.jpeg)
InBuddhism,Buddha (/ˈbuːdə,ˈbʊdə/, which in classicIndic languages means "awakened one")[1] is atitle for those who arespiritually awake or enlightened, and have thus attained thesupreme goal of Buddhism, variously described asawakening or enlightenment (bodhi),Nirvāṇa ("blowing out"), andliberation (vimokṣa). A Buddha is also someone who fully understands theDhārma, the true nature of all things orphenomena (dhārmata), theultimate truth.Buddhahood (Sanskrit:buddhatva;Pali:buddhatta orbuddhabhāva;Chinese:成佛) is the condition and state of being a Buddha.[2] This highest spiritual state of being is also termedsammā-sambodhi (Sanskrit:samyaksaṃbodhi; "full, complete awakening" or “complete, perfect enlightenment”) and is interpreted in many different ways acrossschools of Buddhism.
The title of "Buddha" is most commonly used forGautama Buddha, thehistorical founder of Buddhism, who is often simply known as "the Buddha". The title is also used for othersentient beings who have achievedawakening or enlightenment (bodhi) andliberation (vimokṣa), such as the other human Buddhas who achievedenlightenment before Gautama; members of theFive Buddha Families such asAmitābha; and thebodhisattvaMaitreya, known as the "Buddha of the future who will attain awakening at a future time."
InTheravāda Buddhism, a Buddha is commonly understood as a being with the deepest spiritual wisdom about thetrue nature of reality, who has transcendedrebirth andall causes of suffering (duḥkha). He is also seen as having manymiraculous andmagical powers. However, a living Buddha has the limitations of a physical body, will feel pain, get old, and eventually die like othersentient beings. InMahāyāna Buddhism, any Buddha is considered to be atranscendent beingwith extensive powers, who isall-knowing,immeasurably powerful, with an eternal lifespan. His wisdom light is said to pervadethe cosmos, and his great compassion andskillful means are limitless. This transcendent being is not understood as having a normal physical human body; instead,Mahāyāna Buddhism defends a kind ofdocetism, in whichGautama Buddha's life on earth was a magical display which only appeared to have a human body.
Asentient being who is on the path to become a Buddha is called abodhisattva. InMahāyāna Buddhism, Buddhahood is the universal goal and all Mahāyānists ultimately aim at becoming a Buddha, in order to benefit and liberate all sentient beings.[3] Thus, Buddhahood is the goal for all the various spiritual paths found in the variousMahāyāna traditions (includingTantric Buddhism,Zen, andPure Land). This contrasts with the commonTheravādin goal of individual liberation, orarhatship.[3]
| Part ofa series on |
| Buddhism |
|---|
 |
Buddhahood is the state of anawakened being, who, having found the path of cessation ofsuffering (duḥkha)[4] (as originated fromattachment tofetters andhindrances, distorted perception and thinking) is in the state of "no-more-Learning".[5][6][7]
Buddhism is devoted primarily toawakening or enlightenment (bodhi),Nirvāṇa ("blowing out"), andliberation (vimokṣa) fromall causes of suffering (duḥkha) due to the existence ofsentient beings insaṃsāra (the cycle of compulsorybirth, death, and rebirth) through thethreefold trainings (ethical conduct,meditative absorption, andwisdom).Classical Indian Buddhism emphasized the importance of the individual'sself-cultivation (through numerous spiritual practices like keepingethical precepts,Buddhist meditation, andworship) in the process of liberation from thedefilements which keep us bound to the cycle of rebirth. According to thestandard Buddhist scholastic understanding, liberation arises when the properelements (dhārmata) are cultivated and when the mind has been purified of itsattachment tofetters andhindrances that produce unwholesome mental factors (various calleddefilements,poisons, orfluxes).[8]
There is a broad spectrum of opinion on the nature of Buddhahood, its universality, and themethod of attaining Buddhahood among the variousschools of Buddhism. The level to which this manifestation requiresascetic practices varies from none at all to an absolute requirement, dependent on doctrine. InMahāyāna Buddhism, Buddhahood is the universal goal and all Mahāyānists ultimately aim at becoming a Buddha, in order to benefit and liberate allsentient beings.[3] While most Mahāyāna Buddhist schools accept thebodhisattva ideal, in which it takes aeons to reach Buddhahood, not all agree that everyone can become a Buddha or that the path to Buddhahood must necessarily take aeons.
