Hotei-no-Kami
Hotei-no-Kami [1] was the Fortune of Contentment, one of the Seven Fortunes, [2] and protector of the humble joys of life. [3] He was a jolly, rotund man with big earlobes. His holy symbol was a sack, known as a hotei, full of toys and gifts that he handed out to deserving children. He was one of the most popular and well-loved Fortunes. [4]
Shinsei[]
Hotei was also the only Fortune believed to have met Shinsei in person. Legend had it that before anyone knew who Shinsei was, an eccentric old monk arrived at the Imperial Palace, walked right into the throne room, sat down in a corner, and started meditating silently. The Emperor waved off the hesitant guards who went to apprehend him, and he personally brought him vegetables and tea every day but otherwise ignored him. When Shinsei finally arrived, the monk stood and walked to greet Shinsei, and the two smiled and bowed to one another as if they were old friends. They had a brief private conversation. The monk sat quietly and listened with a beatific expression on his face as Shinsei expounded the Way, and then he exited with Shinsei and Shiba. As the three parted ways in front of the castle, the old monk noticed a little boy playing nearby. From the bag he carried, he pulled a kemari ball too large to have fit inside. He kicked it toward the boy, who caught it, thanked him, and ran away. It was at this point that onlookers realized it was Hotei in a human guise. When they asked Shinsei if the Little Teacher knew him, he replied: "I do not, but something about him seemed familiar. I have a feeling I will see him again." Hotei's was the very first order of Fortunist monks to be founded, well before the Emperor fused the religions of Fortunism and Shinseism. [4]
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