The smiling, big-bellied figure people call the Buddha isn’t the Buddha at all. He’s Budai, a wandering Zen monk who lived ...

With his delighted expression, round belly, bald head and monastic robes, the “Laughing Buddha” is instantly identifiable. However, astute observers might wonder why this buddha does not look like the ...

The birthday of the historical Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha, known as Vesak in several countries, celebrates the birth of the child who became Prince Siddhartha around the end of the 4th century B.C.

In Chinese restaurants I always see statues of Buddha with long earlobes. I sometimes ask the folks who work there what significance this has. So far, even the Buddhists (three now) have no idea. Do ...

(The Conversation) — The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, taught that family ties were obstacles to enlightenment. However, his relationship with his mother remained important for him. (The ...

This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's ...

Buddhism, which was born in the Gangetic plains around 2,500 years ago, has won over the world with its ideology of ...

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. Dry lacquer figure. Image of the ...

The birthday of the historical Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha, known as Vesak in several countries, celebrates the birth of the child who became Prince Siddhartha around the end of the 4th century B.C.