The Story of Maitreya

Maitreya appears as a layperson in India but as a monastic in China. The image of Maitreya is modeled on the monk Budai. Budai was a monk of the Southern Song dynasty. Nobody knew his real name. He carried a big cloth bag (budai) every day. When people made offerings to him, he would put the offerings in the bag. This is why people called him Budai Monk, and he became well known by this name.

He roamed the streets every day. When someone asked him what Buddhism was, he smilingly put the cloth bag on the ground, indicating that Buddhism teaches letting go. When asked what one should do after letting go, he picked the bag up, put it on his shoulder, and left. In other words, Buddhism teaches one to first let go of everything, and then, after one has let go, one takes up the helping of all beings. Budai was a bodhisattva. He answered the question without saying a word, and his answer carried a very deep meaning.

Budai did not die of any illness. He revealed his real identity as Maitreya incarnate at the end of his life, just before he died. Since then, in China, the image of Maitreya has been modeled on the monk Budai.

Ancient sages praised Budai as “having generated an impartial mind and having developed a joyful look.” This praise teaches us to be impartial to all beings and to look happy. “A joyful look” means that someone has a tender loving heart. It means the person has affection. Mahayana Buddhism often talks about compassion, which is affection. But this affection is not based on emotions. This is why Buddhism uses the term compassion instead of affection to avoid misunderstanding.

If the affection is sincere, pure, and impartial, and is based on wisdom, Buddhism calls it compassion. We can see that the affection of people of this world is insincere, impure, partial, and is not based on wisdom. Their affection is fickle, not everlasting. The affection of Buddhas and bodhisattvas towards all beings is eternal because they are not selfish, and they do not have wandering thoughts, discriminations, and attachments. Their affection flows from the true nature and accords with sincerity, purity, non-discrimination, and wisdom. So we should start our practice with generating an impartial mind and developing a joyful look.

~ From Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra