“Maitreya” means “compassion and benevolence.” Bodhisattva Maitreya is also known as “Ajita” which means “invincible.” He regards all living beings with compassion and has perfected the virtue of patience. He will be the next Buddha in the future. He is regarded as the founder of the Consciousness-Only School in Mahayana Buddhism.
The depicted statue of the “Cloth-bag Monk,” a Buddhist monk who lived in China about a thousand years ago, was regarded as the earthly incarnation of Maitreya. He has a “big stomach” and can therefore tolerate anything. If someone takes advantage of him it won’t make him mad. The “big stomach” symbolizes limitless tolerance and generosity.
He composed the following verse:
“If someone strikes me, I lie down and go to sleep, let them beat me as they please.  If someone spits on my face, I simply let it dry, without bothering to wipe it away.  Since I don’t fight back, the doer cools off too. This kind of paramita for reaching the other shore is a treasure among wonders. Once you learn this, how can you fail to attain the Way?”