Maitreya
Also called: Future Buddha · Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Maitreya is the Bodhisattva who Buddhists believe will come to earth in the future as the next Buddha. His name comes from mettā, meaning friendliness or fellow feeling. The belief grew with Mahayana Buddhism around the start of the common era. It gave followers hope of a saviour to come.
Example
Sculptures from Gandhara and Mathura in the Kushana period (c. 1st–3rd century CE) often show Maitreya holding a small water pot, a sign of an ascetic. Large Maitreya statues are still worshipped in Ladakh and Tibet.
Don't confuse with
- Avalokiteshvara: Avalokiteshvara is the Bodhisattva of compassion, usually holding a lotus. He is not the future Buddha.
Related concepts
- Mahayana
- Hinayana
- Bodhisattva
- Avalokiteshvara
- Tara
- Vajrayana Buddhism
- Nagarjuna
- Madhyamaka
- Yogachara
- Vasubandhu