How much do you know about the 4 common shapes of jade Buddha?

Buddha jade ornaments have always been one of the must-buy jade ornaments for many friends. Careful friends may find that Buddhas are different. There are Maitreya Buddha and Budai Buddha, in standing and sitting postures. So how much do you know about the common Buddha shapes in our jade carvings?

Maitreya Buddha

Maitreya Buddha, the successor of Sakyamuni Buddha, can be simply understood as the future Buddha, who will rule the future world. Therefore, there is a possibility that Maitreya Buddha will become a Buddha in the future, implying a state of great achievement. To put it bluntly, maybe we can reach the peak of our lives in the future.

Maitreya Buddha is a very traditional subject in jade carving. He has a big belly, kind eyes and a cheerful smile. It often gives people a feeling of kindness, generosity, open-mindedness and optimism. Since the shape of the Jade Maitreya Buddha is deeply rooted in people's hearts, people of all ages and genders can wear the Jade Maitreya Buddha.

Budai Buddha

In Buddhism, Budai Buddha is an optimist. It is said that touching his big belly can eliminate disasters and diseases, relieve worries, keep people safe and make them smile. The cloth bag held by the monk seems small but can hold everything, which symbolizes tolerance, generosity, peace and humility.

In addition, because the word "dai" in "budai" has the same pronunciation as "dai", it implies blessings for generations, many children, and wealth and fortune. Although both Maitreya Buddha and Budai Buddha imply that they are always smiling and magnanimous, Budai Buddha represents more freedom, casualness and worldly experience than Maitreya Buddha.

Happy Buddha

The prototype of the Free and Easy Buddha is the monk Qibi, who loves freedom by nature and enjoys being free. There are many similarities between the Happy Buddha and the Maitreya Buddha, except that one is standing and the other is sitting. It means that those who are destined to be together can live a smooth life, have everything go their way, and be more free and at ease.

In fact, there is no such thing as Happy Buddha in Buddhist culture. It’s just that because the selection of subject matter for jade carving requires consideration of factors such as the material, size, and color distribution of the raw materials, some jade carvers used their creativity to carve a standing Maitreya Buddha. As this type of carving becomes more and more common, it has become an independent category among jade finished products.

Baby Buddha

Baby Buddha, also known as baby Tuo Buddha, baby Mi Buddha, Crown Prince Buddha, etc., to put it simply, is a Buddha with the face of a baby Buddha. The overall Buddha shape is a child's image, or in the four meditations and eight concentrations, or happy, or standing up with one finger pointing to the sky and the other to the earth.

They have chubby cheeks and childlike features, but their expressions are serene and peaceful, and they come in various poses: sitting cross-legged, meditating, or contented. Because the baby Buddha looks cute and childish, and has the solemnity and peace of Buddha, the jade baby Buddha is more suitable for children and women to wear.

There is a saying in the jade industry: "Men wear Guanyin and women wear Buddha", but in fact, in Buddhism, there is no gender distinction between Guanyin and Buddha.