the coming buddha ariya metteyya

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The Coming BuddhaAriya Metteyya

By

Saya U Chit Tin, PhD.

Assisted by

William Pruitt, PhD.

Buddhist Publication SocietyKandy • Sri Lanka

The Wheel Publication No !"#$!"!

2nd revised editionCopyright © 1992

By the Sayagyu U Ba Khin Memorial Trust U!K!

"SB# 9$$%2&%''9(%(

)riginally published in 19(( as *hammad+na Series , by the The Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial TrustU!K! This 2nd revised edition is published in the -heel Series .ith the /onsent o0 the author and theoriginal publisher!

BS )nline dition © 32'114

*igital Trans/ription Sour/e5 BS Trans/ription ro6e/t

7or 0ree distribution! This .or8 may be republished re0ormatted reprinted and redistributed in anymedium! o.ever any su/h republi/ation and redistribution is to be made available to the publi/ on a0ree and unrestri/ted basis and translations and other derivative .or8s are to be /learly mar8ed as su/h!



Contents

:ist o0 abbreviations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;"ntrodu/tion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$"ntrodu/tion to the <evised dition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,

The Bodhisatta Metteyya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(Buddha Ariya Metteyya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1=

The *uration o0 the S+sana o0 Buddha >otama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1,The Coming o0 Buddha Ariya Metteyya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1(The Birth o0 the #e?t Buddha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1(The -heel@turning Monar/h Sa8ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2'The Career o0 Bodhisatta Metteyya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2'o. to Meet Buddha Metteyya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2$

Appendi? A5

The Chroni/le o0 the 7uture Buddha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2,Translation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;&Appendi? B5 Aspirations to Meet Buddha Ariya Metteyya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!&1

2



List o% abbre&iations

Unless other.ise stated all editions are by the ali Te?t So/iety!

A Aguttara #i8+ya 3trans! >S4An+g Anāgatavaṃsa editions used5 TS 1((= pp! ;;%$; 3Minaye00 ed!4 and rnst :eumann

Maitreya-samiti, das Zukunftsideal der Buddhisten 3Strassburg5 Karl ! Trubner 1919 +Dite?t pp! 1(&%191 notes pp! 192%22=4

As Atthasālinī 3trans! ?pos!4

B# =;'E(=2 BibliothFGue nationale ali mss =;' and (=2 /ommentary on An+g! -e than8 Mme !7illioHat 0or ma8ing available a /opy o0 her trans/ription o0 this te?t!

BT Buddhism in Translation 3trans! by !C! -arren4

Bv@a Buddhavaṃsa-atthakathā 3 Madhuravilāsinī 4 3trans! CSM4

CB Chronicle of Buddhas 3BuddhavaIsa4C* A Critical āli !ictionary

CSM The Clarifier of the "#eet Meaning 3trans! o0 Bv@a4

Culte Mohan -i6ayaratna $e Culte des dieu% che& les 'ouddhistes singhalais 3aris5 Cer0 19(,4

* *Jgha@ni8+ya 3trans! *B TS4

*B !ialogues of the Buddha 3*4

*b8 !asa'odhisattu((attikathā 3The Birth-stories of the Ten Bodhisattas4! The 0irst number re0ers tothe trans! the se/ond number to the +Di te?t!

*bu !asa'odhisatta-uddesa 3ed! and 7ren/h trans! by 7! Martini B7) ;= 2 319;=4 pp! 2(,%

;9'L! The 0irst number re0ers to the 7ren/h trans! the se/ond number to the +Di te?t4!

*# !ictionary of āli ro(er )ames

*@ !īgha-nikāya-*īkā

*vp !asavatthu((akara+a 3ed! and trans! by ! Ner e/8e 7) 19,=L! The 0irst number re0ersto the +Di te?t the se/ond number to the 7ren/h translation!

?pos! The %(ositor 3As4

>* The rou( of !iscourses 3Sn4

>S The radual "ayings 3A4

"llus! The .llustrator of /ltimate Meaning 3aramattha0otikā "4

a +ta8a

TS The 1ournal of the ali Te%t "ociety

KS The 2indred "ayings 3S4

M Ma66hima #i8+ya 3trans! M:S4

MB The Manuals of Buddhism 'y $edi "ayada# 3Union o0 Buddha S+sana Coun/il 19=$4

M:S The Middle $ength "ayings 3M4

Moh Mohavicchedanī

Mp Manoratha(urā+ī 3/ommentary on A4

* The ali-nglish !ictionary

;



6 "" aramattha0otikā 3/ommentary on Sn4

SJh "īha3avatthu((akara+a 3ed! and trans! by ! Ner e/8e 7) 19('L4

Sn Suttanip+ta 3trans! >*4

Sp "amanta(āsādikā 3/ommentary on the Ninaya@ia8a4

Sp8 "ārattha((akāsinī 3/ommentary on the SaIyutta@ni8+ya4

Sv "uma4galavilāsinī 3/ommentary on *4

Th Therag+th+

Th@a Theragāthā-a**hakathā 3aramatthadī(anī N4

Treatise OA Treatise on the +ramJsP The All-m'racing )et of 5ie#s 3Buddhist ubli/ation So/iety19,(4

TS Ten "uttas from !īgha )ikāya 3<angoon5 Burma ia8a Asso/iation 19(&4

v3v4 verse3s4

Nism 5isuddhimagga

&



)amo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato "ammāsam'uddhassa

'ntroduction

-e have gathered here all the in0ormation .e /ould 0ind in the Therav+da tradition /on/erning the

/oming Buddha!1 "n Burma and Sri :an8a the /oming Buddha is generally spo8en o0 as Ariya Metteyyathe #oble Metteyya!2 The term Ariya .as already added to the name in some post@/anoni/al +Di te?tsand it sho.s the deep respe/t 0elt 0or the Bodhisatta .ho .ill attain A.a8ening in the best o0 /onditions!"ndeed all aspe/ts o0 his /areer as a Buddha ran8 among the highest a/hievements o0 Buddhas o0 the pastas re/orded in the BuddhavaIsa 3The Chronicle of Buddhas4!

"t is only natural that over the years many people have aspired to meet Buddha Ariya MetteyyaQnotonly be/ause it has be/ome less /ommon 0or people to attain A.a8ening but also be/ause o0 a naturaldesire to en/ounter su/h a rare o//asion! "n his introdu/tion to his edition and translation o0 the!asa'odhisattu((attikathā 3The Birth "tories of the Ten Bodhisattas4 Nen! ! Saddhatissa has given severalte?ts in/luded in +Di /ommentaries and /hroni/les and in Sinhalese Buddhist te?ts in .hi/h the .riterse?press the .ish to meet the /oming Buddha!;

The /ommentary on the +ta8a stories ends .ith a poem in .hi/h the .riter aspires to be .ith theBodhisatta Metteyya in the Tusita *eva .orld and to re/eive a sure predi/tion o0 0uture Buddhahood0rom him .hen he be/omes a Buddha! & Sinhalese versions o0 the 5isuddhimagga end .ith a poem in .hi/hthe .riter aspires to rebirth in the T+vatiIsa *eva .orld and then to 0inal liberation under BuddhaMetteyya!$ Nen! Saddhatissa attributes these verses to Ashin Buddhaghosa but they seem to be .ritten bya /opyist! Another aspiration to en/ounter Buddha Metteyya is 0ound at the end o0 Sinhalese manus/riptso0 Ashin BuddhaghosaPs !asa'odhisattu((attikathā!=

Nen! Saddh+tissa also /ites many instan/es 0rom the +Di /hroni/les 3 Mahāvaṃsa and C6lavaṃsa4 in.hi/h Sinhalese 8ings honoured Metteyya!, King *uhag+maRJ o0 the se/ond /entury BC .as /onsideredto be destined to be/ome the ne?t BuddhaPs /hie0 dis/iple!

