In
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
, Buddha (;
Pali,
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are
awake, and have attained
nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out the
dharma (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
𑀥𑀭𑁆𑀫;
Pali ''dhamma''; "right way of living"). The title is most commonly used for
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
, the founder of Buddhism, who is often simply known as "the Buddha". Buddhahood ( sa, 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥𑀢𑁆𑀯, buddhatva; pi, buddhatta or ; ) is the condition and rank of a buddha "awakened one". This highest spiritual state of being is also termed ''sammā-sambodhi'' (skt. samyaksaṃbodhi 'full complete awakening').
The title is also used for other beings who have achieved ''bodhi'' (awakening) and ''
moksha'' (release from craving), such as the other human Buddhas who achieved enlightenment before Gautama, the
five celestial Buddhas worshiped primarily in
Mahayana, and the
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
named
Maitreya, who will achieve enlightenment in the future and succeed Gautama Buddha as the supreme Buddha of the world.
The goal of
Mahayana's
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
path is complete Buddhahood, so that one may benefit all sentient beings by teaching them the path of cessation of ''
dukkha''.
Mahayana theory contrasts this with the goal of the
Theravada path, where the most common goal is individual
arhatship
by following dharma; the teachings of the supreme Buddha.
Definition
Buddhahood is the state of an awakened being, who, having found the path of cessation of
dukkha ("suffering", as created by attachment to desires and distorted perception and thinking) is in the state of "No-more-Learning".
There is a broad spectrum of opinion on the universality and method of attainment of Buddhahood, depending on
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
's teachings that a school of Buddhism emphasizes. The level to which this manifestation requires
ascetic practices varies from none at all to an absolute requirement, dependent on doctrine. Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
ideal of achieving Buddhahood rather than enlightening as an arhat.
In
Theravada Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
, ''Buddha'' refers to one who has become
awake through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out the dharma. A samyaksambuddha re-discovered the
truths and the
path
A path is a route for physical travel – see Trail.
Path or PATH may also refer to:
Physical paths of different types
* Bicycle path
* Bridle path, used by people on horseback
* Course (navigation), the intended path of a vehicle
* Desire p ...
to awakening and teaches these to others after his awakening. A
pratyekabuddha also reaches Nirvana through his own efforts, but is unable to teach the dharma to others. An
arhat needs to follow the teaching of a Buddha to attain Nirvana, but can also preach the dharma after attaining Nirvana.
[Snelling, John (1987), ''The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice''. London: Century Paperbacks. p. 81] In one instance the term buddha is also used in Theravada to refer to all who attain
Nirvana, using the term
Sāvakabuddha to designate an arhat, someone who depends on the teachings of a Buddha to attain Nirvana.
[''Udana Commentary''. Translation Peter Masefield, volume I, 1994. Pali Text Society. p. 94.] In this broader sense it is equivalent to the arhat.
The Tathagatagarba and
Buddha-nature doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism consider Buddhahood to be a universal and innate property of absolute wisdom. This wisdom is revealed in a person's current lifetime through Buddhist practice, without any specific relinquishment of pleasures or "earthly desires".
Buddhists do not consider Gautama Buddha to have been the only Buddha. The
Pāli Canon refers to many previous ones (see
list of the named Buddhas
In Buddhism, Buddha (; Pali, Sanskrit: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are awake, and have attained nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out ...
), while the Mahayana tradition additionally has many Buddhas of celestial origin (see
Amitābha or
Vairocana
Vairocana (also Mahāvairocana, sa, वैरोचन) is a cosmic buddha from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Vairocana is often interpreted, in texts like the ''Avatamsaka Sutra'', as the dharmakāya of the historical Gautama Buddha. In East ...
as examples. For lists of many thousands of Buddha names see ''
Taishō Tripiṭaka'' numbers 439–448).
Nature of the Buddha
The various Buddhist schools hold some varying interpretations on the nature of Buddha.