InTheravāda Buddhism,Buddha refers to one who has reachedawakening or enlightenment (bodhi) through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out theDhārma. Asamyaksaṃbuddha ("full, complete Buddha") re-discovers theFour Noble Truths and theNoble Eightfold Path to awakening on their own, and then teaches these to others after his awakening. Apratyekabuddha ("solitary Buddha") also reachesNirvāṇa through his own efforts, but is unable or unwilling to teach theDhārma to others. Anarhat ("saint") needs to follow the teaching of a Buddha to attainNirvāṇa, and may also preach theDhārma after attainingNirvāṇa.[9] In one instance the termBuddha is also used inTheravādin literature to refer to all who attainNirvāṇa, using the termśrāvakabuddha to designate anarhat, someone who depends on the teachings of a Buddha to attainNirvāṇa.[10] In this broader sense it is equivalent to the arhat.
InMahāyāna Buddhism, a Buddha is seen as atranscendent beingwith extensive powers, who isall-knowing,immeasurably powerful, with an eternal lifespan, and whose awakenedwisdom (buddha-jñana) is all pervasive.[11][12] This view can be found in numerousMahāyāna texts, such as theAvataṃsaka Sūtra.[12] Mahāyāna buddhology mainly understands the Buddha through the "three bodies" (Trikāya) framework.[13] In this framework, thehistorical Buddha or other Buddhas who appear human are understooddocetically as magical "transformation bodies" (Nirmāṇakāya). Meanwhile, thereal or ultimate Buddha is theDharmakāya, the body of ultimate reality. Thus, theRatnagotravibhāga (Analysis of the Jeweled Lineage), a keyMahāyāna treatise, defines the Buddha as "the uncompounded (asamskrta), and spontaneous (anabhoga) Dharmakāya" and as "self-enlightened and self-arisen wisdom (jñana), compassion and power for the benefit of others."[14] This ultimate awakened reality is understood and interpreted in numerous different ways by the different Mahāyāna schools.
The doctrine ofBuddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha) in Mahāyāna Buddhism also consider Buddhahood to be a universal and innate property which is immanent in allsentient beings. Most Buddhists do not considerGautama Buddha to have been the only Buddha. ThePāli Canon refers to many previous ones (seelist of the named Buddhas), while theMahāyāna texts additionally have many Buddhas of celestial origin (seeAmitābha orVairocana as examples; for lists of many thousands of Buddha names, seeTaishō Tripiṭaka, numbers 439–448).
TheTheravāda Buddhist tradition generally sees the Buddha as a supreme person who is neither a God in thetheistic sense, nor adeva, nor a regularhuman. Thus, the Buddha is seen as a very special and unique class of persons called a "great person" (mahāpurisa).[15][16]
Andrew Skilton writes that the Buddha was never historically regarded by Buddhist traditions as being merely human. Instead, he is seen as havingmany supranormal powers (siddhi), such as thesuperknowledges (abhijñā), the capacity for a very long lifespan, as well as thethirty-two marks of a great man.[17]
In thePāli Canon, the Buddha is depicted as someone between a human and a divine being. He has a human body that decays and dies, and he was born from human parents (though some sources depict this as a miraculous birth). The most important element of a Buddha is that they have attained the supreme spiritual goal:Nirvāṇa.[15] This is what makes him supreme and what grants him special powers. This view of the Buddha as supreme person with many superpowers, but which has a physical body that has many limitations of a human form was also shared by otherearly Buddhist schools, like theSarvāstivāda and theDharmaguptaka.