<oyalty and high@ran8ing o00i/ials in Burma o0ten made similar aspirations! This seems to have led to

building pagodas .ith 0ive sides at agan! aul Stra/han points out that .ith the *hamma@aHi8aagoda 3*hamma@r+6i8a4 agoda /ompleted in 119= by King Sithu "" The addition o0 a 0i0th side totemple and stupa ground plans in Burma is .ithout pre/edent throughout the Buddhist .orld and theBurmese .ere possibly the 0irst so/iety throughout the .orld to attempt this pentagonal type o0 plan 0or ama6or ar/hite/tural .or8! The origins o0 this movement lie in /ontemporary religious thought5 the /ults o0Mettaya the 0uture buddha and the present /y/le o0 0ive buddhas! ( T.o thirteenth@/entury ins/riptionsat the temple in Buddha >ay+ re/ord that repairs on the temple .ere /arried out through the generosityo0 King Kya.s.a o0 Burma and the /on/luding verse is an aspiration to be/ome a dis/iple o0 BuddhaMetteyya!9 As in Sri :an8a many Buddhist te?ts end .ith the aspiration to meet Buddha Ariya Metteyya!

1 )ne te?t the Mahāsam(i+7anidāna .as not available to us! 7or the story in it /on/erning Nen! Mah+@Kassapa see*b8 pp! &;%&$! A//ording to this te?t the body o0 an Arahat name Kassapa .ho lived a0ter the time o0 the BuddhaKassapa is inside Ku88uasamp+ta Mountain and .ill /ome out at the time o0 the ne?t Buddha to be /remated then!

Some .or8s .hi/h in/lude dis/ussions o0 the material 0ound in +Di te?ts have not added any ne. in0ormationand so are not Guoted! See 0or e?ample mile Abegg !er Messiasglau'e in .ndian und .ran 3Berlin5 -alter de >ruyter192(4 mil Abegg O*er Buddha MaitreyaP Mitteilunger der "ch#i&erischen estellschaft der 8reunde 9stasiasticher2ultur N"l 319&$4 pp! ,%;,! 7or a dis/ussion o0 the importan/e o0 Metteyya in Sri :an8a see Culte pp! (=%9=!

2 The name is also shortened in Burma to Arimetteyya!; See pp! ;2%&;!& These verses are given in +Di and nglish in *b8 pp! ;(1! They are not in/luded in the nglish translation o0 the

+ta8a!$ The ath of urification pp! (;,0! and *b8 p! &'!= %(os! p! $&2!, See *b8 pp! &20!

( agan, Art and Architecture of 9ld Burma 3-hiting Bay5 Kis/adale ubli/ations 19(94 p! 122! See also p! ;2!9 See *ipa8 K! Barua Buddha aya Tem(le: .ts ;istory 3Buddha >aya Temple Management Committee 19(14 pp!19$%2''!

$



ust as the 0uture Buddha Metteyya be/ame more important 0or Buddhists as the /enturies .ent bymany o0 the te?ts giving in0omation about him are 0airly late! The Anāgatavaṃsa is said to have been.ritten by the author o0 the Mohavicchedanī Ashin Kassapa 311='%12;' A*4! 1' "t is very di00i/ult to 8no.ho. 0ar ba/8 in0ormation goes .hen it is given in the +Di /ommentaries sub@/ommentaries /hroni/lesand other te?ts .ritten do.n a0ter the /anon! -e have given all the in0ormation available to us that is parto0 the Therav+da tradition but .e must be /are0ul to remember that te?ts su/h as the!asa'odhisattu((attikathā 3The Birth "tories of the Ten Bodhisattas4 the !asa'odhisatta-uddesa the!asavatthu((akara+a and the "īha3avatthu((akara+a seem to /ontain in0ormation that .as added at arelatively late date! This is espe/ially evident in the many variants in various te?ts 0or names andnumbers!

"t ta8es more than 6ust a .ish i0 a person is to en/ounter a Buddha and attain #ibb+na ho.ever!Sayagyi U Ba Khin taught his meditation students that they must pra/tise "īla, "amādhi and a<<ā 3virtue/on/entration and .isdom4 as Buddha >otama taught .e should! Sayagyi U Ba Khin made every e00ortto ma8e sure that his o.n pra/ti/e and .hat he taught .as /onsistent .ith .hat his tea/hers passed on tohim and .ith the Tea/hings o0 the Buddha in the +Di /anon and /ommentaries!

There are many pressures in the .orld today to modi0y the Tea/hings o0 the Buddha! The Buddha0oresa. that this .ould happen and .arned his dis/iples to be /are0ul to maintain the pra/ti/e 6ust as hehad taught them! Nen! Mah+@Kassapa /onvened the 7irst Buddhist Coun/il shortly a0ter the BuddhaPsdemise in order to rehearse the Tea/hings! The Sagha has 8ept these Tea/hings inta/t over the /enturiesand the Si?th Buddhist Coun/il held in Burma in 19$&%19$= .as the most re/ent e00ort to ma8e sure thethree /olle/tions o0 te?ts 3Tipia8a4 are 8ept pure!

Sayagyi U Ba Khin repeated the Burmese tradition that those .ho live in a//ordan/e .ith theseTea/hings .ill meet Buddha Ariya Metteyya! "t is even believed that the /oming BuddhaPs po.er .ill besu/h that he .ill be able to rea/h people .ho have lived up to the Tea/hings in this li0e but .ho havedone deeds in the past .hi/h lead to their being born in lo.er realms be0ore he /omes! Some hints o0 thisare 0ound in +Di te?ts .hi/h sho. the po.er o0 sharing merits!

Sayagyi also o0ten repeated a saying o0 the BuddhaPs 0ound in *hammapada verse ;$&5 "a''adānaṃ

dhammadānaṃ 0ināti! The gi0t o0 the *hamma surpasses all other gi0ts! This o0 /ourse does not meanthat .e should not give material gi0ts! Sayagyi himsel0 .as al.ays very generous .ith gi0ts to the Saghaand others! But the gi0t o0 the *hamma /an only be given .hile the Tea/hings o0 a Buddha are availableand by laying emphasis on this Guotation o0 the BuddhaPs Sayagyi reminded us that .e must never

be/ome so involved in material /onsiderations that .e negle/t the most important gi0t o0 all! 3See alsoparagraph 2 page 12 belo.! "0 .e assume that Bodhisatta MetteyyaPs last human li0e be0ore attainingBuddhahood is during a BuddhaPs *ispensation he .ould be able to give the gi0t o0 the *hamma unli8eNessantara .ho lived outside su/h a period!4

May all ma8e the right e00ort here and no. in this li0e so that they .ill attain #ibb+naV

1' A//ording to the >andhavaIsa 3=1 14! See K!<! #orman ali $iterature 3-iesbaden5 )tto arrasso.itH 19(;4pp! 1&, 1=1!

