Maitreya


Maitreya or Metteyya is a bodhisattva who is regarded as the future Buddha of this world in all schools of Buddhism, prophesied to become Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he is also referred to as Ajitā. In Tibetan Buddhism he is known as the "Lord of Love" or the "Noble Loving One". The root of his name is the Sanskrit word maitrī. The name Maitreya is also related to the Indo-Iranian name Mitra. In Hinduism, Maitreya is prophesied to be the king of Shambala, which is also the birthplace of the Kalki Avatar.
In all branches of Buddhism, Maitreya is viewed as the direct successor of Gautama Buddha. As the fifth and final Buddha of the current kalpa, Maitreya's teachings will be focused around re-establishing the Buddha's Dharma on Earth. According to scriptures, Maitreya's teachings will be similar to those of Gautama. The arrival of Maitreya is prophesied to occur during an era of decline when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have been disregarded or obliviated.
Despite many religious figures and spiritual leaders claiming to be Maitreya throughout history, diverse Buddhist sects insist that these are false claims, while underscoring that Maitreya has yet to appear as a Buddha on the grounds that the Buddha's teachings have not been disregarded. Traditional Buddhists believe that Maitreya currently resides in Tushita heaven. However, Maitreya is not inaccessible, and various Buddhists throughout history have also claimed to have been visited by Maitreya, to have had visions of him, and to have received teachings by him. As such, Mahayana Buddhists traditionally consider Maitreya to be the founder of the Yogacara tradition through his revelation of various scriptures like the Mahāyānasūtrālamkārakā, and the Madhyāntavibhāga.

Mahayana sutras

There are many Mahāyāna sūtras which describe and discuss the bodhisattva Maitreya. He appears as a supporting character in several important Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Lotus Sutra, ''Vimalakirti Sutra, the Golden Light, the King of Samadhis Sutra, and the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.
In the Gaṇḍavyūha Sutra meanwhile, Maitreya has an entire chapter in which he preaches the Dharma to the pilgrim Sudhana in one hundred and twenty one verses. Then Sudhana is allowed to enter Maitreya's palace, where he has a grand vision of the entirety of Maitreya's bodhisattva career.
In addition, there are also several Mahāyāna sutras which focus specifically on Maitreya, his teachings and future activity. Some key Maitreya sutras in the Chinese canon are the following:
  • Sutra on the Descending Birth of Maitreya, translated by Dharmarakṣa ;
  • Sutra on the Descending Birth of Maitreya, translated by Kumārajīva ;
  • Sutra on Maitreya Becoming Buddha, translated by Kumārajīva ;
  • The Great Vehicle Sūtra Called "Petitioned by Noble Maitreya", translated by Bodhiruci
  • Sutra on Maitreya's Descending Birth and Becoming Buddha, translated by Yijing ;
  • Sutra on the Time of Maitreya's Arrival, translator unknown
  • Sutra on the Visualization of Maitreya Bodhisattva's Ascending Birth in Tuṣita Heaven, translated by Juqu Jing- sheng
The Tibetan Buddhist canon meanwhile contains the following Maitreya sutras:
  • ''Ārya-maitri-pratijñā-nāma-dhāraṇī''

    Other literature

Maitreya also appears in other literary works. The Maitreyasamitināṭaka was an extensive Buddhist play in pre-Islamic Central Asia. The Maitreyavyakarana in Central Asia and the Anagatavamsa of South India also mention him.

Archeology and art

In the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, in the first centuries CE in present-day northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, Maitreya was the most popular figure to be represented along with Gautama Buddha. Numerous sculptures of Maitreya have been found in Greater Gandhara from the Kushan Empire period. He also appears in Mathura to a lesser extent. Maitreya is already depicted at Sanchi before the Kushan period. But art depicting him becomes much more numerous during the Kushan era, when his cult seems to have grown in popularity.
In 4th-6th century China, Buddhist artisans saw Shakyamuni and Maitreya as interchangeable, which indicates that the iconography of the two figures were not fully established at an early date. An example is the stone sculpture found in the Qingzhou cache dedicated to Maitreya in 529 CE as recorded in the inscription. The religious belief of Maitreya apparently developed around the same time as that of Amitābha, as early as the 3rd century CE.

