A Perspective on the Chinese Imagination and Martial Arts
The Future Buddha goes by many names, one of which is Budai. He is the Chinese conception of prosperity.
Similar to Fu Ren, Budai is a symbol of the Unexpected. They have few possessions, but, like her, he can pull what is needed out of his sack at the right time. They represent happiness, wealth, and good luck.
The name of the older conception of the Future Buddha comes from Sanskrit, Maitreya, and strangely enough, the violence associated with this Buddha is what ties it to the martial arts. Similar to Christian messianic notions, individuals claiming to be Buddhists proclaimed themselves the Messiah and rebelled against the Chinese governments of their time.
The list of self-proclaimed "Enlightened Ones" is long, the violence unimaginable, and the number of deaths incalculable. Whoever said war had never been fought in the name of Buddhism was wrong. The Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties confronted Maitreyan rebellions.
Secret societies, that form the foundation for the Triads, were born from these uprisings. The most famous of which was the White Lotus Society popularized by Shaw Brother Studios.
