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Maitreya
Buddha (Tibetan, Namdren
Mapham) is the future Buddha who is expected to come to earth from
Tushita Heaven. He is supposed to be passing the life of a
Bodhisattva in the Tushita Heaven preparatory to his decent to earth
in human form. It is said that he will come to earth a full 4,000
years after the disappearance of Gautama Buddha for the deliverance
of all sentient beings. He is the only Bhodisattva who is
worshipped by both the Hinayanists and Mahayanists.
Maitreya
may be represented as a standing figure adorned with rich ornaments
and holding in his right hand the stalk of a lotus. Maitreya may
also be represented seated as a Buddha, with legs either interlocked
or dangling down. His colour is yellow and his images sometimes
bear the figures of Dhyani Buddhas. |
Click
here to see all of the Maitreya Statues in Dharma Sculpture's
Gallery
Maitreya, in Buddhism, is a Buddha who will be reborn in
a period of decline to renew the doctrine of the founder of Buddhism,
the Buddha. Maitreya is believed to be a bodhisattva, one who refuses
entry into nirvana, a transcendent state free from suffering, out of a
compassionate desire to help others. At present, he is believed to
reside in Tushita Heaven, where he awaits his rebirth. Although various
calculations exist, this rebirth is expected to occur in 30,000 years. At the moment of his rebirth, Buddhist law will have completely
degenerated, requiring a new revelation. After his rebirth, by some
accounts, Maitreya will lead all beings still trapped in the cycle of
rebirths to nirvana.
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Others
maintain that he will preach for 60,000 years, after which he
will enter nirvana and his doctrine will endure for another
10,000 years. His cult first appeared in India around the 3rd
century then spread throughout China, Korea, and Japan. The
traditions surrounding Maitreya describe him taking on a variety
of forms, such as a slothful student, a companion of the Buddha,
or a kind tutor. In China, he is revered as a folk deity who
wanders the country with a third eye in his back. In addition,
Chinese emperors and empresses have claimed to be the
incarnation of Maitreya in order to achieve political security. Sometime in the 4th or 5th century, Buddhist monks brought the
cult of Maitreya to Korea, where followers established him as a
god of fertility who grants infants to barren women and answers
the prayers of children. In Japan, celebrated teacher Kukai
claimed he was Maitreya when he founded the Shingon (Pure Word)
sect of Buddhism in the early 9th century. Maitreya remains one
of the few bodhisattvas revered in both Theravada Buddhism and
Mahayana Buddhism. |
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Click
here to see all of the Maitreya Statues in Dharma Sculpture's
Gallery
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