Maitreya Buddha

Maitreya , in the Buddhist tradition, is the future Buddha, currently a bodhisattva residing in the Tushita heaven, who will descend to earth to preach the dharma (“law”) again when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have completely waned.

Buddhist mythology was accepted by all schools of Buddhism and remains the only bodhisattva generally honored by the Theravada tradition. The name Maitreya is derived from the Sanskrit maitri (” kindness “). In Pali, the name becomes Metteyya, in Chinese Milefo, in Japanese Miroku, and in Mongolian Maidari; In Tibetan, the bodhisattva is known as Byams-pa (“kind” or “loving”).

His worship was especially popular from the fourth to the seventh century, and his images are found throughout the Buddhist world; many of them beautifully convey their trademark air of expectation and promise.

He is depicted in painting and sculpture as a bodhisattva and as a Buddha, and is often depicted seated in the European fashion or with his ankles slightly crossed.

Origings

Maitreya’s name derives from the Sanskrit word “maitri” meaning “kindness-loving”, which is derived from the name “mitra” in the sense of “friend”.

The earliest mention of Maitreya is in the Cakavatti Sutta in the Digha Nikaya of the Pali Canon.

Maitreya is sometimes depicted seated on a Western-style throne, and is revered by both Mahayana and non-Mahayana Buddhists. Some have speculated that Maitreya’s inspiration may come from the ancient Indo-Iranian deity Mithra.

The main comparison between the two characters seems to be solely the similarity of their names. The book entitled The Religion of the Iranian Peoples says that ” No one who has studied the Zoroastrian doctrine of the Saoshyants or the coming of the prophet-savior can fail to realize his resemblance to the future Maitreya. “

Paul Williams states some Zoroastrian ideas such as the Saoshyant influence of the Maitreya cult, such as “the hope of divine help, the need to opt for positive justice, the future millennium and universal salvation.” There are some objections as these features are not unique to Zoroastrianism, nor are they necessary features of Maitreya’s beliefs.

It is possible that the Maitreya Buddha originated with the Hindu Kalki, and the similarities with the Iranian Mithra are explained by its Indo-Iranian origins.

Assumptions about Maitreya Buddha

Since his death, the Chinese monk Budai (Hotei) has been popularly regarded as the incarnation of the bodhisatta Maitreya. The description of him as “the laughing Buddha” continues to be very popular in East Asian culture. He has a relaxed, chubby, smiling appearance with some Taoist influence due to Chinese Buddhism.

While a number of people have claimed to be the future Buddha in the years since the Buddha’s parinirvana, none of them have been officially recognized by the sangha or Buddhists. The particular difficulty faced by one who claims to obtain the title of Maitreya is the fact that the Buddha is considered to have made a number of true predictions considering the circumstances that might occur before Maitreya’s appearance – such as that the Buddha’s teachings might completely forgotten, and that all the relics of Sakyamuni Buddha could be collected in Bodh Gaya and cremated.

Characteristics

A mention of Maitreya’s prophecy is prophesied in the Sanskrit text Maitreyavyakarana (The Prophecy of Maitreya), stating that gods, men as well as all other beings will adore him, as it is understood in the teachings of “trance sadhana”. :

“You will lose your doubts, and the torrents of longings will end: free from all miseries you will go across the ocean of the favored: and as a result of Maitreya’s teachings, you will be led to a holy life. They will no longer consider anything as their own, there will be no possessions, no gold or silver, no house, no relatives. But they will be led to a sacred life of chastity under the guidance of Maitreya. The networks of passions will be broken, and they will manage to enter a trance, and they will have abundance in joy and happiness, for which they will be led to a sacred life”.

False sects about Maitreya Buddha

Throughout the centuries, many have turned Maitreya into a messianic figure who will change the world. These are just some examples:

• A sixth-century Chinese monk named Faqing proclaimed himself the new Buddha, Maitreya, and attracted a large following. Unfortunately, Faqing seems to have been a psychopath, persuading his followers to become bodhisattvas by killing people.
• A 19th century spiritualist movement called Theosophy promoted the idea that Maitreya, a world redeemer, would soon come to lift humanity out of darkness. His failure to appear was a major setback for the movement.
• The late L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology , claimed to be an incarnation of Maitreya (using the Sanskrit spelling, Mettayya). Hubbard even managed to piece together some fake scriptures to ” prove ” it.
• An organization called Share International teaches that Maitreya, the world teacher, has been living in London since the 1970s and will gradually reveal himself. In 2010, Share founder Benjamin Creme announced that Maitreya had been interviewed on American television and seen by millions. However, Creme did not reveal which channel hosted the interview.
• The people who pick up on Creme’s claim have decided that Maitreya is the antichrist . Opinions differ as to whether this is good or bad.

It must be emphasized that even if Maitreya is to appear in the literal future, this is not supposed to happen until the dharma is completely lost. And then Maitreya will teach the dharma exactly as it has been taught before. Since the dharma is available in the world today, there is no literal reason for Maitreya to appear. There is nothing He can give us that we don’t already have.