Selected Readings

by Evelyn Ruut

Evelyn Ruut was a Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner and longtime participant in the Buddhist Usenet newsgroups of the early 2000s. Her posts consistently combined genuine practice experience with scholarly synthesis, moving between Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan perspectives with unusual fluency.

This post, from May 2005, is one of her most complete treatments of a central Buddhist figure: Maitreya, the coming Buddha. She surveys his iconography, his place in Buddhist history from the time of Shakyamuni forward, his role in the Mahayana philosophical tradition as the source of the five great Yogacara treatises transmitted through Asanga, and the traditional narrative of that transmission — including the story of Asanga's twelve-year vigil, his compassion for a wounded dog, and his final vision of Maitreya in the Tushita heaven.

The text draws on Theravada prophecy (the Digha Nikaya), Mahayana sutras (the Sukhavativyuha, the Gandhavyuha), Tibetan iconographic tradition, and the philosophical lineage of Nagarjuna, Asanga, and Vasubandhu. It closes with a brief extract from the Uttaratantra — one of the Five Books attributed to Maitreya — on the hidden treasure of buddha-nature within every mind.

Originally posted to alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan and talk.religion.buddhism on 9 May 2005.

Introduction

Maitreya (friendly one, Tibetan Jampa, Pali Metteya) is prophesied by the Buddha Shakyamuni to be the next Buddha to appear in our world system. He will be the last of the five Buddhas to gain Supreme Enlightenment in this kalpa, or aeon. Theravada and Mahayana sources agree that at present he resides in the Tushita (Tibetan Ganden) devaloka, a kind of heaven world. Far in the future, when the wave of teaching initiated by Shakyamuni has died out, Maitreya will descend to Earth and take his last rebirth as a human being. He will discover the path to Enlightenment and will proclaim the Dharma once more for the benefit of gods and men.

Maitreya also is a caretaker, watching over the earth's destiny until he will emanate as a supreme incarnation many thousand years from now. Part of his caretaking involves appearing ahead of time in this world, to keep humans moving in the right evolutionary direction.

In anticipation of this event, he is frequently represented as a Buddha, and worshipped as such. Nagarjuna, the founder of the Madhyamika school, describes devotion to Maitreya as an easy, other-regarding path to Enlightenment. Maitreya is also the subject of a fervent paean at the end of Buddhaghosha's Visuddhi Magga.

Mairi, love, is related to Matr (mother), and mitra (friend).

Maitreya's Image

Maitreya holds in his left hand a lotus with a stupa rising up from it. He also frequently holds a golden dharmachakra (wheel of the Dharma), or a sacred vase (kalasha) full of nectar. This symbolizes the nectar of the Dharma, which he will one day pour onto the world. The vase also symbolizes that unlike Shakyamuni Buddha, who was born into royalty (the Shakya clan), Maitreya will be a member of the priestly caste.

Maitreya could also hold his hands in the teaching mudra at his heart, holding the stems of two lotuses; these bear a wheel, indicating his role as the next wheel-turning founding Buddha.

Above Maitreya's head is an umbrella, one of the eight auspicious symbols. This indicates that Maitreya has the ability to grant protection from evil influences.

Maitreya is often depicted in a pose known as bhadrasana, which is very unique in Buddhist iconography. He appears to be sitting Western-style on a seat, conveying that he is already preparing to descend into the world. In this specific posture he often holds one hand to his cheek with three fingers extended, symbolizing the Three Jewels. He is gazing downwards, toward the world which he will one day enter to illuminate its darkness with his rediscovery of the Dharma.

The Maitreya figure could also have a brilliant aura, suggesting that through Maitreya the Loving-Kindness shines the light of hope for the future.

Buddhist History of Maitreya

The story of Maitreya begins incalculable ages in the past during the time of Buddha Ratna-chattra. One of his disciples was the monk Sthiramati, who had infinitely more concern for the welfare of others than for himself. He would often forsake taking food until he had established a vowed number of beings on the path of pure moral discipline, concentration, and wisdom. So strong was his dedication to others' happiness, and so radiant his kindness and love (Sanskrit: maitri), that even the gods of heaven praised him, giving him the title "Loving One" — Maitreya. Buddha Ratna-chattra predicted that in all his future rebirths as a bodhisattva he would be known by this name, and that his fame would spread far and wide.

