The relaxed one

Took this photo in Ohara, Kyoto, before I saw the "no photos" sign:

And saw this statue in the oldest  temple in the city, which is actually little visited by tourists:

I will come back later to explain more...

 

OK, I'm back.

 

As The Met website explains, in relation to this bronze statue - 

 

 which is now in the National Museum of Korea (my bold):

...the bodhisattva is seated with his right leg crossed over his left, and the fingers of his right hand gently touching his cheek. This combination of posture and gesture, a pan-Asian iconography known as the "pensive pose," became popular in Korea in the sixth and seventh centuries, influenced particularly by prototypes in Chinese Buddhist art of the mid-sixth century.

Unlike Buddhas, the ultimate enlightened beings who have transcended mortal concerns, bodhisattvas have chosen to remain accessible to help and guide others in the phenomenal world. Particularly in Korea and Japan, bodhisattvas in the "pensive pose" are usually identified as Maitreya (彌勒), a bodhisattva in the cosmic era who will become the teaching Buddha of the next great period of time. Maitreya was one of the more popular bodhisattvas in East Asia from the fifth to the seventh century.

An almost identical sculpture is preserved in the Kōryūji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. Debate continues regarding the origin of this statue: Was it made in one of the Korean kingdoms, possibly Silla, and gifted to its eastern neighbor? Or made by Korean immigrant artisans living in Japan? It is worth noting that the Kōryūji piece is carved from red pine, a wood commonly found on the Korean peninsula. Moreover, during this period, Korean monks and artists are known to have lived and worked in Japan.

Maitreya's compassion and understanding are elegantly embodied in the beautifully cast National Treasure 83. His quietude and peace is shown in his sublime facial features like the downcast eyes and in the simple contours of his upper body. His continuing engagement with the world is embodied in the subtle movement of his fingers, the charmingly upturned toes of the right foot, and the lively folds of his drapery.

Indeed, a Kyoto website for the Koryu-ji temple in Japan identifies the statue as Maitreya, as follows:

Imperial Prince Shotoku Taishi donated a Buddhist statue of Miroku Bosatsu (Maitreya), who it is said will come down to the earthly plane 5,670,000,000 years after Guatama's (Buddha) death to save those who have not yet attained enlightenment.

I don't know - I find it wryly amusing for a religion to have such a precise prediction that is nevertheless safe from verification for a long, long time.

Actually, for readers with long memories, I have posted before about Maitreya as being the dominant figure in the main temple of the Buddha's Tooth Temple in Singapore.   

I was reading more about the wooden statue in the dark hall of the Koryu-ji temple, perhaps on a pamphlet from the temple, as to work done to try to see if it was made in Korea or Japan.   I will look for it at home.   A Korean website puts the argument that it was a gift from Korea, based on the bronze statue:  

The "Miroku Bosatsu" statue at the Koryu-ji Temple of Kyoto is virtually the twin of this Ban-gasayu-sang, although it was carved from red pine rather than cast from bronze. Experts on oriental art agree that it is almost certainly of Korean origin, probably brought to Japan as a gift by Korean missionaries when they were introducing civilization to those islands in sixth century. It may even be the statue that the ``Nihon Shoki" historical record mentions that a King of Silla sent to the Yamato court. Chances are high that it was carved as a copy of the bronze original, out of pinewood so as to be lighter and more easily transported. 

In any event, it would seem the statues are from around 600CE, making them very old indeed.  In Koryu-Ji, the hall it is kept in has several other statues of various Buddhist figures, but no photography is allowed.  The statue is nearly life size in dimensions, incidentally.

I am a little surprised that the Temple and the statue does not receive many visitors, if my recent holiday is any indication.  

I find the relaxed pose, with the foot on knee (technically called a "half lotus" pose on some sites) a particularly charming way to depict a mystical saviour of the universe, if that's the appropriate way to describe him.   Seems quite a contrast to the rather, shall we say, angst-y (or at least, serious) way Jesus is depicted in art.   I am trying to think of some artwork that shows him looking relaxed, but nothing is coming to mind....

Update:   I suppose it's worth noting that, to throw things into further confusion for the casual Western observer of all things Buddhist, Maitreya went within a few centuries (at least in China) from the svelte and relaxed physical depiction shown in the statues above to this:

 Yeah, I either didn't know, or had forgotten, this:

The bald, chubby, laughing fellow many Westerners think of as Buddha is a character from tenth-century Chinese folklore. In Buddhism, the celestial Buddha named Hotei (Japan) or Pu-Tai (China) is best known as the jolly Laughing Buddha. He symbolizes happiness and abundance, serving as a protector of children, the sick, and the weak. In some stories, he is explained as an emanation of Maitreya, the future Buddha.

In China, he is known as the Loving or Friendly One. He is based on an eccentric Chinese Ch'an (Zen) monk who lived over 1,000 years ago and has become a significant figure in Buddhist and Shinto culture. Due to this monk's benevolent nature, he came to be regarded as an incarnation of the bodhisattva who will be Maitreya (the Future Buddha).

Another site explains in a bit more detail:

The Laughing Buddha, it turns out, was one such avatar, a 10th-century Chinese monk named Budai. According to accounts written centuries later, Budai was a gregarious, pot-bellied monk who wandered from village to village carrying a large sack over his shoulder. (Budai means "cloth sack" in Chinese.) He was beloved by children and the poor, to whom he would give rice and sweets from his sack.

On his deathbed, Budai penned a poem in which he revealed himself as the avatar of Maitreya, a deity also known as the "Future Buddha."

"In our lifetime, this great cosmic era you and I are sharing, there is a 'teaching Buddha' named Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni," explains Leidy. "The world will ultimately destroy itself; I don't know when. But when the world is reborn, Maitreya will come back as the teaching Buddha of that era."

Over time, Budai became a subject of popular devotion in Zen Buddhism, both in China and in Japan, where he goes by the name Hotei. His large belly and sack are believed to represent abundance, and he is included among the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan as a harbinger of abundance and good health. At some point, he also became the patron deity of restaurateurs and bartenders, hence his prized location next to the cash register.

Leidy isn't sure of the exact historical provenance of today's Laughing Buddha statues, but she believes that Bodai imagery in Chinese art and sculpture started popping up in the 15th century.

Still, in either form, I guess you can say that Maitreya is always portrayed as "pretty chill"!

Update2:  This video is interesting - a curator from the British Museum shows off the earliest dateable depiction of Buddha in human form (first century CE), with a mystery figure who might be Maitreya.   Everyone looks pretty Western, giving the artwork look pretty similar to later Christian art depictions.