Budai, Hotei or Pu-Tai (Chinese and Japanese: 布袋; Pinyin: Bùdài; rōmaji: Hotei[3]; Vietnamese: Bố Đại) is a semi-historical monk as well as deity who was introduced into the Zen Buddhist pantheon. He allegedly lived around the 10th century during the Liang Dynasty. His name literally means "Cloth Sack", and refers to the bag that he is conventionally depicted as carrying as he wanders aimlessly. His jolly nature, humorous personality, and eccentric lifestyle distinguishes him from most Buddhist masters or figures. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the...