Attainments
All Buddhist traditions hold that a Buddha is fully awakened and has completely purified his mind of the
three poisons
The three poisons (Sanskrit: ''triviṣa''; Tibetan: ''dug gsum'') or the three unwholesome roots (Sanskrit: ''akuśala-mūla''; Pāli: ''akusala-mūla''), in Buddhism, refer to the three root kleshas: '' Moha'' (delusion, confusion), ''Raga'' ...
of
craving,
aversion and
ignorance
Ignorance is a lack of knowledge and understanding. The word "ignorant" is an adjective that describes a person in the state of being unaware, or even cognitive dissonance and other cognitive relation, and can describe individuals who are unaware ...
. A Buddha is no longer bound by
saṃsāra, and has ended the
suffering which unawakened people experience in life.
Most schools of Buddhism have also held that the Buddha was
omniscient. However, the early texts contain explicit repudiations of making this claim of the Buddha.
Ten characteristics of a Buddha
Some Buddhists meditate on (or contemplate) the Buddha as having ten characteristics (Ch./Jp. 十號). These characteristics are frequently mentioned in the Pāli Canon as well as Mahayana teachings, and are chanted daily in many Buddhist monasteries:
#Thus gone, thus come (Skt: ')
#Worthy one (Skt: ''
arhat'')
#Perfectly self-enlightened (Skt: ')
#Perfected in knowledge and conduct (Skt: ' )
#Well gone (Skt: ''sugata'')
#Knower of the world (Skt: ''lokavida'')
# Unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed (Skt: ')
#Teacher of the gods and humans (Skt: ')
#The Enlightened One (Skt: buddha)
#The Blessed One or fortunate one (Skt: ''bhagavat'')
The tenth epithet is sometimes listed as "The World Honored Enlightened One" (Skt. ''Buddha-Lokanatha'') or "The Blessed Enlightened One" (Skt. ''Buddha-Bhagavan'').
Indispensable Duties of a Buddha
According to Buddhist texts, upon reaching Buddhahood each Buddha must perform various acts during his life to complete his duty as a Buddha.
Sanskrit Buddhist texts list ten indispensable acts Buddhas must perform.
# A Buddha must predict that another person will attain Buddhahood in the future.
# A Buddha must inspire somebody else to strive for Buddhahood.
# A Buddha must convert all whom he must convert
# A Buddha must live at least three-quarters of his potential lifespan.
# A Buddha must have clearly defined what are good deeds and what are evil deeds.
# A Buddha must appoint two of his disciples as his chief disciples.
# A Buddha must descend from
Tavatimsa Heaven after teaching his mother.
# A Buddha must hold an assembly at Lake
Anavatapta.
# A Buddha must bring his parents to the Dhamma.
# A Buddha must have performed the great
Miracle at Savatthi.
Tibetan Buddhist texts list "Twelve Great Acts" of a Buddha.
# A Buddha must be born in
Tusita heaven immediately before his birth as a Buddha.
# A Buddha must descend from Tusita.
# A Buddha must enter his mothers womb.
# A Buddha must be born.
# A Buddha must be skilled at various arts in his youth.
# A Buddha must live life in the palace.
# A Buddha must make a
great departure
The Great Renunciation or Great Departure is the traditional term for the departure of Gautama Buddha ( BCE) from his palace at Kapilavastu to live a life as an ascetic ( sa, śrāmaṇa, italic=yes, pi, sāmaṇa, italic=yes). It is called t ...
from his palace.
# A Buddha must practice asceticism.
# A Buddha must defeat
Mara.
# A Buddha must enlighten.
# A Buddha must give his
first sermon.
# A Buddha must die and pass into Nirvana.
Pali texts do not have such a list but the Pali commentarial tradition lists 30 obligatory acts.
