According to the '' Buddhavaṃsa'' and

Buddhist mythology The Buddhist traditions have created and maintained a vast body of mythological literature. The central myth of Buddhism is the life of the Buddha. This is told in relatively realistic terms in the earliest texts, and was soon elaborated into ...

, Sikhī (

Pāli Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhi ...

) is the twenty-third of twenty-eight Buddhas. The penultimate Buddha of the '' Alamkarakalpa'' (Adorned Eon), Sikhī was preceded by

Vipassī Buddha In Buddhist tradition, Vipassī (Pāli) is the twenty-second of twenty-eight Buddhas described in Chapter 27 of the '' Buddhavaṃsa''. The ''Buddhavamsa'' is a Buddhist text which describes the life of Gautama Buddha and the twenty-seven Budd ...

and succeeded by

Vessabhū Buddha According to the '' Buddhavaṃsa'', Vessabhū is believed to be the 24th Buddha. He was born in the pleasance of Anoma (Commentary, Anūpama), his father being the khattiya Suppatita (Supatita) and his mother Yasavatī.* He is venerated by the T ...

Etymology

He was called Sikhī because his ''unhisa'' (turban) looked like a ''sikha'' (flame).

Biography

According to the ''Buddhavamsa'' as well as traditional Buddhist

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

, Sikhī lived 31 kalpas — many billions of years — before the present time. He was born in Aruṇavatī, which is located in the Dhule district of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

, in present-day

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. His family was of the

Kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the co ...

varna, which constituted the ruling and military elite of the

Vedic period The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betwe ...

. His father was Aruṇa the warrior-chief, and his mother was Pabhāvatī. His wife was Sabbakama, and he had a son named Atula. Sikhī lived in the palaces of Sucanda, Giri and Vāhana for 7,000 Days (7,000 years according to the legends) until he renounced his worldly life, riding out of the palace on an elephant. He practiced

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

for eight months before attaining enlightenment under a

pundarika Pundalik ( mr, पुंडलिक) or Pundarik is a central figure in the legends of the Hindu God Vithoba, generally considered a Vaishnava deity identified with the deities Vishnu and Krishna. He is credited to have brought Vithoba to Pandha ...

tree. Just prior to achieving

buddhahood 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 o ...

, he accepted a bowl of milk rice from the daughter of Piyadassī (a sethi from the town of Sudassana Nigama), and sat on a grass seat prepared by Anomadassi, an

Ājīvika ''Ajivika'' (IAST: ) is one of the Āstika and nāstika, ''nāstika'' or "heterodox" schools of Indian philosophy.Natalia Isaeva (1993), Shankara and Indian Philosophy, State University of New York Press, , pages 20-23James Lochtefeld, "Ajivik ...

ascetic. Sources differ as to how long Sikhī lived. He was reported to have died in Dussarama (or Assarama), somewhere near the Silavati River, at the age of either 37,000 or 70,000 Days.

Physical characteristics

Sikhī was 37

cubit The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term ''cubit'' is found in the Bible regarding ...

s tall, which is roughly equal to . His body radiated light for a distance of three leagues, which is roughly equal to .

Teachings

Sikhī preached his first sermon in Migachira Park to 100,000 disciples, his second sermon to 80,000 disciples, and his third sermon to 70,000 disciples. He demonstrated his twin miracle at a place near Suriyavati under a champaka tree. Abhibhu and Sambhava were his chief monk disciples; and Akhila (or Makhila) and Paduma were his principal female disciples. His chief attendant was Khemankara. Sirivaddha and Chanda (or Nanda) were his chief male patrons; and Chitta and Sugutta were the chief among the women.

Notes

{{Buddhism topics Buddhas

Etymology

Biography

Physical characteristics

Teachings

See also

Notes