hive community. When my Steem has finally powered down, I hope to increase my delegation in support.
Hope you don't mind this little 'speech'. Have the most wonderful Sunday, and have fun sorting through the entries.
Thank you @agmoore, I'm glad that you recognize the very essence of what the LMAC to me really is about. A community that is truly open for everyone. Since rewards are involved we of course need to have some restrictions in place like the HP threshold for the final poll as well as the adherence to copyrights. Under these conditions, however, the LMAC indeed invites everyone to join and participate.
At best, the LMAC will provide a pleasant space for many users from which they will gradually explore and understand the inner workings of the Hive with its enormous potential.
Thank you for your so valuable support in letting the LMAC become this place!
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(I agree that minimum VP/Reputation helps to preserve the integrity of the vote)
this is what we need, lots of love, peace and satisfaction.
Thank you friend. Yes, I don't want to go in a dark place right now. Time for light and joy to balance what is all around us (for me, anyway).
We need a lot of mental health, because this confinement will drive us crazy from so much stress.
I liked this collage as it turns the urbanization into an Asian residence complex with the symbol of the Buddha and those effects of flowers and plants transmits peace and tranquility in a world confused. regards
Thank you! Yes, in these days when there is so much stress, my mind seeks a place of peace. Who better to bring peace than Buddha? And of course, flowers always are good for the spirit. Thank you for your gracious comment. My votes are lean right now, but tomorrow I will return for a small upvote.
Have a peaceful night and good luck in the contest!
Simply wonderful.
This is a great publication!
Thank you, @marcybetancourt! That comment really makes me happy. I didn't know about Budai before I wrote the blog, but the statue was so endearing I had to learn more. A nice place for thoughts to go in difficult times. Hope you are doing well.
Regards,
AG
You surprised me!
This really is an intense collage. You make a cultural amalgam that can only be credible in this kind of art.
I liked this idea very much.
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