Buddha as a supreme human
In the Pāli Canon, Gautama Buddha is known as being a "teacher of the gods and humans", superior to both the gods and humans in the sense of having
nirvana or the greatest bliss, whereas the
devas, or gods, are still subject to anger, fear and sorrow.
In the Madhupindika Sutta (MN 18), Buddha is described in powerful terms as the Lord of the Dhamma (Pali: Dhammasami, skt.: Dharma Swami) and the bestower of immortality (Pali: Amatassadata).
Similarly, in the ''Anuradha Sutta'' (SN 44.2) Buddha is described as
In the Vakkali Sutta (SN 22.87) Buddha identifies himself with the Dhamma:
Another reference from the
Aggañña Sutta of the
Digha Nikaya, says to his disciple Vasettha:
Shravasti Dhammika, a Theravada monk, writes:
Sangharakshita
Sangharakshita (born Dennis Philip Edward Lingwood; 26 August 192530 October 2018) was a British spiritual teacher and writer, and the founder of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, which in 2010 was renamed the ''Triratna Buddhist Commun ...
also states that "The first thing we have to understand—and this is very important—is that the Buddha is a human being. But a special kind of human being, in fact the highest kind, so far as we know."
Buddha as a human
When asked whether he was a
deva or a human, he replied that he had eliminated the deep-rooted unconscious traits that would make him either one, and should instead be called a Buddha; one who had grown up in the world but had now gone beyond it, as a lotus grows from the water but blossoms above it, unsoiled.
Andrew Skilton writes that the Buddha was never historically regarded by Buddhist traditions as being merely human:
However,
Thích Nhất Hạnh
Thích Nhất Hạnh ( ; ; born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo; 11 October 1926 – 22 January 2022) was a Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, prolific author, poet and teacher, who founded the Plum Village Tradition, historically recogni ...
, a
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
Buddhist monk in the
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
tradition, states that "Buddha was not a god. He was a human being like you and me, and he suffered just as we do."
Jack Maguire writes that Buddha is inspirational based on his humanness.
Basing his teachings on the
Lotus Sutra, the Chinese monk
Chi-hi (the founder of the Tendai Sect) developed an explanation of life "three thousand realms in a single moment", which posits a Buddha nature that can be awakened in any life, and that it is possible for a person to become "enlightened to the Law". In this view, the state of Buddhahood and the states of ordinary people are exist with and within each other.
Nichiren, the founder of
Nichiren Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
states that the real meaning of the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha’s appearance in this world lay in his behavior as a human being.
He also stated that "Shakyamuni Buddha . . . the Lotus Sutra ... and we ordinary human beings are in no way different or separate from each other".
Mahāsāṃghika supramundane Buddha
In the early Buddhist schools, the
Mahāsāṃghika branch regarded the buddhas as being characterized primarily by their supramundane nature. The Mahāsāṃghikas advocated the transcendental and supramundane nature of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and the fallibility of arhats.
[Baruah, Bibhuti. ''Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism.'' 2008. p. 48.] Of the 48 special theses attributed by the ''Samayabhedoparacanacakra'' to the Mahāsāṃghika
Ekavyāvahārika,
Lokottaravāda, and the
Kukkuṭika, 20 points concern the supramundane nature of buddhas and bodhisattvas. According to the ''Samayabhedoparacanacakra'', these four groups held that the Buddha is able to know all dharmas in a single moment of the mind.
[Yao, Zhihua. ''The Buddhist Theory of Self-Cognition.'' 2005. p. 11] Yao Zhihua writes:
A doctrine ascribed to the Mahāsāṃghikas is, "The power of the tathāgatas is unlimited, and the life of the buddhas is unlimited." According to Guang Xing, two main aspects of the Buddha can be seen in Mahāsāṃghika teachings: the true Buddha who is omniscient and omnipotent, and the manifested forms through which he liberates sentient beings through skillful means. For the Mahāsaṃghikas, the historical Gautama Buddha was one of these transformation bodies (Skt. ''
nirmāṇakāya''), while the essential real Buddha is equated with the
Dharmakāya
The ''dharmakāya'' ( sa, धर्म काय, "truth body" or "reality body", zh, t=法身, p=fǎshēn, ) is one of the three bodies ('' trikāya'') of a buddha in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The ''dharmakāya'' constitutes the unmanifested, "incon ...