In addition to love, one of the main practices of Maitreya was the Seven-Limb Puja — a powerful method for countering delusions, purifying negativity, and accumulating merit: prostration, offering, declaring non-virtue, rejoicing, entreating the guru-buddhas to remain, requesting teachings, and final dedication. Through sincere performance of these seven limbs, Maitreya eventually achieved full enlightenment.

Although Maitreya realized buddhahood before Shakyamuni, he honored Shakyamuni as his guru and held him in highest esteem. One portrayal of Maitreya shows him adorned with a stupa on the crown of his head; the stupa symbolizes Shakyamuni, and its position on Maitreya's head demonstrates supreme respect. When Shakyamuni appeared in this world as the fourth founding Buddha of the present age, Maitreya manifested as one of his disciples — along with Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and others — to demonstrate how the bodhisattva path should be followed.

Maitreya is often figured gathered around Shakyamuni to listen to his teaching of the Universal Vehicle discourses. He and Manjushri are often paired in dialogues, or in alternating interlocution of the Buddha.

Maitreya in the Mahayana Tradition

It is considered — especially in the Tibetan tradition, with the Chinese and Japanese agreeing in general, though differing in particulars — that Maitreya authored five great treatises, using Asanga as a scribe, that serve as the basis of the idealistic school of Universal Vehicle philosophy: the Experimentals (Yogacara), or Idealist (Vijnana-vada) school.

One of the common icons in Tibet is called the "refuge field," presenting the Buddha Shakyamuni in the center of a host of Indian, Tibetan, and supernatural teachers. To Shakyamuni's left is Manjushri, at the head of the lineage of the profound view. To his right is Maitreya, at the head of the lineage of the magnificent deeds. Beneath Maitreya sit Asanga and Vasubandhu, at the head of a succession of ethically oriented philosophers. The Buddha in the center of this icon represents the unification of both lineages. The team of Maitreya and Manjushri, heading the two main branches of the great tree of philosophical tradition, assures that the balance never goes too far in either direction — neither toward the sentimental and mystical extreme that Maitreya himself favors, nor toward the cold and skeptical extreme that Manjushri might manifest in single-minded pursuit of the transcendent wisdom of selflessness.

Future History

Shakyamuni Buddha predicted that, due to the inevitable degeneration of the times, his own teachings would last just five thousand years before disappearing from this world. People will grow more and more immoral, and their lifespan will gradually decrease, as will their health, stature, and fortune. While delusions such as miserliness, hatred, and jealousy gain strength, the world will go through prolonged periods of famine, disease, and continuous warfare until it eventually resembles a vast battlefield or graveyard.

Thereupon Maitreya will appear, not in his fully evolved buddha form, but as a person of regal bearing, very handsome and taller than those around him. On seeing this unusual being, people will be filled with wonder and faith, and will ask how he came to have such an attractive appearance. Maitreya will reply that this is due to his practice of patience, of avoiding giving harm to others — and that if others will also abide in love and tolerance, they could become similar to him.

Maitreya's appearance will mark a great turning point in the fortunes of this world. As more and more beings follow his example, their store of merit, and consequently their lifespan, will increase. Eventually people will live in health for such a long time that the sufferings of old age and death will scarcely be known. At that time, their observance of morality will grow lax as people become more and more involved in the pleasures of their existence. With this laxity will come another gradual shortening and degeneration of their lifespan, until eventually beings once again become suitably ripe to take sincere interest in the spiritual path.

When the human lifespan has increased again to many thousands of years, and when the planet is entirely dominated by a benevolent wheel-turning sovereign (Chakravartin) named Shankha, it is at this time that Maitreya Buddha will descend from the Tushita buddha field where he now resides, to appear in this world as the fifth founding Buddha of this world age. Maitreya will be born the son of a Brahmin priest, and will renounce the world and attain enlightenment in a single day, not requiring six long years. The world in this time will be politically neutralized, and therefore the warrior class and its martial virtues will be obsolete. Thus he will be born among the intellectuals, the priests, and his teaching will bring the gentler emotions to the fore.

His teachings will not deviate from that of previous Buddhas, except for an interesting tradition that he will not teach any esoteric Tantras — most likely hinting that Maitreya's mission will in general be more effective than Shakyamuni's. This does not show a difference in the perfection of liberative techniques of the two Buddhas, but rather a difference in the evolutionary stage of the human beings on the planet. Shakyamuni Buddha taught at a time of violence and widespread militarism, and had to turn to the martial qualities of toughness, asceticism, and determination toward the pursuit of enlightenment.