=



'ntroduction to the (e&ised )dition

This ne. edition in/ludes /orre/tions and additions to the 0irst t.o editions! -e .ish to than8 NenerableBhi88hu Bodhi .as his suggestions 0or this se/ond revision o0 our te?t! Mother Sayamagyi and " .ere

pleased that the 0irst revised edition o0 this te?t .as in/luded among the publi/ations mar8ing the tenthanniversary o0 our /oming out o0 Burma to /ontinue our .or8 in tea/hing the Buddha@*hamma in thetradition o0 our esteemed tea/her Sayagyi U Ba Khin! -e hope that this ne. edition in the =heel series.ill ma8e the te?t available to a larger audien/e!

Saya U Chit Tin"nternational Meditation Centre

eddington Calne U!K!)/tober 12 1992

,



The Bodhisatta Metteyya

/ttamo Metteyyo >āmo asenadi 2osalo ca A'hi'h6 !īghasoni ca Ca+7ani ca "u'o Todeyya'rahma+o

)ālāgiri alaleyyo 'odhisattā anukkamena"am'odhiṃ la'hanti anāgate?

3Buddha >otama predi/ted as 0ollo.s54

"n the 0uture 3ten4 Bodhisattas .ill attain 0ull a.a8ening in the 0ollo.ing order5 the most honourable3Ariya4 Metteyya 3King4 <+ma 3King4 asenadi o0 Kosala 3the *eva4 Abhibhu 3the Asura *eva4*Jghasoni 3the Brahman4 CaRWani 3the young man4 Subha the Brahman Todeyya 3the elephant4#+l+giri and 3the elephant4 alaleya!11

The most important aspiration 0or any individual is to aim 0or the true liberation o0 attaining #ibb+na!-hen a person is able to ma8e this resolve in the presen/e o0 a Tea/hing Buddha and get a sure predi/tion0rom him he or she be/omes one .ho is intent on A.a8ening a Bodhisatta! 12 There are three types o0

Bodhisattas5314 those .ho aspire to be/ome A.a8ened as a dis/iple o0 a Tea/hing Buddha5

3a4 ordinary dis/iples 3sāvaka4

3b4 eighty leading dis/iples 3mahā-sāvaka4 and

3/4 t.o /hie0 dis/iples 3agga-sāvaka4

324 those .ho aspire to be/ome A.a8ened through their o.n e00orts but .ho .ill not tea/h othersthe .ay to A.a8ening 3 (acceka-'odhisatta4 and

3;4 those .ho aspire to be/ome A.a8ened through their o.n e00orts and .ho .ill tea/h others the.ay to A.a8ening 3mahā-'odhisatta4!1;

"n this paper .e .ill /on/entrate on the last type o0 Bodhisatta .ith parti/ular re0eren/e to the ne?tBuddha Metteyya!1&

"t is natural that interest in the /oming Buddha has gro.n as the years go by! -hen Buddha >otama.as available most o0 the peoplePs e00orts .ent to pra/tising his Tea/hings and attaining A.a8ening!"mmediately a0ter his demise his Tea/hings .ere /olle/ted and sin/e that time great /are has gone intomaintaining their purity in order that they may remain e00e/tive!

The number o0 those .ho attain #ibb+na are less as time goes by and so people began to thin8 more interms o0 meeting the ne?t Buddha and a/hieving A.a8ening under him! 1$ "t is important that the pra/ti/eo0 the BuddhaPs Tea/hings not be negle/ted ho.ever! "t is not .ish0ul thin8ing that enables us to

11 These verses begin the printed Burmese te?ts /onsulted5 *ipeyin Say+da. Anāgatavaṃsa 3<angoon5 "//h+saya

ia8a rinting ress4 Maung Ba e Anāgatava4 kyam5 3<angoon5 Tui5o8 Bh+5m+5 19',4 and the anonymous Anāgatava4 kyam5 3<angoon5 Ka.imya8mhan 192&4! "n this translation .e in/lude in bra/8ets the in0ormation theauthors supply in their .ord@[email protected] translation o0 the +Di into Burmese! The .ording is very /lose to that 0ound ina Burmese manus/ript Guoted by Minaye00 3TS 1((; p! ;,4 in *bu 3p! ;;&4 and in a Burmese nissaya 3.ord@[email protected] translation4 dated 1(&2 o0 the Anāgatavaṃsa in the Museum 0ur "ndis/he Kunst Berlin 3s@Birm ;4 3see #o! ((p! 11,L in einH Be/hert *a. Khin Khin Su *a. Tin Tin Myint Burmese Manuscri(ts, (art @, 5er&eichnis der9rientalischen ;andschriften in !eutschland Band XX""" 1 3-iesbaden5 7ranH Steiner 19,94! *bu has the 0ollo.ingvariants 0or names5 *Jgha6aghi 0or *Jghasoni and SoRa 0or CaRWani the lines Guoted by Minaye00 3and /ited in *b8p! 1,4 give SaI8a//a 0or CaRWani s@Birm ; has SaI/i//a 0or CaRWani all three te?ts have +lileyyo 0or alaleyo!

12 )nly a Tea/hing Buddha has the ability to see i0 the aspiration .ill be 0ul0illed! See Treatise p! 2=; under 3&4 TheSight o0 the Master!

1; See Treatise p! ;';! These are also mentioned in the introdu/tion to Th@a!1& is name is also given as Ariya Metteyya! "n Myanmar this is usually /ontra/ted to Ari@Metteyya 3see the

Myanmarnglish !ictionary *eparment o0 the Myanmar :anguage Commission ;rd ed! 199; p! $(= Ari@MetteyyaY Ariya Z Metteyya4!

1$ See Nen! ! SaddhitissaPs introdu/tion to *b8 p! ;;!

(



en/ounter a Buddha but rather developing the ten per0e/tions and advan/ing as 0ar as possible in thepra/ti/e o0 a BuddhaPs Tea/hings .henever possible! This is parti/ularly important today as the BuddhaPsTea/hings are on the de/line and it be/omes easier and easier to go do.n to the 0our lo.er planes o0e?isten/e! "0 this should happen it is very unli8ely that a person .ould meet the ne?t Buddha!

A Tea/hing Buddha is the greatest o0 all beings and the preparation 0or a/hieving this state o0 being a

Supreme A.a8ened )ne 3"ammāsam'uddha4 ta8es longer than the preparation to attain A.a8ening as adis/iple or a a//e8a@Buddha!

"n the /ommentaries on the +Di /anon the preparation o0 a Mah+@bodhisatta is given in detail! This>reat Being 3 Mahāsatta4 .ill develop the ten per0e/tions 3 (āramī 4 longer and to a higher degree than thelesser types o0 Bodhisattas! A person .ho be/omes A.a8ened as an ordinary dis/iple o0 a Tea/hingBuddha must .or8 on the ten per0e/tions 0or ten to one hundred thousand aeons! 1= :eading dis/iplesmust prepare one hundred thousand aeons! Chie0 dis/iples .or8 0or one in/al/ulable and one hundredthousand aeons! To be/ome a a//e8a Buddha reGuires t.o in/al/ulable aeons! But a man .or8ing to

be/ome a Tea/hing Buddha develops the per0e/tions on three levels ma8ing thirty per0e/tions in all! 1, Thethree levels o0 per0e/tions mean the sa/ri0i/e o0 e?ternal possessions 0or the ordinary level the sa/ri0i/e o0any o0 onePs limbs 0or the middle level and the sa/ri0i/e o0 onePs li0e 0or the highest level! 1(

Several other interpretations 0or the three levels are given 19 and some o0 these are o0 interest 0ormeditators today! The three levels /an be understood to mean5 314 re6oi/ing in other peoplePs merits 324en/ouraging other people to pra/tise the Tea/hings 3;4 pra/tising onesel0! )r they /an be ta8en to meanthat a/Guiring merit and 8no.ledge on the 0irst level leads to li0e in happy states on the se/ond level itleads to attaining #ibb+na onesel0 and on the third level it leads to aiding others to attain both o0 thesetypes o0 happiness!