.
As in Mahāyāna traditions, the Mahāsāṃghikas held the doctrine of the existence of many contemporaneous buddhas throughout the ten directions.
[Guang Xing. ''The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the Trikaya Theory.'' 2004. p. 65] In the Mahāsāṃghika ''Lokānuvartana Sūtra'', it is stated, "The Buddha knows all the dharmas of the countless buddhas of the ten directions."
It is also stated, "All buddhas have one body, the body of the Dharma."
The concept of many bodhisattvas simultaneously working toward buddhahood is also found among the Mahāsāṃghika tradition, and further evidence of this is given in the ''Samayabhedoparacanacakra'', which describes the doctrines of the Mahāsāṃghikas.
Lists of Buddhas
The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity
In the earliest strata of
Pali Buddhist texts, especially in the first four
Nikayas, only the following seven Buddhas, The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity (''Saptatathāgata''), are explicitly mentioned and named. Four of these are from the current ''
kalpa
Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Olvi Areena.
Team history
Established in 1929 as ''Sortavalan Palloseura'' in Sortavala, the club relocated to Kuop ...
'' (world age) and three are from past ones (within last hundred ''kalpa'').
#
Vipassī (lived ninety-one ''kalpas'' ago)
#
Sikhī (lived thirty-one ''kalpas'' ago)
#
Vessabhū (lived thirty-one ''kalpas'' ago in the same ''kalpa'' as Sikhī)
#
Kakusandha (the first Buddha of the current ''bhadrakalpa'')
#
Koṇāgamana (the second Buddha of the current ''bhadrakalpa'')
#
Kassapa (the third Buddha of the current ''bhadrakalpa'')
#
Gautama (the fourth and present Buddha of the current ''bhadrakalpa'')
One sutta called Chakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta from an early Buddhist text called the
Digha Nikaya also mentions that following the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, a Buddha named
Maitreya is predicted to arise in the world.
However, according to a text in the Theravada Buddhist tradition from a later strata (between 1st and 2nd century BCE) called the
Buddhavamsa, twenty-one more Buddhas were added to the list of seven names in the early texts. Theravada tradition maintains that there can be up to five Buddhas in a ''
kalpa
Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Olvi Areena.
Team history
Established in 1929 as ''Sortavalan Palloseura'' in Sortavala, the club relocated to Kuop ...
'' or world age and that the current ''kalpa'' has had four Buddhas, with the current Buddha, Gotama, being the fourth and the future Buddha
Metteyya being the fifth and final Buddha of the ''kalpa''. This would make the current aeon a ''bhadrakalpa'' (fortunate aeon). In some Sanskrit and northern Buddhist traditions however, a ''bhadrakalpa'' has up to 1,000 Buddhas, with the Buddhas Gotama and Metteyya also being the fourth and fifth Buddhas of the ''kalpa'' respectively.
The
Koṇāgamana Buddha
Koṇāgamana (Pāli), also known as Kanakamuni in Sanskrit or alternatively Koṇāgon or Kanakagamana, is one of the ancient Buddhas whose biography is chronicled in chapter 23 of the '' Buddhavaṃsa'', one of the books of the Pali Canon.
...
, is mentioned in a 3rd-century BCE inscription by
Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
at
Nigali Sagar
Nigali Sagar (also called Nigliva, Nigali Sagar pillar, Nighihawa pillar, Nigliva pillar, or Araurakot pillar) is an archaeological site in Nepal containing the remains of a pillar of Ashoka. The site is located in Nigalihawa, about 20 kilometers ...
