Maitreya Buddha

Faith in Maitreya comes from the Sutra of Maitreya's Ascent and the Sutra of Maitreya's Descent: Maitreya Bodhisattva now lives in the Tushita Heaven and, in the distant future, will be born among humans and become the next Buddha after Shakyamuni. But the smiling face everyone knows comes from a real person: Qici, the Cloth-Sack Monk of the Later Liang in the Five Dynasties period.

This plump monk wandered from place to place, always grinning, with a big cloth sack slung over his shoulder, telling everyone he met, 'I have a cloth sack, empty as space and free of every hindrance.' No one took him seriously, until, just before he died, he left a verse: 'Maitreya, truly Maitreya, divided into hundreds of billions of bodies, always showing himself to people, yet people never recognize him.' Only then did everyone understand: the chubby monk they had looked down on was an incarnation of Maitreya. From then on, Maitreya statues in China and Taiwan no longer showed the crowned bodhisattva of the Indian scriptures but this smiling monk with his cloth sack. The story leaves a reminder for those who come after: a Buddha may be right beside you, and you just don't recognize him.

To worship Maitreya, just come with a happy heart. Offerings are mainly fresh flowers and fruit; simple is best. Some temples set out candy in front of his statue for visitors to take, symbolizing joy being shared; take one, and remember to leave with a smile. What do people ask him for? A bigger heart, an easygoing outlook, the ability to let go. When work is stuck or something is bottled up inside, look at that big belly and remind yourself to make room. Those who formally practice Maitreya's teachings chant the Sutra of Maitreya's Ascent and vow to be reborn in the Tushita Heaven. Maitreya's birthday is the 1st day of the first lunar month, which is Lunar New Year's Day itself: after ringing the bell for blessings on New Year's Eve, major temples hold his birthday service early on New Year's morning, so the first day of the year begins with learning to smile.

The 1st day of the first lunar month, Lunar New Year's Day, is Maitreya Buddha's birthday, a sign that the new year should be welcomed with a joyful heart from the very start. After the bell-ringing for blessings on New Year's Eve, major Buddhist temples hold Maitreya's birthday service early on the morning of the 1st, praying for blessings for the year ahead.