In theDoṇa Sutta (AN 4:36), the Buddha is asked whether he was adeva or a human, and he replies 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 alotus flower grows from the water but blossoms above it, unsoiled.[18][19]
The Pāli Canon also states that Gautama Buddha is known as being a "teacher of the gods and humans", superior to both thegods (devas) and humans since he has attained the highestliberation, whereas the gods are still subject to attachment, ignorance, anger, fear, and sorrow.[20] In theMadhupindika Sutta (MN 18), Buddha is described in powerful terms, such as the "Lord of theDhārma" and the bestower of immortality.[21]
Similarly, in theAnuradha Sutta (SN 44.2), Gautama Buddha is described as the "supreme man" and the "attainer of the superlative attainment".[22] Because he has attained the highest spiritual knowledge, the Buddha is also identified with theDhārma (the most fundamental reality) In theVakkali Sutta (SN 22.87).[23]
In theearly Buddhist schools, theMahāsāṃghika branch regarded the buddhas as being characterized primarily by theirsupramundane (lokottara) nature. The Mahāsāṃghikas advocated the transcendental and supramundane nature of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and the fallibility of arhats.[25] Of the 48 special theses attributed by the Indian scholar Vasumitra to the Mahāsāṃghika sects ofEkavyāvahārika,Lokottaravāda, andKukkuṭika, 20 points concern the supramundane nature of buddhas and bodhisattvas.[26] According to Vasumitra, these four groups held that the Buddha is able to know all dharmas in a single moment of the mind.[27] Yao Zhihua writes:[27]
In their view, the Buddha is equipped with the following supernatural qualities: transcendence (lokottara), lack of defilements, all of his utterancespreaching his teaching, expounding all his teachings in a single utterance, all of his sayings being true, his physical body being limitless, his power (prabhāva) being limitless, the length of his life being limitless, never tiring of enlightening sentient beings and awakening pure faith in them, having no sleep or dreams, no pause in answering a question, and always inmeditation (samādhi).
A doctrine ascribed to the Mahāsāṃghikas is, "The power of the tathāgatas is unlimited, and the life of the buddhas is unlimited."[28] According to Guang Xing, two main aspects of the Buddha can be seen in Mahāsāṃghika teachings: the true Buddha who isomniscient and immeasurably powerful, and the manifested forms through which he liberates sentient beings through skillful means.[29] For the Mahāsaṃghikas, the historical Gautama Buddha was one of these transformation bodies (Skt.nirmāṇakāya), while the essential real Buddha is equated with theDharmakāya.[30]
As in Mahāyāna traditions, the Mahāsāṃghikas held the doctrine of the existence of many contemporaneous Buddhas throughout the ten directions.[31] In the MahāsāṃghikaLokānuvartana Sūtra, it is stated, "The Buddha knows all thedharmas of the countless buddhas of the ten directions."[31] It is also stated, "All buddhas have one body, the body of the Dharma."[31] The concept of many bodhisattvas simultaneously working toward Buddhahood is also found among the Mahāsāṃghika tradition, and further evidence of this is given in theSamayabhedoparacanacakra, which describes the doctrines of the Mahāsāṃghikas.[32]
Guang Xing writes that theAcchariyābbhūtasutta of theMajjhima Nikāya along with its ChineseMadhyamāgama parallel is the most ancient source for the Mahāsāṃghika view. The sūtra mentionsvarious miracles performed by Buddha Śākyamuni before his birth and after. The Chinese version even calls himBhagavan, which suggests the idea that the Buddha was already awakened before descending down to earth to be born.[33]
Similarly, the idea that the lifespan of a Buddha is limitless is also based on ancient ideas, such as theMahāparinirvānasūtra's statement that the Buddha's lifespan is as long as an eon (kalpa) but that he voluntarily allowed his life to end.[33] Another early source for the Mahāsāṃghika view that a Buddha was a transcendent being is the idea of thethirty-two major marks of a Buddha's body.[33] Furthermore, theSimpsapa sutta states that the Buddha had way more knowledge than what he taught to his disciples. The Mahāsāṃghikas took this further and argued that the Buddha knew the dharmas of innumerable other Buddhas of the ten directions.