The >reat Bodhisatta a/hieves the three levels o0 the per0e/tion o0 giving 3 dāna4 by giving 314 his belongings /hildren and .i0e 324 his limbs and 3;4 his li0e! e .ill not transgress virtue 3sīla4 on a//ounto0 these three! e 0ul0ils renun/iation 3nekkhamma4 by giving up these three a0ter /utting o00 all atta/hmentto them! By rooting out all /raving 0or these three he is able to dis/riminate bet.een .hat is bene0i/ial orharm0ul to beingsQthus per0e/ting .isdom 3 (a<<ā4! The three levels o0 energy 3viriya4 are rea/hed by

striving to relinGuish these three! Through patien/e 3khanti4 he endures obsta/les to his belongings limbsand li0e! e .ill not abandon truth0ulness 3sacca4 on a//ount o0 these three! is resolution 3adhi**hāna4 isunsha8eable even i0 these three are destroyed! e maintains loving 8indness 3 mettā4 to.ards others eventhough they destroy these three! e per0e/ts eGuanimity 3u(ekkhā4 by remaining neutral .hether othersare help0ul or harm0ul to any o0 these three!2'

>reat Bodhisattas are o0 three types521 314 those in .hom .isdom 3 (a<<ā4 is predominant 324 those in.hom 0aith 3saddha4 is predominant and 3;4 those in .hom energy 3viriya4 is predominant! 7or the 0irsttype the preparation reGuires 0our in/al/ulable and one hundred thousand aeons! The se/ond type .or8s0or eight in/al/ulable and one hundred thousand aeons! The Bodhisatta Metteyya is the third type those.ho .or8 0or si?teen in/al/ulable and one hundred thousand aeons! 22 These three types are also e?plainedas being due to the degree o0 the Guality o0 the energy they put 0orth or again as being determined by thedegree they develop the mental 0a/tors .hi/h bring eman/ipation to maturity 3vimutti(ari(ācanīyā

dhammā4!

These three types o0 >reat Bodhisattas are determined by ho. mu/h they have developed theper0e/tions .hen they ma8e the aspiration to be/ome a Tea/hing Buddha! At the time they aspire to

1= See Sayagyi U Ba Khin *hamma Te?ts pp! $;0! CSM p! (( and The ath o0 uri0i/ation 3Nism4 X""" 1=! "nCSM the ordinary dis/iple is not mentioned and the time given 0or the a//e8a Buddha is t.o in/al/ulables and onehundred thousand aeons! The 0igures .e have given are based on ho. 0ar ba/8 the various Bodhisattas /an re/olle/tgiven in Nism!

1, See Treatise pp! ;12%;1& CSM 2; (9 1=2! They are also mentioned at *h@a " (& and a " 2$! The +ta8a storiesillustrating the highest per0e/tions in the /ase o0 Buddha >otama are given in CSM 3pp! (9%924!

1( See CSM pp! (9 1=2 and Treatise p! ;1;!19 See Treatise pp! ;120!

2' See Treatise pp! ;1;0!21 See Treatise pp! ;2$0!22 This is mentioned in *vp p! 1;;!

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be/ome a Tea/hing Buddha they .ill already have prepared to attain 0inal #ibb+na Arahatship! 2; They.ill be at the point that they /ould be/ome Arahats 314 through a /ondensed tea/hing o0 less than threelines 3uggha*ita<<64 324 through an elaborated tea/hing o0 less than 0our lines 3 vi(a<cita<<64 or 3;4through 0urther training amounting to hearing 0our lines 3neyya4! A//ording to the /ommentary on the Anāgatavaṃsa2& Those in .hom 0aith is predominant .hi/h .as the /ase 0or the Bodhisatta .ho be/ameBuddha >otama .ould be able to understand a /ondensed tea/hing o0 less than three lines! Those in.hom 0aith is predominant .ould understand a tea/hing o0 less than 0our lines! Those in .hom energy ispredominant as .as the /ase 0or Bodhisatta Metteyya .ould understand on hearing 0our lines! Thismight seem to suggest that the 0uture Buddha >otama .as more advan/ed that the 0uture BuddhaMetteyya .hen he made his resolve to be/ome a Buddha! But the di00eren/e may be related to the 0a/t thata Bodhisatta 0or .hom energy is predominant develops the per0e/tions 0our times as long as a Bodhisatta0or .hom .isdom is predominant!

There are many /onditions asso/iated .ith ma8ing the resolve to be/ome a Tea/hing Buddha !2$ Theaspiration 3a'hinīhāra4 is5 Crossed over " .ould /ause 3others4 to /ross over released " .ould /ause3others4 to be released tamed " .ould /ause 3others4 to be tamed /almed " .ould /ause 3others4 to be/almed /om0orted " .ould /ause 3others4 to be /om0orted /ompletely Guen/hed " .ould /ause 3others4 to

be /ompletely Guen/hed A.a8ened " .ould /ause 3others4 to be A.a8ened puri0ied " .ould /ause

3others4 to be puri0ied!There are eight Guali0i/ations 0or the man .ho is to be/ome a >reat Bodhisatta52=

e must be a human being 3manusatta4 as this is the plane in .hi/h Buddhas arise! This is the plane in.hi/h beings /an have the three root /auses o0 being 0ree o0 greed hatred and /on0usion!

e must be a male 3li4gasam(atti4 0or only a man /an be/ome a Buddha!

e must have a/hieved the ne/essary /onditions supporting Buddhahood in other .ords the /ause3hetu4 .hi/h means that at the time o0 the aspiration he .as prepared to attain Arahatship!

e must see the Tea/her 3satthāradassana4 as the aspiration /an only be su//ess0ul i0 made in the presen/eo0 a living Buddha! )nly a Tea/hing Buddha /an see the /apability o0 the person ma8ing theaspiration and .hat .ill .or8 out in the 0uture!

e must have gone 0orth 3 (a''a00ā4 either as a bhi88hu or as an as/eti/ .ho believes in the do/trines o0volitional a/tions and the moral e00e/tiveness o0 a/tion!

e must have a/hieved the noble Gualities 3 gu+asam(atti4 .hi/h /ome .ith highly developed /ontrol overthe mind! )nly then .ill he be able to investigate the ten per0e/tions that he .ill need to develop!

e must possess great dedi/ation 3adhikāra4! e .ill be so devoted he .ould give his li0e 0or a Buddha!

And he must have a strong desire 3chandatā4 a .holesome desire i0 he is to develop the mental 0a/tors.hi/h ma8e 0or Buddhahood!

The aspiration has one o0 0our /onditions 3 (accaya45 the man is inspired be/ause 314 he sees a Tea/hingBuddha or 324 he hears o0 the great po.er o0 a Tea/hing Buddha or 3;4 he hears the *o/trine o0 a

Tea/hing Buddha being taught and the po.ers o0 a Buddha e?plained or 3&4 he is a man o0 lo0tytemperament and noble disposition! Bodhisatta Metteyya /omes under the se/ond /ondition as .e shallsee!

