Comments on: Fasting Buddha http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/ The Neat Side of the Web Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:24:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adam Stanhope http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/comment-page-1/#comment-234823 Adam Stanhope Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:46:31 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/#comment-234823 My take on the story (and yes - this is my photo...) He left his life of luxury as a young man to be a wandering ascetic. During that time he tried any number of the things that ascetics do, including "mortification of the flesh," which is reflected in (rare) images of him emaciated. As for "Happy Buddha" being fat, etc... The Happy Buddha image that we are all familiar with is not a Buddha or "the" Buddha, but rather a beloved and influential Chinese Buddhist monk usually called "Ho Tai" who lived sometime between the 11th and 14th centuries, if I remember correctly. My take on the story (and yes – this is my photo…)

He left his life of luxury as a young man to be a wandering ascetic. During that time he tried any number of the things that ascetics do, including “mortification of the flesh,” which is reflected in (rare) images of him emaciated.

As for “Happy Buddha” being fat, etc… The Happy Buddha image that we are all familiar with is not a Buddha or “the” Buddha, but rather a beloved and influential Chinese Buddhist monk usually called “Ho Tai” who lived sometime between the 11th and 14th centuries, if I remember correctly.

]]> By: meg http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/comment-page-1/#comment-234077 meg Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:39:19 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/#comment-234077 glad you caught that, zak...most people dont know that. L, there were several fat ones, the ones with the round bellies and stuff, but the majority after siddhartha were just normal-sized men, following the middle way. glad you caught that, zak…most people dont know that. L, there were several fat ones, the ones with the round bellies and stuff, but the majority after siddhartha were just normal-sized men, following the middle way.

]]> By: L http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/comment-page-1/#comment-233853 L Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:40:15 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/#comment-233853 So... which one is the fat one? So… which one is the fat one?

]]> By: Zak http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/comment-page-1/#comment-233678 Zak Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:57:29 +0000 http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/25/fasting-buddha/#comment-233678 I think you're kind of off with the description here. Siddhartha left his life of decadence, and then he became an ascetic, only to realize that the truth doesn't lie in either of the two extremes, hence his term "The Middle Way". He did not become enlightened until after his ascetic phase. Sorry to be the guy that corrects everything... I think you’re kind of off with the description here.

Siddhartha left his life of decadence, and then he became an ascetic, only to realize that the truth doesn’t lie in either of the two extremes, hence his term “The Middle Way”. He did not become enlightened until after his ascetic phase. Sorry to be the guy that corrects everything…

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