Mahāyāna Buddhism generally follows the Mahāsāṃghika ideal of the Buddha being a transcendent and all-knowing (sarvajña) being with unlimited spiritual powers. Guang Xing describes the Buddha in Mahāyāna as anomnipotent and almightydivinity "endowed with numerous supernatural attributes and qualities".[34] Mahāyāna cosmology also includes innumerable Buddhas who reside in innumerable buddha fields (buddha kshetra).[35] The MahāyānaLotus Sūtra, for example, says the lifespan of the Buddha is immeasurable. It also says that the Buddha actually achieved Buddhahood countless eons (kalpas) ago and has already been teaching the Dharma through his numerous manifestations (nirmana) for eons.[36][37]
In spite of this transcendent nature, Mahāyāna also affirms theimmanent nature of Buddhahood in all beings (through the doctrine ofBuddha-nature, which is seen as something that all beings have). This view of an immanent Buddha essence in all normal human beings is common throughoutEast Asian Buddhism.[38]
The myriad Buddhas are also seen as active in the world, guiding all sentient beings to Buddhahood. Paul Williams writes that the Buddha in Mahāyāna is "a spiritual king, relating to and caring for the world".[39] This view entails a kind ofdocetism regarding the "historical" Buddha,Shakyamuni. His life and death were a "mere appearance," like a magic show; in reality, the Buddha still exists and is constantly helping living beings.[39]
Because of this transcendental view, Mahāyāna Buddhologies have sometimes been compared to various types oftheism (includingpantheism) by different scholars. There is disagreement among scholars regarding this issue, as well on the general relationship betweenBuddhism and theism.[40]
Since Buddhas remain accessible, a Mahāyānist can direct prayers to them, as well as experience visions and revelations from them. This has been very influential in the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism.[41] Furthermore, a Mahāyāna devotee can also aspire to be reborn in a Buddha's Pure Land or Buddha field (buddhakṣetra), where they can strive towards Buddhahood in the best possible conditions. This practice is the central element of East AsianPure Land Buddhism.[42]
Some modern Buddhists have argued that the Buddha was just a human being, albeit a very wise one.[17] This is a common view inBuddhist modernism, which sought to teach a form of Buddhism that wasmodern,rational andscientific.[43] One figure who sees Buddha as mainly human isThích Nhất Hạnh, aVietnameseBuddhist monk in theZen tradition, who states that "Buddha was not a god. He was a human being like you and me, and he suffered just as we do."[44]
In a similar fashion, Jack Maguire, a Western monk of theMountains and Rivers Order in New York, writes that Buddha is inspirational based on his humanness:
A fundamental part of Buddhism's appeal to billions of people over the past two and a half millennia is the fact that the central figure, commonly referred to by the title "Buddha", was not a god, or a special kind of spiritual being, or even a prophet or an emissary of one. On the contrary, he was a human being like the rest of us who quite simply woke up to full aliveness.[45]
The various Buddhist schools hold some varying interpretations on the nature of Buddha. All Buddhist traditions hold that a Buddha is fully awakened and has completely purified his mind of thethree poisons ofcraving,aversion andignorance. A Buddha is no longer bound bysaṃsāra, and has ended thesuffering which unawakened people experience in life.
Most schools of Buddhism have also held that the Buddha wasomniscient. However, the early texts contain explicit repudiations of making this claim of the Buddha.[46][47]
Mahāyāna buddhology expands the powers of a Buddha exponentially, seeing them as having unlimited lifespan and all-pervasive omniscient wisdom, as omnipotent, and as able to produce an infinite number of magical manifestations (nirmanakayas) as well as being able to produce pure lands (heaven-like realms for bodhisattvas).