The aspiration has 0our /auses 3hetu45

The >reat Bodhisatta has already 0ul0illed his duties under 0ormer Buddhas and a/Guired thesupporting /onditions 3u(anissaya4 0or 0ul0illing his tas8! These supporting /onditions /reate a/lear distin/tion bet.een the >reat Bodhisatta and the beings intent on be/oming A.a8ened asdis/iples or a//e8a Buddhas! >reat Bodhisattas are endo.ed .ith lu/id 0a/ulties and lu/id

2; CSM p! 1;'0! 3in the dis/ussion o0 /ause4!2& "n an unpublished passage! This is mentioned by Say+da. U Ni/ittas+r+bhivaIsa in his Mahā'uddhava4

3angon5 S+sana Coun/il 19,,4 pp! =%1' 3he Guotes as his sour/e5 Ashin Thila.untha SJlavaIsaL āramī-ka4-(yo4!2$ See Treatise pp! 2=,%2,'!2= See CSM pp! 1;2%1;&!

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8no.ledge .hile the others do not! e pra/tises 0or the .el0are and happiness o0 many out o0/ompassion 0or the .orld 0or the good .el0are and happiness o0 *evas and men! The otherspra/tise mainly 0or their o.n .el0are! e applies s8il0ulness to his pra/tise through his ability to/reate opportunities to bene0it others and through his s8ill in distinguishing .hat is and .hat isnot possible!

e is by nature /ompassionate ready to give his o.n body and li0e to alleviate the su00ering o0 others!e is .illing to struggle and strive 0or a long time despite the great hardships he .ill en/ounter!

e relies on good 0riends .ho restrain him 0rom evil and establish him in .hat is good!

7inally the aspiration is based on 0our po.ers 3Bala45 314 internal po.er 3a00hattika-'ala4 324 e?ternal po.er3'āhira-'ala4 3;4 the po.er o0 the supporting /onditions 3u(anissaya-'ala4 and 3&4 the po.er o0 e00ort3 (ayoga-'ala4! The internal po.er is the longing or undeviating in/lination 0or supreme A.a8ening basedon his personal ideals and reveren/e 0or the *hamma! The e?ternal po.er is this same longing based on/onsideration o0 others! Through developing the supporting /onditions he has the po.er o0 this longing!And the po.er o0 e00ort means he is endo.ed .ith the appropriate e00ort 0or attaining supremeA.a8ening! is e00ort .ill be thorough and he .ill persevere in his .or8!

The >reat Bodhisattas are /on0irmed in their aspiration by many Buddhas! A si?teenth@/entury +Dite?t 0rom Thailand2, says that Bodhisatta Metteyya re/eived his predi/tion o0 0uture Buddhahood 0romBuddha Mahutta! This .ould presumably be the 0irst predi/tion 0or him! This te?t also gives details o0 theperiod during .hi/h the Bodhisatta .ho be/ame Buddha >otama made a mental resolve to be/ome aTea/hing Buddha! This is sho.n to be his preparation 0or the li0e in .hi/h he re/eived his 0irst surepredi/tion! Bodhisatta Metteyya is mentioned as being asso/iated .ith him in t.o o0 these lives5 as hisleading dis/iple .hen he .as a religious tea/her 2( and as his /haplain 3named Sirigutta4 .hen he .asKing Atideva!29

The story o0 one o//asion .hen Bodhisatta Metteyya made an aspiration and .hen the per0e/tion.hi/h is strongest 0or him is illustrated is told in +Di te?ts .hi/h .ere .ritten do.n a0ter the /ompilationo0 the /anon!;' The story o0 Bodhisatta MetteyyaPs aspiration .as told to the leading dis/iple Nen!

Sariputta .hen he .as residing near S+vatthi in the ubb+r+ma the monastery o00ered by the lay.omanNis+8h+!

:ong ago Bodhisatta Metteyya .as the -heel@turning Monar/h Sa8ha in the /ity o0 "ndapatta in theKuru /ountry! This large /ity resembled a /ity o0 the *evas! -heel@turning Monar/hs reign over the.hole earth and have seven great treasures5 a great .heel an elephant horse gem .i0e householderand adviser! Sa8ha lived in a seven@storey pala/e made o0 the seven 8inds o0 gems! This pala/e rose upout o0 the earth through the po.er o0 his merit! Sa8ha led others to 0ollo. the path leading to rebirth inthe higher planes o0 e?isten/e and he administered 6usti/e .ith impartiality!

A0ter Sa8ha be/ame a -heel@turning Monar/h there arose the Buddha Sirimata!;1 -henever aBodhisatta is to be born in his last li0e there is a Buddha pro/lamation a thousand years be0ore! ;2 Brahm+so0 the ure Abodes 3Suddh+v+sa4 travel throughout the .orld o0 men and pro/laim5 A thousand years

0rom no. a Buddha .ill arise in the .orld! King Sa8ha must have heard o0 this pro/lamation 0or oneday as he sat on his golden throne under the royal .hite umbrella he said A long time ago there .as apro/lamation that a Buddha .ould be born! " .ill turn over the pla/e o0 -heel@turning Monar/h to.hoever 8no.s o0 the Triple >em to .hoever points out to me the gems o0 the Buddha the *hammaand the Sagha as .ell as the *ispensation! " .ill go to see the Supreme Buddha! Buddha Sirimata .asresiding at that time only si?teen leagues 0rom Sa8haPs /apital /ity! Among the s+maReras 3novi/es4 inthe Sagha there .as a boy .ho /ame 0rom a poor 0amily! is mother .as a slave so the s+maRera .ent

2, 1inakālamālī 3(ochs of the Conueror4!2( (ochs pp! $0!29 (ochs pp! (0!;' *b8 3see also pp! ;91%&1; o0 the ne?t te?t4 and *bu!

;1 There does not seem to be any in0ormation as to .hen this Buddha lived! e .ould have lived be0ore thet.enty@0our Buddhas under .hom the Bodhisatta .ho be/ame Buddha >otama made his resolutions!

;2 See .llus! p! 1;1!

11



to the /ity to see8 .ealth in order to set his mother 0ree! -hen the people sa. him they thought he .as aa88ha or ogre so they thre. sti/8s at him! A0raid he .ent to the pala/e and stood be0ore the 8ing!-ho are you young man[ the 8ing as8ed!

" am /alled a s+maRera ) great 8ing the s+maRera ans.ered!

-hy do you /all yoursel0 a s+maRera[

Be/ause ) great 8ing " do no evil " have established mysel0 in moral /ondu/t and thus " lead theholy li0e! There0ore " am /alled a s+maRera!

-ho gave you that name[

My tea/her ) great 8ing!

-hat is your tea/her /alled young man[

My tea/her is /alled a bhi88hu ) great 8ing!

-ho gave your tea/her the name Pbhi88huP young man[

) great 8ing my tea/herPs name .as given by the pri/eless gem o0 the Sagha!