Shakyamuni Buddha also predicted that those who followed his teachings would be reborn in the first circle of Maitreya's entourage, and would be able to complete the spiritual path under Maitreya's guidance.

Mahayana Scriptures

As a Bodhisattva, Maitreya appears in many sutras. In the Larger Sukhavativyuha he is shown the Pure Land of Amitabha by Shakyamuni Buddha. In this sutra, Maitreya is called by one of his other names, Ajita (unconquered). He also appears in the Gandhavyuha sutra.

According to tradition, Maitreya is also the author of some commentarial work known as the Five Books of Maitreya. These include the Abhisamayalankara, a brilliant summary of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in 25,000 lines. Modern scholars attribute these five works to Asanga or Maitreya-natha; however, there is no reason in principle why the writer should not have been directly inspired by Maitreya to compose these works. Tradition holds that through deep meditation Asanga had a vision of the Tushita devaloka, during which he received from Maitreya the teachings contained in the Five Books.

Asanga had been experiencing difficulty in gaining an unmistaken understanding of the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, and decided that only from Maitreya could he receive the instructions he needed. He therefore entered into intensive retreat, hoping to gain a direct vision of this buddha.

After three years of intensive retreat with no success, he quit. On his way back home he saw an old man trying to remove a huge stone by brushing it with a feather. Asanga took this as a sign that with enthusiastic perseverance anything could be accomplished, and he reentered his retreat. More years passed without results. But each time Asanga gave up, he would encounter someone doing an impossible task, and he would be reinspired.

After twelve years with no results, Asanga gave up his practice for good. This time on his way home, he saw a starving dog on the ground, its wounds being eaten by maggots. Moved by compassion for both the dog and the maggots, he cut off a piece of his own flesh, then bent down to transfer the maggots to the meat with his tongue so as not to hurt them. He closed his eyes, but although he leaned over very far, he felt nothing. When he opened his eyes to see what was wrong, the dog had disappeared, and in its place stood Maitreya in all his glory.

Asanga was shocked and asked: "Where were you all those years I was meditating in the cave?"

Maitreya replied that he had been there next to him all that time, and that only delusions had prevented Asanga from seeing him. Asanga's compassionate act had removed the veil of those delusions.

Maitreya took Asanga and transported him to Tushita. They spent the morning there, during which Asanga received detailed instructions from Maitreya on the Perfection of Wisdom sutras in the form of five texts:

Ornament of Realizations; Ornament of Universal Vehicle Scriptures; Analysis of the Jewel Matrix, or Peerless Continuum (Uttaratantra); Discrimination between Center and Extremes; Discrimination between Phenomenon and Noumenon.

The Uttaratantra on Buddha-Nature

The Peerless Continuum (Uttaratantra), which Maitreya revealed to Asanga, contains detailed teachings about the buddha-nature — the buddha-potential existing within the minds of all living beings — which enables ordinary beings to be transformed into fully awakened buddhas.

Under the floor of some poor man's house lies an uncorroded treasure,
But because he does not know of its existence, he does not say that he is rich.
Similarly, inside one's mind lies truth itself, firm and unfading,
Yet, because beings see it not, they experience a constant stream of misery.
The pauper with a treasure buried under his shack
Does not say he has a treasure, for he knows it not:
Likewise, the treasure of truth lies within the house of the mind,
Yet we live impoverished through lack of it.
Therefore the seers take a pure birth into the world, so that this treasure may be made known.

Colophon

Posted by Evelyn Ruut to alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan and talk.religion.buddhism on 9 May 2005. Evelyn Ruut was a Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner and longtime contributor to the Buddhist Usenet newsgroups; her posts combined genuine practice experience with broad knowledge of Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan sources.

This post surveys Maitreya across Buddhist traditions — Theravada prophecy, Mahayana sutric appearances, Tibetan iconography, and the Yogacara philosophical lineage — centering on the twelve-year vigil of Asanga and the transmission of the Five Books. The closing extract from the Uttaratantra, on the hidden treasure of buddha-nature, is the teaching Asanga received at the end of that vigil.

Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: [email protected].

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