Read the following passage carefully. • Even a semi-literate salesperson at a handicraft store seems to know of the

significance of possessing a statue of the laughing Buddha or the Happy Man.

It is being sold everywhere for years now. Chinese call him Hotei. He is

believed to have existed in China as a Buddhist monk thousands of years ago.

One of the major mistakes the westerners seem to make, is to confuse the

Laughing Buddha with Gautam Buddha. The Laughing Buddha, in fact, was

one of the Buddhist monks, Pu Tai, who is believed to have lived in China

during the Liang Dynasty 2,500 years ago.

• The Laughing Buddha has a large exposed potbelly that protrudes and you

can almost hear the belly laughter when you look at it. His fat stomach is a

symbol of happiness, luck and bounty. Interestingly, the name Hotei in

Japanese actually means ‘cloth bag’ or ‘glutton’. It is believed that the

rubbing of his belly brings good luck and wealth. Another thing associated

with the Laughing Buddha is a begging bowl which represents the Buddhist

philosophy of renouncing the worldly ties and leading a life of a wanderer.

• Why do more and more people across the world today seek solace in the

principles of Vastu and Feng Shui is anybody’s guess. In their quest for

contentment and happiness, many have found out that possessing an idol of

the Laughing Buddha is an easier way to attain success and fulfilment instead

of changing the spatial organisation of their house.

1.1. Based on your reading the passage, answer the following questions.

(a) Who is the laughing Buddha?

(b) What is believed as the easiest way to bring happiness and luck at home?

(c) What mistake do the westerners seem to make?

(d) What does the begging bowl associated with the Laughing Buddha

represent?

(e) The is a cloth bag.

(f) His fat stomach is a symbol of , and bounty.

(g) The Laughing Buddha is called by Chinese.

1.2 Find the words from the passage which mean the same as following:

• bulge (para 2) (b) comfort (para 3)

• Find the antonyms of the following words from the passage.

(a) hidden (para 2) (b) disappointed (para 3)​