7ull o0 6oy King Sa8ha rose 0rom his throne and prostrated himsel0 at the 0eet o0 the s+maRera! Andhe as8ed -ho gave the name to the Sagha[ ) great 8ing the #oble Supreme Buddha Sirimata gavethe name to the Sagha! earing the .ord Buddha .hi/h is so di00i/ult to hear in many hundreds o0thousands o0 aeons King Sa8ha 0ainted 0rom 6oy! -hen he regained /ons/iousness he as8edNenerable sir .here does the #oble Supreme Buddha Sirimata reside at present[

And the s+maRera told him the Buddha .as in a monastery /alled ubb+r+ma si?teen leagues a.ay!King Sa8ha turned over the po.er o0 -heel@turning Monar/h to the s+maRera! e gave up his 8ingdomand a great number o0 relatives! 7illed .ith 6oy at the thought o0 seeing the Buddha he started .al8ing tothe north to.ards the ubb+r+ma! The 0irst day the soles o0 his 0eet split open 0or they .ere very tenderdue to his lu?urious upbringing! )n the se/ond day his 0eet began to bleed! e .as unable to .al8 on thethird day so he .ent on his hands and 8nees! )n the 0ourth day his hands and 0eet bled so he

determined to /ontinue on his /hest! The 6oy o0 the possibility o0 seeing the Buddha enabled him toover/ome his great su00ering and pain!

Buddha Sirimata surveyed the .orld .ith his [email protected] Kno.ledge and seeing the po.er o0 thee00ort 3viriya-'ala4 o0 the 8ing the Buddha thought This -heel@turning Monar/h Sa8ha is surely a seeda Buddha@sprout 3Budda4kura-'ī0o4! e underta8es great pain be/ause o0 me! "ndeed " should go to him!By his psy/hi/ po.ers the Buddha hid his great splendour and .ent disguised as a young man in a/hariot! e .ent to .here Sa8ha .as and blo/8ed his path in order to test the po.er o0 his e00ort!

ou thereV Buddha Sirimata said to King Sa8ha go ba/8 on your /hestV " am going do.n this roadin my /hariot! But King Sa8ha re0used saying he .as on his .ay to see the Buddha! The Buddha indisguise invited the 8ing to get into his /hariot saying that is .here he .as going! )n the .ay the *evamaiden Su6+t+ /ame do.n 0rom the T+vatiIsa heaven and ta8ing the 0orm o0 a young girl o00ered 0ood!

The Buddha had it given to Sa8ha! Then Sa88a in the 0orm o0 a young man /ame do.n 0rom theT+vatiIsa heaven and gave .ater! As a result o0 the divine 0ood and .ater all King Sa8haPs ailmentsdisappeared!

-hen they arrived at ubb+r+ma the Buddha sat on his seat in the monastery assuming his trueappearan/e .ith the rays o0 si? /olours shining 0orth! -hen the 8ing .ent in and sa. the Buddha heagain lost /ons/iousness! A0ter a .hile he /ame to himsel0 approa/hed the Buddha and paid hisrespe/ts!

Nenerable sir he reGuested prote/tor o0 the .orld re0uge o0 the .orld tea/h me one 3point o0 the4do/trine .hi/h may /alm me .hen " have heard it! Nery .ell the Buddha said listen! The Buddharevie.ed the *o/trine o0 #ibb+na and taught the 8ing a dis/ourse /on/erning #ibb+na! This arousedreveren/e 0or the *o/trine in the 8ing but a0ter hearing only a little o0 the *o/trine he reGuested the

Buddha lease stop Blessed )ne! *o not tea/h me any more! e said this be/ause he thought tohimsel0 that he .ould not have a gi0t .orthy o0 .hat the Buddha taught him i0 he heard any more!

12



"ndeed venerable sir the 8ing said o0 all the do/trines taught the Blessed )ne has pointed out#ibb+na .hi/h is the highest! So o0 all the parts o0 my body " .ill pay homage to your *o/trine .ith myhead! e began to sever his ne/8 .ith his 0ingernails and said Nenerable Buddha Sirimata you go ;; tothe deathless 0irst through the gi0t o0 my head " .ill a0ter.ards go to #ibb+na! aving said 6ust these0e. .ords " pay homage to the do/trine o0 #ibb+na! #o. may this be the means 0or 3my attaining4omnis/ien/e! And saying this he 0inished severing his head .ith his 0ingernails!

King Sa8haPs predominant /hara/teristi/ .as his great energy 3 viriya4! This is sho.n through hisover/oming the di00i/ulties in going to see Buddha Sirimata! is e00ort .as so strong the Buddha realisedthat he .as a >reat Bodhisatta! )ther per0e/tions are also illustrated in this story! e gives a.ay hisposition o0 -heel@turning Monar/h! ven be0ore hearing o0 the Buddha he set the e?ample o0 leading amoral li0e leading to higher rebirths! As a 6ust 8ing he .ould sho. his .isdom patien/e truth0ulnessloving 8indness and eGuanimity! )n/e he hears o0 the Buddha he renoun/es his 8ingdom and 0amilygiving up the highest position that /an be attained by a human being! And great resolution .or8edtogether .ith his energy!

The 0inal a/tion o0 King Sa8ha is the gi0t o0 his head to the Buddha! This may seem strange but it ise?plained in the te?t by the 0a/t that the Buddha had taught him one aspe/t o0 the *o/trine /on/erning#ibb+na the highest goal! King Sa8ha /annot 0ind any other gi0t .orthy o0 #ibb+na so he resolves too00er his o.n head! "n the +Di /ommentaries;& 2; it is said that only giving their o.n limbs or their li0ema8es >reat Bodhisattas e?alt .hen they give! oy arises .hen they give su/h gi0ts and they e?perien/eno /ontrariety o0 mind! So .e /an see that su/h gi0ts are beyond ordinary people and .e need not 0eelthat .e should ma8e su/h sa/ri0i/es ourselves!

*uring the time o0 Buddha >otama the >reat Bodhisatta .ho is to be the ne?t Buddha .as a bhi88hunamed A6ita!;$ A//ording to the /ommentary on the Anāgatavaṃsa A6ita .as the son o0 King A6+tasattuand \ueen Kan/anadevi!;= rin/e A6ita had 0ive hundred attendants and .hen he rea/hed the age o0si?teen the 8ing as8ed his son to inherit the BuddhaPs heritage! The rin/e agreed so the 8ing too8 him tothe NeDuvana Monastery in great pomp and splendour along .ith his 0ive hundred attendants! rin/eA6ita .as ordained as a novi/e and be/ause o0 his serenity /almness and .isdom he .as mu/hrespe/ted! :ater he .as ordained as a bhi88hu! The Buddha too8 him .hen he .ent 0rom <+6agaha to

Kapilavatthu to reside in the #irodh+r+ma Monastery!

-hile they .ere residing at that monastery Mah+@a6+patJ@>otamJ /ame one day .ith t.o spe/ial/loths to be presented to the Buddha 0or use as robes! She had planted the /otton seeds hersel0 and did allthe ne/essary .or8 up to the time the robes .ere 0inished! The a//ount o0 the gi0t o0 the /loths is 0ound inthe Ma66hima@ni8+ya!;, There the Buddha re0used three times to a//ept the robes o00ered by Mah+@a6+patJ@>otamJ and suggested that she o00er them to the Sagha .ith the Buddha at its head! Nen!]nanda approa/hed the Buddha suggesting he should a//ept the /loths! The Buddha then gave thedis/ourse on the analysis o0 o00erings!

;; <eading yātha .ith the Martini ed! 3p! ;9$ and variant reading p! ;'=4 0or yāva in the ali Te?t So/iety ed! 3p!12,4!

