Boon's Wat Klang Bang Kaew.
善伽财：自毁容貌的“未来佛”
善伽财尊者（Sang Kat Chai）全称为“善伽财弥勒尊佛”，在南传佛教中称为善伽财，在北传佛教中称为弥勒佛，是北传佛教和南传佛教共有的大菩萨，也就是未来佛。有关善伽财弥勒尊佛的传说，可以分为北传和南传两种。
“弥勒”二字在古梵文中是“慈悲仁慈”之意，在佛经中“慈悲”的意思是“去苦予乐”，即无条件地使对方得到快乐谓之“慈”，无条件地为他人除去苦难谓之“悲”。弥勒佛的意思就是慈悲救世佛。根据佛经记载，弥勒佛本姓阿逸多，出生于古印度南天竺一个大婆罗门家庭，后来皈依佛门，又被世人称为阿逸多菩萨。
弥勒佛被佛陀指定为佛的法定接班人，称为“未来佛”。北传佛经中记载，弥勒得道后，比释迦穆尼先离开人世，来到兜率天，使兜率天成为弥勒的一方净土。据说在娑婆世界，在地球成形后的五十六亿七千万年后，弥勒菩萨将会来到我们这个世界，承继佛陀之后，在一棵名叫“龙华”的树下成佛，为世间众生说法，普渡一切佛子。
在南川佛经的传说中记载，善伽财是佛陀众多门生中一位杰出与智慧高深的徒弟。“善伽”即古巴利文中的“罗汉”或“圣僧”之意，“财”字就是“得道”、“有智慧”之意。而在南川佛教中，依照古巴利文经典中的记载，佛陀有两名杰出的弟子，即阿吉达和另一位名叫美迪耶麦托里耶（简称为美迪耶）的弟子。这两位弟子在佛陀传法时期就已修成罗汉佛果。
美迪耶原本出生在印度的甘地河中部流域的圣城婆那拉斯，父亲是圣城婆那拉斯的国师，也是当地皇族的代表。后来，美迪耶倾听佛陀开示剃度落发出家后，被赐法号“玛哈伽杂善伽特兰”，意思就是“有学问与充满智慧，精通佛学的传道罗汉”。这个在当地深得民心的美迪耶，就是后来南传佛教中盛传的“人闭心不闲，弘法度十方”的善伽财弥勒尊佛。
在弘法的过程中，因为善伽财佛声明远播，所以招致了其他教派的不满，于是就有外道到处散播谣言，声称善伽财根本不懂传教，只是靠美男的美色吸引女弟子招摇撞骗。而后，传言愈演愈烈，又传出善伽财私藏数十个美女占为己有。更有甚者，甚至在当地传出他与僧界内另一位僧人大搞同性恋的丑闻。面对林林总总的谣言，善伽财只是一笑置之，在一次法会上闭目禅定，自显神通自毁容貌，美少年从此变成一个胖和尚。不过，改变容貌后，善伽财的信众反而有增无减，这也直接证明了“真心”与“慈祥”永远胜过“英俊的外表和美丽的谎言”这一人生信条。
正宗的善伽财弥勒尊佛造型是印度式的，庄严肃穆，凝神入定。但在汉传佛教中，弥勒往往呈现袒胸露腹、箕踞而坐、善眉乐目、笑口永开的形象；在泰国的南传佛教中，善伽财也多以袒胸露腹、双手抱肚或平直的箕踞而坐造型出现。
善伽财有多种法相，双手抱肚型可保钱财不漏、家庭和睦、富贵吉祥；双手平直型则招财进宝、财源广进、接受福德、财运亨通。
凡佩戴过善伽财的善信，，往往能达到招财、保钱财不漏、家庭和睦、财源不绝、富贵吉祥、愿望成真的功效。
According to Gordon Luce, writing in his book “Old Pagan”, the Fat Monk image is a wide spread and ancient type of image frequently found in old relic chambers at such well known sites as Sriksetra, Rangoon, Pegu, Mandalay and Pagan of Burma and in ancient cities of Thailand such as Chaing Mai, Sukhothai and Mon based Hariphunchai.
Fat Monk Saccaka or Phra Sangkajai Statuette
The Fat Monk is invariably depicted with a bulging belly, always sitting cross legged with both hands supporting his belly. His statuettes were placed near by the Lord Buddha’s Statues on the family alters in Asian Homes to bring in Luck and Abundance.
Luce’s book “Old Pagan” contains pictures of ten different images of the Fat Monk together with an account concerning them. The Fat monk is considered as the Pot –bellied Jambhala or Kubera, Lord of the Yakasa and as such the Supreme Lord of Extreme Wealth. There is also the theory that the Fat Monk represented Gavampati, the patron saint of the Mons of lower Thailand as his images are found since 10-13 century in Mon based Hariphunchai.
In Thailand, Fat Monk is mentioned as Phra Sangkajai or Phra Sangkachai.
