The Buddha of Wealth is also known as “Maitreya”, the “Laughing Buddha” and “Budai”. Maitreya is the name of the Maitreya Bodhisattva; it stands for “friendly and benevolent” in Sanskrit, signifying a Buddha with affectionate love. Maitreya is one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism and is chronicled as “The Buddha of Future”, the successor of Sakyamuni, in Buddhist eschatology. The descent of Maitreya has been mentioned in a number of Buddhist classics and he is deeply venerated by the Buddhists as a saviour. The solemn image of Maitreya in the early days originated from India's Maitreya Bodhisattva. Legend has it that it was modified based on the image of an eminent monk named Budai, who was regarded as an incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva, in the Later Liang Dynasty of the Five Dynasties...........