TheEarly Buddhist texts (and other later sources as well) contain a classic list of "supernormal knowledges" (Skt.abhijñā,Pali:abhiññā) that a Buddha has attained through spiritual practice.[48]
There is an ancient list of "six classes of superknowledge" (Pali: chalabhiññā, Skt. ṣaḍabhijña) that Buddhas have which are found in various Buddhist sources. These are:[49]
Buddhist texts include numerous stories of the Buddha'smiracles, which include displays of theabhiññās, healings, elemental magic (such as manipulating fire and water), and various other supernatural phenomena, traveling to higher realms ofBuddhist cosmology, and others.[50][51]
One of the most famous of these miracles was theTwin Miracle at Sāvatthī, in which the Buddha emitted fire from the top of his body and water from his lower body simultaneously, before alternating them and then expanding them to illuminate the cosmos.[52][53][54]
Mahayana sūtras contain even more extensive miracles. In theVimalakirti Sūtra, the Buddha display the true pure nature of his "buddha field" to everyone on earth, who suddenly beholds the world as a perfect world filled with jewels and other majestic features.[55] Likewise, in theLotus Sūtra, the Buddha shakes the earth and shines a beam of light which illuminates thousands of "buddha-fields".[56]
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 in other early Buddhist sources as well as inMahayana texts, and are chanted daily in many Buddhist monasteries. The ten epithets are:[57]
The tenth epithet is sometimes listed as "The World Honored Enlightened One" (Skt.Buddha-Lokanatha) or "The Blessed Enlightened One" (Skt.Buddha-Bhagavan).[59]
According to various Buddhist texts, upon reaching Buddhahood each Buddha performs various acts (buddhacarita) during his life to complete his duty as a Buddha.[60]
The Mahayana tradition generally follows the list of "Twelve Great Buddha Acts" (Skt.dvadaśabuddhakārya). These are:[61][62]
The Pali suttas do not have such a list, but the Theravadacommentarial tradition lists 30 obligatory acts of a Buddha.[63]
VariousMahayana sūtras and treatises contain explanations of the nature of a Buddha and the various attributes which Buddhas are said to have. These attributes are significantly different and more exalted than the way a Buddha is understood in non-Mahayana Buddhism.
Some of the key attributes of Buddhahood in Mahayana buddhology include:
.jpg)
In the earliest strata ofPali Buddhist texts, especially in the first fourNikayas, only the following seven Buddhas, The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity (Saptatathāgata), are explicitly mentioned and named (see for exampleSN 12.4 to SN 12.10). Four of these are from the currentkalpa (Pali:kappa, meaning "eon" or "age") called the good eon (bhaddakappa) and three are from past eons.[86]
One sutta calledChakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta from an early Buddhist text called theDigha Nikaya also mentions that following the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, a Buddha namedMaitreya is predicted to arise in the world.[87]
However, according to a text in the Theravada Buddhist tradition from a later stratum (between 1st and 2nd century BCE) called theBuddhavamsa, twenty-one more Buddhas were added to the list of seven names in the early texts.[88][89] Theravada tradition maintains that there can be up to five Buddhas in akalpa or world age and that the currentkalpa has had four Buddhas, with the current Buddha, Gotama, being the fourth and the future BuddhaMetteyya being the fifth and final Buddha of thekalpa. This would make the current aeon abhadrakalpa (fortunate aeon). In some Sanskrit and northern Buddhist traditions however, abhadrakalpa has up to 1,000 Buddhas, with the Buddhas Gotama and Metteyya also being the fourth and fifth Buddhas of thekalpa respectively.[86]
TheKoṇāgamana Buddha, is mentioned in a 3rd-century BCE inscription byAshoka atNigali Sagar, in today'sNepal. There is anAshoka pillar at the site today. Ashoka's inscription in theBrahmi script is on the fragment of the pillar still partly buried in the ground. The inscription made whenEmperor Asoka atNigali Sagar in 249 BCE records his visit, the enlargement of a stupa dedicated to the Kanakamuni Buddha, and the erection of a pillar.[90][91]
According toXuanzang, Koṇāgamana's relics were held in a stupa inNigali Sagar, in what is nowKapilvastu District in southernNepal.[92]
The historical Buddha, Gautama, also called Shakyamuni ("Sage of theShakyas"), is mentioned epigraphically on thePillar of Ashoka atRummindei (Lumbini in modernNepal). TheBrahmi script inscription on the pillar gives evidence thatAshoka, emperor of theMaurya Empire, visited the place in 3rd-century BCE and identified it as the birth-place of the Buddha.[93]
When King Devānāmpriya Priyadasin had been anointed twenty years, he came himself and worshipped (this spot) because theBuddha Shakyamuni was born here. (He) both caused to be made a stone bearing a horse (?) and caused a stone pillar to be set up, (in order to show) that the Blessed One was born here. (He) made the village of Lummini free of taxes, and paying (only) an eighth share (of the produce).
