Muni (saint)

Muni is a term for types of ancient Indian sages and hermits or ancient Indian ascetics.
Sages of this type are said to know the truth of existence not on the basis of scientific or religious texts but through their own realization.

Buddhism

In Buddhism the term "Muni" is used as a title of Gautama Buddha — who, being born among the tribe of the Śākyas, is called Śākyamuni. Various other titles like Munīndra, Munivar, Munirāja, Munīśvara, Mahāmuni are also given to the Buddhas. The Mahamuni temple in Mandalay, Myanmar is named after the title of the Buddha.

Hinduism

In Rigveda the name mūni refers to a known Vedic Rishi who were Keśin
In a much later work, the Laghu-yoga-vasistha, mūnis are divided into two types:

kaṣtha tapasvin - ascetics permanently residing in stillness
jīvanmukta - those liberated for life in a physical body