Buddhism is one of the major religions and philosophical systems of the world. The term Buddha is referred to an enlightened being which means that the person has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and achieved freedom from suffering. Buddhism celebrates the three events in the life of the Buddha. His birth, enlightenment and passage into nirvana are sometimes observed on the same day or on different days depending on the country or region. The birth of Buddha is celebrated in April or May. Buddhist texts identify several itinerant teachers who attracted disciples and taught meditation, yoga, asceticism and philosophical views. They focused on the nature of the person and whether or not human actions have future effects. The Buddhist doctrine states that the universe if the product of karma. Virtuous actions create pleasure in the future and non-virtuous actions create pain. All beings of the universe are reborn without beginning in 6 realms. They are reborn as gods, demigods, humans, animals, ghosts and hell beings. This rebirth cycle is called samsara and is regarded as the domain of suffering. The goal of Buddhists is to escape from that suffering. Through the course of millions of lifetimes, the Buddhists perfect themselves in an attempt to discover the way out of samsara and share that path with the world. This process is called bodhisattva. Once a Buddhist completes this process then they are called a Buddha. After a Buddha dies, they are not reborn but enter the state of nirvana. In Japanese mythology, Hotei is one of the seven gods of luck that is depicted as a cheerful Buddhist monk with a large exposed belly. Tradition relates him to the Chinese monk, Pu-Tai. Pu-Tai was regarded as the incarnation of the bodhisattva because of his benevolent nature. His large stomach led to him being depicted as the laughing Buddha.
The Limoges Buddha Thinking Box has a blue and gold painted round base with a crafted feather clasp.
The Limoges Green Buddha Box with Ladybug and Dove is uniquely shaped and depicts a laughing Buddha.
The Limoges White Floral Buddha Box and Limoges Chamart Buddha Resting Box have colorful flowers and depict Buddha resting which is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. This represents the historical Buddha during his last illness before he entered the parinirvana.
