Jack Nicholson's remark in "anger management"

I remember watching this movie and in it Jack said something that I've been thinking about. Dont get me wrong, I love buddhists and buddhism and practice a lot of it. But in the movie he was talking to a buddhist monk and asked why someone who teaches about self-discipline could be so large (or something along those lines) obviuosly suggesting he indulged in the sensual pleasure of eating. So my question is was Siddartha as large as he is usually depicted? And if he was, why?

 

Simply put, Siddhartha was never depicted as large. Maitraya however was.


Maitraya is the laughing/future Buddha.

It may also to be to do with that if you were large you were high up in society because you could afford as much food as you could eat. The Siddhartha was a prince and he would probably have been king if he hadn't decided to up sticks and leave home. Presumably it means that either the future Buddha will come in the age of obeisity or it means that he will be an important person.

Blessings

Sebbi

 

I have been wondering about that, because I keep getting confused about the statues and dipictions of Buddha I have seen. The first Buddha statue I bought looked something like this:

but I was confused when a friend told me that was not the Buddha she "worshipped" (she was raised Buddhist but doesn't know or take much interest in it). Then later on, another one of my friends said she had a Buddha statue she wanted to give me, which looked like this:


So I am really confused! But I did always wonder about those fat statues of Buddha myself, it didn't seem to make sense that a guy who fasted for 40 days and learned to eat moderately could be so fat!

Namaste,

Diana

 

Buddha was never overweight, in fact he didnt even eat after noon every day. Before he reached enlightenment and preacehd the buddha-dharma, he practiced severe ascetism, the belief that mutilating and depriving the body leads to spiritual ascension. The reason why the buddha is being depicted as fat by the chinese becuase obesity in chenese culture is a symbol of prosperity. Also the familiar buddha depicted as fat is not actually the historical shakyumuni, or hte buddha who is credited with developing buddhism, but "Hotei (Japan) or Pu-Tai (China), a wondering zen monk who embodies the ideals of the good life: i.e. health, happiness, prosperity and longevity.



Iconographers in the 10th century summed up these various elements of happiness in a representation of the fat Laughing Buddha, clutching his prayer beads in one hand and with a bag (or bar) of gold in the other (only a rich person would have enough to eat and be fat!). [It is also said that the bag he carries is full of rubish that he gave out to children]The large number of children usually surrounding him illustrate another Chinese virtue - a large family consisting of many children.
Moreover, scholars believe that the Laughing Buddha is in fact modeled on an historical figure, a fat wandering Zen monk named Pu-tai, who possibly claimed to be an incarnation of the future Buddha Maitreya (Chinese Mi-lo-fo; Japanese Miroku). " http://www.laughing-buddha-statue.com/Good_Life_Buddha.htm

i percieve that The whole buddha being fat thing is just a misconception of far east and buddhist culture.

Peace and kindness, David the Phunk

 

Self discipline has of course nothing to see with being large, ugly or beautiful.
That discipline is based on the thoughts you are able to create.
Just my two cents. There is no debate there, but I dont want to breake the ambiance

 

Oh, believe me I know. Though there is a diffrence between being "ugly" and being significantly overweight.

 

I believe you.

The symbolism of an overweighted person is often linked to the fact of being rich.
By example, in many country of north Africa, people are really proud of their fat. It shows others they own.
I actually have no clue about Siddharta was fat or slim. I saw a movie called little Buddha in which Keanu Reeves was the actor. SO he was slim and kinda beautiful like a god
Take care

 

I heard that too... that's what I thought.

 

In ancient Egypt, as well, many of the pharaohs are depicted as overweight, when many weren't at all. This, too, is designed to show wealth or high class.

Many Chinese philosophers grew their nails very long to show that they don't need to do manual labor, because of their class.

Jesus probably looked VERY different from how he is depicted nowadays. It's very likely that he had dark skin and shorter black hair, for example, but his image was Anglicanized to make it 'holier' or more appealing in medieval times.

I guess people really took pride in their class back then. But that is a good point about Buddha appearing to be overweight. From what I've read, it's pretty much impossible that he could have been overweight, due to his fasting. But this is an interesting point, one which I'm sure many historians have looked into; perhaps there are books investigating the origins of this?

 

Let's not forget the middle way. Fasting is rarely a good idea.


Blessings

Sebbi

 

Really? I thought it could be good for you if done right- I don't do it because I don't know the proper way, and I don't want to risk anything, but what are the reasons of it being a bad idea?