— TheRummindei Edict, one of theMinor Pillar Edicts of Ashoka.[94]
ThePali literature of theTheravāda tradition includes tales of 28 previous Buddhas. In countries whereTheravāda Buddhism is practiced by the majority of people, such asSri Lanka,Cambodia,Laos,Myanmar,Thailand, it is customary forBuddhists to hold elaborate festivals, especially during the fair weather season, paying homage to the last 28 Buddhas described in theBuddhavamsa. TheBuddhavamsa is a text which describes the life ofGautama Buddha and the 27Buddhas who preceded him, along with the futureMetteyya Buddha.[95] The Buddhavamsa is part of theKhuddaka Nikāya, which in turn is part of theSutta Piṭaka. TheSutta Piṭaka is one of three main sections of thePāli Canon.
The first three of theseBuddhas—Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara, and Saraṇaṅkara—lived before the time ofDīpankara Buddha. The fourth Buddha, Dīpankara, is especially important, as he was the Buddha who gaveniyatha vivarana (prediction of future Buddhahood) to theBrahmin youth who would in the distant future become thebodhisattva Gautama Buddha.[96] After Dīpankara, 25 more noble people (ariya-puggala) would attainenlightenment before Gautama, the historical Buddha.
Many Buddhists also pay homage to the future Buddha, Metteyya. According toBuddhist scripture, Metteyya will be a successor of Gautama who will appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pureDharma. The prophecy of the arrival of Metteyya is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravada,Mahayana, andVajrayana), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when theDharma will have been forgotten onJambudvipa (the terrestrial realm, where ordinary human beings live).
| Pāli name[97][98][99] | Sanskrit name | Birthplace[98][99] | Parents (father - mother)[98][99][100] | Bodhirukkha (tree of enlightenment)[98][99][101] | Incarnation of Gautama[99] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taṇhaṅkara | Tṛṣṇaṃkara | Puppavadī | Sunanda - Sunandā | Rukkaththana | |
| 2 | Medhaṅkara | Medhaṃkara | Yaghara | Sudeva - Yasodharā | Kaela | |
| 3 | Saraṇaṅkara | Śaraṇaṃkara | Vipula | Sumaṅgala - Yasavatī | Pulila | |
| 4 | Dīpaṃkara | Dīpaṃkara | Rammavatī | Sudeva - Sumedhā | Pipphala | Sumedha (also Sumati or Megha Mānava)[102] |
| 5 | Koṇḍañña | Kauṇḍinya | Rammavatī | Sunanda - Sujātā | Salakalyana | Vijitawi (a Chakravarti in Chandawatinagara of Majjhimadesa) |
| 6 | Maṅgala | Maṃgala | Uttara (Majhimmadesa) | Uttara - Uttarā | Nāga (Mesua ferrea) | Suruchi (in Siribrahmano) |
| 7 | Sumana | Sumanas | Mekhala | Sudassana -Sirimā | Nāga (Mesua ferrea) | King Atulo, aNaga |
| 8 | Revata[103] | Raivata | Sudhaññavatī | Vipula - Vipulā | Nāga (Mesua ferrea) | |
| 9 | Sobhita | Śobhita | Sudhamma | Sudhamma - Sudhammā | Nāga (Mesua ferrea) | Sujata (in Rammavati) |
| 10 | Anomadassi | Anavamadarśin | Candavatī | Yasava - Yasodharā | Ajjuna | A Yaksha king |
| 11 | Paduma[104] | Padma | Campaka | Asama - Asamā | Salala | A lion |
| 12 | Nārada | Nārada | Dhaññavatī | Raja Sudeva - Anomā | Sonaka | Atapaso in the Himalayas |
| 13 | Padumuttara[105] | Padmottara | Haṁsavatī | Ānanda - Sujātā | Salala | Jatilo, an ascetic |
| 14 | Sumedha | Sumedha | Sudassana | Sumedha - Sumedhā | Nipa | Native of Uttaro |
| 15 | Sujāta | Sujāta | Sumaṅgala | Uggata - Pabhāvatī | Welu | A chakravarti |
| 16 | Piyadassi[106] | Priyadarśin | Sudhañña | Sudinna/Sudatta - Sucandā | Kakudha | Kassapa (at Siriwattanagara) |
| 17 | Atthadassi | Arthadarśin | Sobhana | Sāgara - Sudassanā | Champa | Susino, |