, in today's
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
. There is an
Ashoka pillar
The pillars of Ashoka are a series of monolithic columns dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed with edicts by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka during his reign from c. 268 to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the express ...
at the site today. Ashoka's inscription in the
Brahmi script is on the fragment of the pillar still partly buried in the ground. The inscription made when
Emperor Asoka at
Nigali Sagar
Nigali Sagar (also called Nigliva, Nigali Sagar pillar, Nighihawa pillar, Nigliva pillar, or Araurakot pillar) is an archaeological site in Nepal containing the remains of a pillar of Ashoka. The site is located in Nigalihawa, about 20 kilometers ...
in 249 BCE records his visit, the enlargement of a stupa dedicated to the Kanakamuni Buddha, and the erection of a pillar.
According to
Xuanzang, Koṇāgamana's relics were held in a stupa in
Nigali Sagar
Nigali Sagar (also called Nigliva, Nigali Sagar pillar, Nighihawa pillar, Nigliva pillar, or Araurakot pillar) is an archaeological site in Nepal containing the remains of a pillar of Ashoka. The site is located in Nigalihawa, about 20 kilometers ...
, in what is now
Kapilvastu District in southern
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
.
The historical Buddha, Gautama, also called Sakyamuni ("Sage of the
Shakyas), is mentioned epigraphically on the
Pillar of Ashoka at
Rummindei (
Lumbini
Lumbinī ( ne, लुम्बिनी, IPA=ˈlumbini , "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamayadevi gave birth ...
in modern
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
). The
Brahmi script inscription on the pillar gives evidence that
Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
, emperor of the
Maurya Empire, visited the place in 3rd-century BCE and identified it as the birth-place of the Buddha.
The 29 Buddhas of Theravāda
The
Pali literature of the
Theravāda tradition includes tales of 29 Buddhas. In countries where
Theravāda Buddhism
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
is practiced by the majority of people, such as
Sri Lanka,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
,
Laos,
Myanmar,
Thailand, it is customary for
Buddhists to hold elaborate festivals, especially during the fair weather season, paying homage to the 29 Buddhas described in the ''
Buddhavamsa''. The ''Buddhavamsa'' is a text which describes the life of
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
and the 27
Buddhas who preceded him, along with the future
Metteyya Buddha.
The Buddhavamsa is part of the ''
Khuddaka Nikāya'', which in turn is part of the ''
Sutta Piṭaka''. The ''Sutta Piṭaka'' is one of three main sections of the ''
Pāli Canon''.
The first three of these
Buddhas—Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara, and Saraṇaṅkara—lived before the time of
Dīpankara Buddha. The fourth Buddha, Dīpankara, is especially important, as he was the Buddha who gave ''niyatha vivarana'' (prediction of future Buddhahood) to the
Brahmin youth who would in the distant future become the
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
Gautama Buddha.
After Dīpankara, 25 more noble people (''
ariya-puggala'') would attain
enlightenment before Gautama, the historical Buddha.
Many Buddhists also pay homage to the future (and 29th) Buddha, Metteyya. According to
Buddhist scripture
Buddhist texts are those religious texts which belong to the Buddhist tradition. The earliest Buddhist texts were not committed to writing until some centuries after the death of Gautama Buddha. The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts a ...
, Metteya will be a successor of Gautama who will appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure ''
Dharma''. The prophecy of the arrival of Metteyya is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (
Theravada,
Mahayana, and
Vajrayana), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the ''Dharma'' will have been forgotten on ''
Jambudvipa'' (the terrestrial realm, where ordinary human beings live).
Mahayana Buddhas
Mahayana Buddhists venerate numerous Buddhas that are not found in early Buddhism or in Theravada Buddhism. They are generally seen as living in other realms, known as buddha-fields (Sanskrit: ''buddhakṣetra'') or
pure lands (
Ch: 淨土;
p: ''Jìngtǔ'') in
East Asian Buddhism. They are sometimes called "celestial Buddhas", since they are not from this earth.