Artistic depictions

Maitreya is often depicted standing or sitting on a throne. He is often represented as a northern Indian nobleman or prince with a full head of hair, fine flowing robes, and jewels. Gandharan style images present him with a distinctive long hair loop folded at the top of the head.
Maitreya is often depicted carrying a vase or bottle, an element which goes back to the Gandharan sculptures and which he shares with depictions of the deity Brahma. Because of this, some scholars argue that the water bottle and hair loop are symbols of his brahminical origins, and indeed, some stories depict Maitreya as being born to a Human family during his last life. Maitreya is also often shown in a heaven realm, indicating his current location in Tushita.
In Indian symbolism, the kamaṇḍalu pot symbolizes immortality, fertility, life, and wealth. In Buddhism, the similar pūrṇa-kumbha also symbolizes "auspicious abundance", wisdom, health, longevity, wealth, prosperity, and the Buddha's infinite quality of teaching the Dharma. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is termed a bumpa.

Buddhist Maitreya beliefs

Types of Maitreya myths

According to Jan Nattier, there are four main types of the Maitreya myth which we find throughout the history of Buddhism. The typology is based around when and how a devotee expected to encounter the figure of Maitreya:
  1. Here/now: In this version, a devotee expected to meet Maitreya on earth, during their present lifetime.
  2. Here/later: A devotee expected to meet Maitreya on earth at some point after their death, during a future lifetime, perhaps when Maitreya attains Buddhahood and founds a new community. This is the most common and standard myth in which Maitreya's enlightenment is a future event devotees hope to be present for.
  3. There/now: In visionary forms of the Maitreya myth, devotees attempted to encounter Maitreya in a vision of his court in Tushita heaven, or to literally travel there by some means.
  4. There/later: A common wish among Maitreya devotees was to be reborn in Maitreya's Tushita palace or "inner court", which is his current Pure land.

    Future coming of Maitreya

In all Buddhist traditions, Maitreya is prophesied to be the next Buddha who will arise in this world. He will attain Buddhahood far in the future. Since attaining enlightenment is thought to be much more likely while studying under a living Buddha, many Buddhists have hoped to meet Maitreya and train under him. As Buddhist studies scholar Alan Spongberg writes, Maitreya "came to represent a hope for the future, a time when all human beings could once again enjoy the spiritual and physical environment most favorable to enlightenment and the release from worldly suffering". The Maitreya legend has provided a positive view of the future for all Buddhist cultures, who have adapted and expressed the prophetic myth in different ways.
According to Buddhist tradition, each kalpa has several Buddhas. The previous kalpa was the vyuhakalpa, and the present kalpa is called the bhadrakalpa. The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity are seven Buddhas which bridge the last kalpa and the present kalpa, they begin with Vipassī and end with Gautama. Maitreya is thus the eighth Buddha in this line.
According to traditional Buddhist sources Maitreya's advent is not imminent and instead will happen millions of years in the future. In spite of this, Buddhist believers can hope to accumulate good karma so that when the time comes, they will be reborn to meet the future Buddha Maitreya and reach enlightenment under him. Scriptures which describe the future coming of Maitreya also describe the paradise like conditions of the world during Maitreya's time. His coming is said to usher in a "golden age" of religion and civilization. Buddhist scriptures do not exhort believers to work to bring about this golden age. This might be due to the Buddhist view of the cyclical nature of time and history.
The cyclical nature of history is thus part of the Maitreya myth. Buddhists believe that there will come a time of Dharma decline in which social order and morality will decline and the human lifespan will also decline. There will be war, sickness and famine. The Buddha's Dharma will then be lost. After some time, the world will begin to improve again, and human lifespans will begin to increase. It is at the peak of this rise in goodness in the far future that Maitreya will arrive. As such, in the traditional Buddhist view, first there will be a period of decline, followed by a period of moral and social betterment. It is only then that Maitreya is expected to come. To be able to take part in this golden age, Buddhist devotees hoped to make enough good merit which would condition their future rebirth.File:Bodhisattva, Kamakura period, Japan.jpg|thumb|Maitreya, 13th century, Kamakura period, Tokyo National Museum, Important Cultural Property of JapanOne mention of the prophecy in the states that gods, men and other beings:
Thus, many Buddhists throughout history have sought to develop the necessary merit to meet Maitreya on Earth during the life of his final Buddhahood. This includes many Theravada Buddhists. One famous Theravadin who expressed this wish was the Sinhalese king Duṭṭhagāmaṇī.
In Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhas preside over pure lands, such as Sukhavati. Once Maitreya becomes a Buddha, he will rule over the Ketumati pure land, an earthly paradise sometimes associated with the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India, and in other descriptions, the kingdom of Shambhala.