| 18 | Dhammadassī | Dharmadarśin | Saraṇa | Saraṇa - Sunandā | Bimbajala | Indra |
| 19 | Siddhattha | Siddhārtha | Vebhāra | Udena - Suphassā | Kanihani, kanikara (Pterospermum acerifolium) (Bayur tree) | Mangal |
| 20 | Tissa | Tiṣya | Khemaka | Janasandha - Padumā | Assana | King Sujata of Yasawatinagara |
| 21 | Phussa[107] | Puṣya | Kāsika | Jayasena - Sirimā | Amalaka | Vijitavi |
| 22 | Vipassī | Vipaśyin | Bandhumatī | Bandhumā - Bandhumatī | Pāṭalī (Stereospermum chelonoides) | King Atula |
| 23 | Sikhī | Śikhin | Aruṇavatī | Aruṇa - Pabhāvatī | Puṇḍarīka (Mangifera indica) | Arindamo (at Paribhuttanagara) |
| 24 | Vessabhū | Viśvabhū | Anoma | Suppatīta - Yasavatī | Sāla (Shorea robusta) | Sadassana (in Sarabhavatinagara) |
| 25 | Kakusandha | Krakucchanda | Khemāvatī | Aggidatta - Visākhā | Sirīsa (Albizia lebbeck) | King Khema[108] |
| 26 | Koṇāgamana | Kanakamuni[109] | Sobhavatī | Yaññadatta - Uttarā | Udumbara (Ficus racemosa) | King Pabbata of a mountainous area in Mithila |
| 27 | Kassapa[110] | Kāśyapa | Bārāṇasī | Brahmadatta - Dhanavatī | Nigrodha (Ficus benghalensis) | Jotipala (at Vappulla) |
| 28 | Gotama | Gautama (current) | Kapilavatthu | Suddhodana -Māyā | Assattha (Ficus religiosa) | Gautama, the Buddha |
| 29 | Metteyya | Maitreya[111] (next) | Ketumatī (Bārāṇasi) | Subrahmā -Brahmavatī | Nāga (Mesua ferrea) |
Mahāyāna 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) orpure lands (Ch: 淨土;p:Jìngtǔ) inEast Asian Buddhism. They are sometimes called "celestial Buddhas" since they are not from this earth.
Some of the key Mahāyāna Buddhas are:
SomeMahāyāna sūtras also contain long lists of Buddhas which are used in different ways. One popular list of Buddhas is theThirty-Five Confession Buddhas which is found in theSūtra of the Three Heaps (Sanskrit:Triskandhadharmasūtra). This sūtra is popular inTibetan Buddhist rites of confession.[113] Another similar list is theEighty-Eight Buddhas found in several Chinese Buddhist repentance rites.
TheBhadrakalpikasūtra contains a list of one thousand and four Buddhas and discusses their deeds. Most of these are Buddhas of the future.
In Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana, Esoteric Buddhism) which includesIndo-Tibetan Buddhism,Chinese Esoteric Buddhism,Shingon,Tendai andNepalese Buddhism, one finds some of the same Mahayana Buddhas along with other strictly tantric Buddha figures that are unique to Vajrayana.
There arefive primary Buddhas known as the "Five Tathagathas": Mahāvairocana, 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.[114]
The Five Tathagatas and some of their associated elements are:
| Buddha (Skt) | Main bodhisattva | Buddha-field | Seed syllable | Color | Element | Family and Symbol | Poison (kleśa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahāvairocana | Samantabhadra | central pure landAkanistha Ghanavyuha | Vam | White | Space | Buddha family, Wheel | delusion |
| Akshobhya | Vajrapani | eastern pure landAbhirati | Hum | Blue | Water | Vajra | envy, jealousy |
| Amitābha | Avalokiteśvara | western pure landSukhavati | Hrih | Red | Fire | Lotus (Padma) | craving |
| Ratnasaṃbhava | Ratnapani | southern pure landShrimat | Tram | Gold/Yellow | Earth | Jewel (Ratna) | pride, greed |
| Amoghasiddhi | Viśvapāni | northern pure landPrakuta [es] | Ah | Green | Air | Double vajra | aggression, aversion |
There is also the Vajrayana idea of theAdi-Buddha, the "first Buddha" to attain Buddhahood. Variously named asVajradhara, Samantabhadra and Mahāvairocana, the first Buddha is also associated with the concept ofDharmakaya.