Some of the key Mahayana Buddhas are:
*
Akshobhya
Akshobhya ( sa, अक्षोभ्य, ''Akṣobhya'', "Immovable One"; ) is one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, a product of the Adibuddha, who represents consciousness as an aspect of reality. By convention he is located in the east of the ...
("the Imperturbable")
*
Amitābha (Amida Buddha, "Infinite Light"), the principal Buddha of
Pure Land Buddhism
*
Amoghasiddhi (“Infallible Success”)
*
Bhaiṣajyaguru ("Medicine guru") also known as "Medicine Buddha", the healing Buddha
*
Ratnasambhava ("Jewel Born")
*
Vairocana
Vairocana (also Mahāvairocana, sa, वैरोचन) is a cosmic buddha from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Vairocana is often interpreted, in texts like the ''Avatamsaka Sutra'', as the dharmakāya of the historical Gautama Buddha. In East ...
("the Illuminator"), a key figure in the ''
Avatamsaka Sutra''
*
Prabhūtaratna ("Many Treasures," A Buddha who appears in the ''
Lotus Sutra'')
*
Samantabhadra, a Buddha who is mentioned in the ''
Akṣayamatinirdeśa Sūtra,'' which states that the bodhisattva
Akṣayamati is said to be from the Buddha field of Samantabhadra.
*
Lokeśvararāja, a past Buddha who is mentioned in the ''
Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life''
* The
35 Confession Buddhas
In Tantric Buddhism
In Tantric Buddhism (
Vajrayana), one finds some of the same Mahayana Buddhas along with other Buddha figures which are unique to Vajrayana. There are
five primary Buddhas known as the "Five Tathagathas": Vairocana, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitābha, and Amoghasiddhi. Each is associated with a different consort, direction, aggregate (or, aspect of the personality), emotion, element, color, symbol, and mount.
[Nathaniel DeWitt Garson; Penetrating the Secret Essence Tantra: Context and Philosophy in the Mahayoga System of rNying-ma Tantra, page 43]
Buddhist Tantra also includes several female Buddhas, such as
Tara, the most popular female Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism, who comes in many forms and colors.
In the tantras, there are various
fierce deities which are tantric forms of the Buddhas. These may be fierce (Tibetan: ''trowo'', Sanskrit: ''krodha'') Buddha forms or semi-fierce, and may appear in sexual union with a female Buddha or as a "solitary hero". The
Heruka
:''Heruka is also a name for the deity of the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra.''
''Heruka'' (Sanskrit; Tibetan: ), is the name of a category of wrathful deities, enlightened beings in Vajrayana Buddhism that adopt a fierce countenance to benefit sentient b ...
s (
Tb. ''khrag 'thung'', lit. "blood drinker") are enlightened masculine beings who adopt fierce forms to help beings. They include
Yamantaka,
Cakrasamvara,
Hevajra,
Mahākāla
Mahākāla is a deity common to Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism. In Buddhism, Mahākāla is regarded as the sacred '' Dharmapāla'' ("Protector of the Dharma"), while in Hinduism, Mahākāla is a fierce manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva and th ...
, and
Vajrakilaya
In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrakilaya (Skt. ''Vajrakīlaya''; Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕུར་པ་, ''Dorje Phurba'', Wyl. ''rdo rje phur pa'') or Vajrakumara (Skt. ''Vajrakumāra''; Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་གཞོན་ནུ་, '' ...
.
Dakinis (
Tb. ''khandroma'', "sky-goer") are their feminine counterparts, sometimes depicted with a heruka and sometimes as independent deities. The most prevalent wrathful
dakinis are
Vajrayogini
Vajrayoginī ( sa, italic=yes, Vajrayoginī वज्रयोगिनी; , Dorjé Neljorma; mn, Огторгуйд Одогч, Нархажид, ) is a Tantric Buddhist female Buddha and a . The ''Vajrayogini'' cult dates back to the tenth ...