According to paleographical consideration, oldest statuette of Fat Monk found in Asia was dated around the beginning of the Christian era. It was found in Vaisali of India. The image is 4.4 inches high, 2.3 inches wide and0.9inches thick. The Fat monk is depicted in sitting posture with a back slab behind him. At the back of the slab behind the image there was an ancient script in Brahmi and the line can be translated as Saccakaparlbajaka (ji) na.
Saccakaparibajaka was a Nigrantha Jina ascetic. He lived in Vaisali during the lifetime of the Buddha. He possesses immense wealth since birth and later became a philosopher and teacher. He has many followers seeking wealth. Due to his immense wealth and abundance of food and grains, he looked after the poor orphaned children of Vaisali. He was said to have challenged Mahavira and the Buddha to a discussion with him about whose philosophy was the best. At the end of the debate he had to bow down to Buddha and acknowledge the Buddha’s superiority.
Even after he became a normal monk in Buddhism, his fame of being the harbinger of extreme wealth and abundance made him followed by too many worshipers, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. It was to the point where his popularity was annoyed and jealous by much of Buddha’s other follower monks. To compensate the tension among his monks, Buddha had to explain about the origin of Fat Monk Saccaka’s immense wealth and popularity by telling a story of his previous life. 25 worlds ago, at the period of Kaukaukthan Buddha, there was a big flood and his native country was flooded. Many people were starved. The hungry and starved people called Kaukaukthan Buddha for help. Even though he can make food for people with his own powers, Kaukaukthan Buddha asked for help from the people who could donate food for the poor instead. Saccaka at that time was a great merchant and as being a devoted follower, he donated 500 ox-carts full of grains for the hungry people. Therefore the Kaukaukthan Buddha had granted him a promise that he will be extremely rich and abundant for number of lives equal to the number of grains in his 500 ox-carts and his wealth would be immense and uncountable like the number of grains that he had donated for the people. Since that time for 25 worlds, he was always immensely wealthy and abundant in each and every of his life.
Lord Buddha had praised the Fat Monk Saccaka for his excellence in explaining sophisticated dhamma in an easily and correctly understandable manner. The Fat Monk Saccaka also composed the Madhupinadika Sutra or the first Pali Grammar.
One tale relates that when he was young, he was so handsome that once even a man wanted him for a wife. To avoid a similar situation, the Monk Saccaka decided to transform himself into a fat monk. Another tale says he was so attractive that angels and men often compared him with the Lord Buddha. He considered this inappropriate, so disguised himself in an unpleasantly fat body.
Since his wealth and abundance is mainly on food and grains, many farmers in Asia regard him as the Lord of the Abundant Grains. Every year, at the start of the rainy season, before starting the farming, his image was taken to the paddy fields and worshipped with flowers, food and water. Then farmers pray at his statue for great yield of paddy for the year.
The Fat Monk Saccaka’s image are generally found in statuettes form only as needing to make the bulging belly require three dimensional effect. His image is rarely found in normal tablet form of general Amulets. However, in Asia, his statue is put on the family alter near the Buddha image, to bring wealth and abundance to home. His statuettes, always small (up to 9 inches in height) are made from many kinds of material including stone, bronze, silver-gilt, bronze-gilt, plaster, terracotta and even un burnt clay, sometimes lacquered and gilded.
Confusion with Chinese Laughing Buddha “Budai”
In Thailand, Fat Monk Saccaka or Phra Sangkajai is sometimes confused with Chinese Laughing Buddha Budai. Although both Budai and Phra Sangkajai may be found in both Thai and Chinese temples, Fat Monk Saccaka or Phra Sangkajai is found more often in Thai temples, and Budai in Chinese temples. The points to distinguish them from one another are:
Laughing Buddha Budai Statue at Beipu Taiwan
1.In some images Fat Monk Saccaka or Phra Sangkajai, he has some trace of hair like Buddha images. Budai images are totally bald.
2.Fat Monk Saccaka or Phra Sangkajai wears the robes in Theravada Buddhist fashion with the robes folded across one shoulder, leaving the other uncovered. Budai wears the robes in Chinese style, covering both arms but leaving the front part of the upper body uncovered.
3.In almost all Fat Monk Saccaka statuettes, he sits cross legged and his bare hands support his belly. Budai images sometimes stand and often has mala beads string or gold bullion in his hands.
4.The big wide laughing smile is the icon of all Budai Images. The Fat Monk images bear only a faint smile.
According to Chinese tradition, Budai was an eccentric Chinese Zen monk who lived during the Later Liang Dynasty (907 – 923 CE) of China. He was a native of Fenghua, and his Buddhist name was Qieci (Qieci; literally “Promise this“). He was considered a man of good and loving character. Budai in folklore is admired for his happiness, plenitude, and wisdom of contentment. One belief popular in folklore maintains that rubbing his belly brings wealth, good luck, and prosperity. In Japan, Budai is in folklore as one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichi Fukujin) of Taoism.
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