Buddhist Tantra also includes several female Buddhas, such asTara, the most popular female Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism, who comes in many forms and colors. In several tantric sources, each of the main five Buddhas is paired with a vidyarajñi (wisdom queen) orprajña consort. They are:[115][116]
There are also feminine counterparts to the Adi-Buddha figure, and both are often depicted in union (yab-yum). As such, in the Nyingma school for example, the Adi-buddha Samantabhadra is paired with a vidya calledSamantabhadri, and in Sarma schools, Vajradhara is paired with a supreme female Buddha as well (Prajñaparamita, Vajradhatu Ishvari, or Vajrayogini).[117][118]
In theBuddhist tantras, there are variousfierce 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". TheHeruka (Tb.khrag 'thung, lit. "blood drinker") are enlightened masculine beings who adopt fierce forms to help beings. They includeYamāntaka,Cakrasaṃvara,Hevajra,Mahākāla, andVajrakīlaya.Dakini (Tb.khandroma, "sky-goer") are their feminine counterparts, sometimes depicted with a heruka and sometimes as independent deities. The most prevalent wrathfuldakini areVajrayogini,Vajravārāhī,Nairātmyā, andKurukullā.
During the tantric period,Buddhist mythology overlapped withHindu mythology. Akshobhya, for example, acquires a fierce Tantric form that is reminiscent of the fierce form of the Hindu godMahākāla; in this form he became known by the Buddhist names Heruka, Hevajra, or Samvara. He is known inJapan in this guise asFudō ("Imperturbable"). The Hindu godBhairava, a fierce bull-headed divinity, was adopted by Tantric Buddhists asVajrabhairava. Also calledYamāntaka ("Slayer of Death") and identified as the fierce expression of the gentleMañjuśrī, he was accorded quasi-Buddha rank.
Some historical figures are also seen as Buddhas, such as the Buddhist philosopherNagarjuna, Tibetan historical figures likePadmasambhava,Tsongkhapa andKōbō Daishi.
Buddhas are frequently represented in the form of statues and paintings. Commonly seen postures include:
In Theravada Buddhism, the Buddha is always depicted as a monastic shown with hair and he is always shown wearing the simple monk's robe (called akāṣāya). In Mahayana Buddhism, a Buddha is often also depicted with monastic robes, however some Buddhas are also depicted with different forms of clothing, such as princely or kingly attire, which can include crowns and jewels.
It is common to depict the Buddha accompanied by other figures. In Theravada, it is common to have him flanked by his two main disciples,Moggallana andSariputta. In Mahayana Buddhism, it is more common to have him surrounded by bodhisattvas, likeManjushri,Samantabhadra andAvalokiteshvara.
The Buddha may also be depicted with various accessories, such as a victory banner (dhvaja), a lotus seat, and a begging bowl.
Most depictions of a Buddha contain a certain number of "marks" (lakṣaṇa), which are considered the signs of his nobility and his enlightenment. The exactly design and style of these features vary regionally but most often they are elements of list of thirty-twophysical characteristics of the Buddha called "the signs of a great man" (Skt. mahāpuruṣa lakṣaṇa).
Some of the most obvious features which can be found in manybuddha statues include:
The poses and hand-gestures of these statues, known respectively asasanas andmudras, are significant to their overall meaning. The popularity of any particular mudra or asana tends to be region-specific, such as theVajra (orChi Ken-in) mudra, which is popular inJapan andKorea but rarely seen inIndia. Others are more common; for example, theVarada (Wish-Granting) mudra is common among standing statues of the Buddha, particularly when coupled with theAbhaya (Fearlessness and Protection) mudra.
.svg)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Resources from Wikiversity