,
Vajravārāhī,
Nairatmya, and
Kurukullā.
Buddhist mythology overlapped with Hindu mythology. Akshobhya, for example, acquires a fierce Tantric form that is reminiscent of the fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva; in this form he became known by the Buddhist names Heruka, Hevajra, or Samvara. He is known in Japan in this guise as Fudō (“Imperturbable”). The Indian god Bhairava, a fierce bull-headed divinity, was adopted by Tantric Buddhists as Vajrabhairava. Also called Yamantaka (“Slayer of Death”) and identified as the fierce expression of the gentle Manjushri, he was accorded quasi-buddha rank.
There is also the idea of the
Adi-Buddha
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Ādi-Buddha () is the "First Buddha" or the "Primordial Buddha". Another common term for this figure is Dharmakāya Buddha.
The term emerges in tantric Buddhist literature, most prominently in the Kalachakra.Buswel ...
, the "first Buddha" to attain Buddhahood. Variously named as
Vajradhara,
Samantabhadra and Vairocana, the first Buddha is also associated with the concept of
Dharmakaya. Some historical figures are also seen as Buddhas, such as the Buddhist philosopher
Nagarjuna, Tibetan historical figures like
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...
, and
Tsongkhapa
Tsongkhapa ('','' meaning: "the man from Tsongkha" or "the Man from Onion Valley", c. 1357–1419) was an influential Tibetan Buddhist monk, philosopher and tantric yogi, whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Budd ...
.
Depictions of the Buddha in art
Buddhas are frequently represented in the form of statues and paintings. Commonly seen designs include:
* The Seated Buddha
* The Reclining Buddha
* The Standing Buddha
*''Hotei'' or ''
Budai'', the obese Laughing Buddha, usually seen in
China and often mistaken as ''the'' Buddha in western culture (This figure is believed to be a representation of a medieval Chinese monk who is associated with
Maitreya, the future Buddha, and is therefore technically not a Buddha image.)
* the Emaciated Buddha, which shows Siddhartha Gautama during his extreme ascetic practice of starvation.
The Buddha statue shown calling for rain is a pose common in
Laos.
Markings
Most depictions of Buddha contain a certain number of ''markings'', which are considered the signs of his enlightenment. These signs vary regionally, but two are common:
*a protuberance on the top of the head (denoting superb mental acuity)
*long earlobes (denoting superb perception)
In the Pāli Canon, there is frequent mention of a list of thirty-two
physical characteristics of the Buddha.
Hand-gestures
The poses and hand-gestures of these statues, known respectively as
asanas and
mudras, are significant to their overall meaning. The popularity of any particular mudra or asana tends to be region-specific, such as the ''
Vajra
The Vajra () is a legendary and ritual weapon, symbolising the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force).
The vajra is a type of club with a ribbed spherical head. The ribs may meet in a ball-shap ...
'' (or ''Chi Ken-in'') mudra, which is popular in
Japan and
Korea but rarely seen in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Others are more common; for example, the ''Varada'' (Wish Granting) mudra is common among standing statues of the Buddha, particularly when coupled with the ''Abhaya'' (Fearlessness and Protection) mudra.
See also
*
List of bodhisattvas
*
List of named Buddhas
*
Ten Bodhisattas
*
Thirty-five Confession Buddhas
*
Praises to the Twenty-One Taras
*
Bhadrakalpikasutra
*
List of Buddha claimants
*
Glossary of Buddhism
Some Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an a ...
*
Buddha-nature
*
Enlightenment in Buddhism
*
Eternal Buddha
*
Physical characteristics of the Buddha
*
Buddha Shenrab
*
Laughing Buddha
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
*
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*
External links
BuddhaNet
{{Authority control
Buddhist philosophical concepts
Buddhist stages of enlightenment