;& See CSM p! 21$!;$ *b8 p! $&!;= -e base the 0ollo.ing a//ount on the in0ormation in *ipeyin Say+da.Ps Anāgatavaṃsa! See also5 *b8 p! $&

Sylvain :evi Maitreya le /onsolateur tudes dorientalisme (u'liDes (ar le MusDe uimet E la memoire de >aymonde$inossier 319;24 Nol! "" p! ;== 3his in0ormation is based on a +Di te?t 0rom Thailand ahamasambodhi4 and >eorgeC^dFs Une vie indo/hinoise du Bouddha5 la ahamasambodhi MDlanges dFindianiste E la memoire de $ouis >enou319=(4 pp! 21,%22,! A//ording to *vp Chapter ;1 3+Di pp! 12$%12, 7ren/h pp! 1;2%1;&4 A6ita .as 0rom aprosperous 0amily in Sa8assa! This te?t says that Bodhisatta Metteyya had already 0ul0illed the per0e/tions 0orsi?teen in/al/ulables and a hundred thousand aeons .hen he .as born as a human during the time o0 Buddha>otama! is 0amily lived at the gate o0 the /ity Sa8assa 3Sa8hassa in the 7ren/h ed!4! "t .as here that the Buddhades/ended 0rom the T+vatiIsa *eva .orld a0ter tea/hing the Abhidhamma! )n this o//asion he as8ed Nen! S+riputtaa Guestion .hi/h none o0 the other dis/iples .ere able to ans.er in order to sho. that the /hie0 dis/iple understoodthe *o/trine better than any o0 the other dis/iples 3see Buddhist $egends """ $&%$=4! -hen the >reat Bodhisatta heard

Nen! S+riputta_s ans.er he .as very pleased! Seeing the pleasing appearan/e o0 the Buddha and hearing him tea/hthe *o/trine A6ita .as dra.n to be/ome a bhi88hu! 3The 7ren/h translation o0 this passage is slightly ina//urate!4

;, Suttanta #o! 1&2 3M:S """ ;''%;'$4!

1;



#o other details are given in the +Di /anon or Ashin BuddhaghosaPs /ommentary on this dis/ourse! "nthe /ommentary on the Anāgatavaṃsa it is said that the Buddha a//epted one robe 0or himsel0 andinstru/ted his step@mother to o00er the se/ond one to the Sagha! But not one o0 the eighty leadingdis/iples /ame 0or.ard to a//ept that robe! ventually Nen! A6ita thought to himsel0 that the Buddha hadtold his step@mother to give the robe to the Sagha 0or her bene0it so he bravely got up li8e a 8ing o0 thelions in the midst o0 the Sagha and a//epted the robe! There .as some disappointment and mu/h tal8about ho. an un8no.n bhi88hu /ould a//ept the robe .hen none o0 the leading dis/iples had ta8en it!<ealising the situation and in order to dispel any doubts the Buddha said *o not say this bhi88hu is anordinary bhi88hu! e is a Bodhisatta .ho .ill be the /oming Buddha Metteyya! Then the Buddha too8the bo.l that had been given to him shortly a0ter his A.a8ening by the .orldPs 0our >uardian *evas andthre. it into the air! #one o0 the eighty leading dis/iples /ould retrieve it but Nen! A6ita understood thatthe Buddha intended 0or him to sho. his psy/hi/ po.ers so he brought ba/8 the bo.l! Then Nen! A6itatoo8 the /loth he had a//epted and put it in the BuddhaPs er0umed Chamber as a /anopy under the/eiling ma8ing the aspiration that this a/t o0 generosity might result in his having a /anopy made o0seven gems and .ith hangings made o0 gold silver /oral and pearls measuring t.elve leagues .hen he

be/omes a Buddha!;( The Buddha smiled a0ter this and Nen! ]nanda as8ed .hy he had smiled! TheBuddha replied ]nanda the bhi88hu A6ita .ill be/ome the Buddha Ariya Metteyya in this Auspi/iousAeon! Then he remained silent en6oying the 0ruits o0 Arahatship! The 0irst /hie0 dis/iple Nen! S+riputta.ho 8ne. the assembled bhi88hus .ished to hear more in0ormation reGuested the Buddha give adis/ourse about the /oming Buddha! And the Buddha gave the a//ount in the Anāgatavaṃsa!

The predi/tion /on/erning Metteyya is 0ound in the +Di /anon ;9 but the details /on/erning the 0utureBuddha .ill be given in a separate tal8! The *asavatthu goes on to say that 0rom the time o0 the surepredi/tion the Bodhisatta taught a large number o0 bhi88hus e?plaining the .hole /anon and /ausingthem to in/rease in insight and to attain the 8no.ledge o0 adaptable patien/e! At the end o0 that li0e he.as reborn in a *eva .orld! But there is a re0eren/e to at least one other human li0e as he should have ali0e in .hi/h he is generous in the .ay the Bodhisatta Nessantara .as! &' A0ter that li0e he should be rebornin the Tusita *eva .orld .here all >reat Bodhisattas reside be0ore their 0inal birth! A//ording to theCulavaIsa the Bodhisatta .ould have other human births! &1

-hen Ashin Buddhaghosa .ent 0rom "ndia to Ceylon to /onsult the /ommentaries on the +Di /anonhe .as given t.o verses to /omment on as a test! The result .as the 5isuddhimagga 3The ath ofurification4! The *evas in order to /onvin/e the people o0 his greatness hid the te?t t.i/e so that AshinBuddhaghosa had to /opy it t.i/e! -hen the /opies .ere /ompared .ith the original no deviations .ere0ound! The Sagha then e?/laimed -ithout a doubt this is MetteyyaV The 5isuddhimagga is espe/iallyimportant 0or those pra/tising the BuddhaPs Tea/hings! Sayagyi U Ba Khin /onsidered this .or8 the mostimportant single .or8 e?plaining true Buddhist meditation! "n another +Di te?t that is not part o0 the/anon there is a des/ription o0 Metteyya in the Tusita .orld! &2 e is said to go to the C`l+maRi shrine inthe T+vatiIsa *eva .orld to pay respe/ts to the hair /ut o00 by the Bodhisatta Siddhattha .hen he madethe great renun/iation and to reli/s brought there by the *eva 8ing Sa88a a0ter the death o0 Buddha>otama! The Bodhisatta Metteyya is des/ribed as being surrounded by a host o0 *evas and *evJs! 7our*evJ maidens in parti/ular are des/ribed as having beauti0ul /omple?ions halos ornaments and /lothes

one o0 a shining /olour one red one dar8 gold and the 0ourth golden! The main point o0 this te?t is that beings .ho .ish to en/ounter the /oming Buddha and attain A.a8ening under him should a/ta//ordingly! Bhi88hus should not /reate a s/hism in the Sagha! The 0ive heinous a/tions .hi/hinevitably lead to rebirth in the lo.er .orlds should be avoided! "n addition to not /reating a s/hism

;( The a//ount in the ahamasambodhi di00ers some.hat 3see Sylvain :evi Maitreya p! ;==4! "n this a//ountA6ita is still a novi/e the ne.est member o0 the Sagha! e is given both o0 the robes and uses the se/ond one bytearing it up to ma8e garlands to hang 0rom the border o0 the /anopy! A0ter having done all this A6ita ma8es a vo. to be/ome a Tea/hing Buddha and Buddha >otama then gives his sure predi/tion! The details /on/erning the robe andthe sure predi/tion are also 0ound in *vp 3+Di p! 12=4!

