According to the ''

Buddhavaṃsa The ''Buddhavaṃsa'' (also known as the ''Chronicle of Buddhas'') is a hagiographical Buddhist text which describes the life of Gautama Buddha and of the twenty-four Buddhas who preceded him and prophesied his attainment of Buddhahood. It is ...

'' and

Buddhist mythology The Buddhist traditions have created and maintained a vast body of mythological literature. The central myth of Buddhism revolves around the purported events of the life of the Buddha. This is told in relatively realistic terms in the earlie ...

, Sikhī (

Pāli Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a classical Middle Indo-Aryan language of 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 '' Therav� ...

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

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 to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

, 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 () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

, in present-day

India India, officially the Republic of India, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. His family was of the

Kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

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 (–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, between the e ...

. 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 is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing Spirituality, spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world ...

for eight months before attaining enlightenment under a pundarika tree. Just prior to achieving

buddhahood In Buddhism, Buddha (, which in classic Indo-Aryan languages, Indic languages means "awakened one") is a title for those who are Enlightenment in Buddhism, spiritually awake or enlightened, and have thus attained the Buddhist paths to liberat ...

, 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, "Ajiv ...

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 Noah ...

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 ''Magnolia champaca'', known in English as champak (), is a large evergreen tree in the family Magnoliaceae. It was previously classified as ''Michelia champaca''. It is known for its fragrant flowers, and its timber used in woodworking. Etymo ...

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 Seven Buddhas of the Past

Etymology

Biography

Physical characteristics

Teachings

See also

Notes