;9 * #o! 2= 3*B """ ,2%,& TS pp! ;=&%;=(4!&' Sayagyi U Ba Khin interpreted this passage to mean that the generosity .ould /onsist mainly o0 the gi0t o0 the

*hamma 3see above p! vii4!

&1 See Nol! " 22%2$ 3Ch! XXXN"" verses 21$%2&=4! This passage is Guoted by Nen! #aRamoli in the introdu/tion o0his translation The ath of urification 3pp! ??i%??ii4!

&2 SJh Chapter """ 3+Di pp! (%12 7ren/h se/ond pagination pp! 1'%1&4!

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these in/lude not 8illing onePs 0ather onePs mother or an Arahat! The 0i0th point not dra.ing the blood o0a Buddha o0 /ourse is no longer possible! )ther a/tions to be avoided are destroying pagodas 3 th6(as4 or

brea8ing Bodhi trees! Bodhisattas should not be 8illed! )ne should not be stingy or tell lies! "n one o0 thete?ts about Buddha >otamaPs des/ription o0 the ten 0uture Buddhas &; the 0ollo.ing positive a/tions aresaid to be ne/essary i0 those .ho en/ounter this Buddha *ispensation .ish to meet Buddha Metteyya5they must give gi0ts 3dāna4 observe morality 3sīla4 and develop mental /ontrolQthat is to say meditation3'hāvanā4!

Those o0 us today .ho are pra/tising the Tea/hings o0 the Buddha should try to advan/e as 0ar aspossible! Some people may be able to be/ome Ariyas here and no.! eople .ho have not developed theper0e/tions reGuired 0or su/h attainments or .ho have made an aspiration under a 0ormer Buddha tomeet Buddha Metteyya .ill need to ma8e a ma?imum e00ort in order not to miss this opportunity or inorder to gain the ma?imum bene0its! -e should not 6ust assume that .e are meant to de0er A.a8eninguntil .e meet the ne?t Buddha! Ashin Buddhaghosa gives the e?ample o0 lder [email protected] needed a reminder in order not to miss his opportunity to attain Arahatship 0or he had mista8enlythought he should .ait until the ne?t Buddha! && Meditators .ho be/ome Ariyas aside 0rom Arahats mayeventually go to the Brahm+ .orlds o0 the ure Abodes 3Suddh+v+sa4 and there they may live longenough to meet the /oming Buddha!&$ So .e should all ma8e our best e00ort in this li0e!

&; *bu p! ;&&!&& See The ath of urification Chapter "1;$!&$ See *B "" ;9%&1 3* #o! 1&4! Those .ho attain the third stage o0 A.a8ening 3#on@returners4 /an live in the ure

Abodes 3Suddh+v+sa4 o0 the Brahm+ .orlds long enough to en/ounter more than one Buddha! Buddha >otamare/ounts meeting Brahm+s in the ure Abodes .ho /on0irm 0or him events that he re/alls 0rom the time o0 0ormerBuddhas 3see * n! 1& *B "" &%&1 espe/ially pp! ;9%&1L 4!

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Buddha Ariya Metteyya

Atta-dī(a 'hikkhave viharatha atta-sara+ā ana<<a-sara+ā dhamma-dī(ā dhamma-sara+ā ana<<ā-sara+ā?

2atha< ca 'hikkhave 'hikkhu atta-dī(o viharati atta-sara+o ana<<a-"ara+o, dhamma-dī(o dhamma-sara+o ana<<ā-sara+oG

.dha 'hikkhave 'hikkhu kāye kāyānu-(assī viharati ātā(ī sam(a0āno satimā, vineyya-loke a'hi00hā-domanassaṃ, veda-nāsu ? ? ? cittesu ? ? ? dhammesu dhammānu-(assī viharati, ātā(ī sam(a0āno satimā,vineyya loke a'hi00hā-domanassaṃ? vaṃ kho 'hikkhave 'hikkhu atta-dī(o viharati atta-sara+o anan<<a-sara+o, dhamma-dī(o dhamma-sara+o ana<<a-sara+o?

*.ell bhi88hus .ith yourselves as an island .ith yourselves as a re0uge .ith no one else asa re0uge .ith the *o/trine as an island .ith the *o/trine as a re0uge .ith no other do/trineLas a re0uge!

And ho. bhi88hus does a bhi88hu d.ell .ith himsel0 as an island .ith himsel0 as are0uge .ith no one else as a re0uge .ith the *o/trine as an island .ith the *o/trine as a

re0uge .ith no other do/trineL as a re0uge[

ere 3in this Tea/hing4 bhi88hus a bhi88hu lives /ontemplating the body in the body/ontemplating the sensations in the sensations /ontemplating the /ons/iousness in the/ons/iousness /ontemplating mental ob6e/ts in mental ob6e/ts ardent attentive mind0ulhaving removed /ovetousness and dis/ontent .ith regards to the .orld! Thus bhi88hus doesa bhi88hu d.ell .ith himsel0 as an island .ith himsel0 as a re0uge .ith no one else as are0uge .ith the *o/trine as a re0uge .ith no other do/trineL as a re0uge!

*Jgha@ni8+ya """ $( ,,

This Guotation begins the dis/ourse in .hi/h the Buddha des/ribes the /oming o0 the ne?t BuddhaMetteyya!&= The Buddha 0irst des/ribes the ideal /onditions that e?isted on earth long ago .hen there .ere

a su//ession o0 seven -heel@turning Monar/hs! ventually there .as a 8ing .ho negle/ted to provide 0orthe poor! As a /onseGuen/e the0t arose in the .orld! >radually people be/ame more and more immoraland 8illed others! Be/ause o0 this their li0e span de/lined 0rom eighty thousand years to 0orty thousandyears! Then people began to tell lies and the human li0e span de/lined to t.enty thousand years! #e?tmali/ious spee/h be/ame prevalent and the li0e span de/reased to ten thousand years! Then se?ualmis/ondu/t be/ame prevalent .ith the result that people lived 0or 0ive thousand years! arsh spee/h and0rivolous tal8 be/ame prevalent and people lived 0or t.o and a hal0 thousand years and t.o thousandyears! -ith the advent o0 /ovetousness and ill .ill the li0e span de/lined to one thousand years! -henpeople began to entertain .rong belie0s their li0e span de/reased to 0ive hundred years! Then three things

be/ame rampant5 in/est unnatural greed and homose?uality!&, As a result the human li0e span de/reasedto t.o hundred and 0i0ty years and t.o hundred years! Then there .as a la/8 o0 0ilial duty to.ardsparents 0ailure to 0ul0il duties to.ards religious leaders 3sama+as and 'rāhma+as4 and 0ailure to respe/t

/ommunity leaders and the li0e span de/reased to one hundred years! This .as the human li0e span at thetime o0 Buddha >otama! -hen the li0e span is shorter than a hundred years there /an be no Buddha inthe .orld!&(

The Buddha e?plained that immorality .ill /ontinue to in/rease and the human li0e span .ill /ontinueto de/rease until it is only ten years! >irls .ill be married at 0ive years o0 age! At that time people .hohave no respe/t 0or their parents 0or religious leaders or 0or /ommunity leaders .ill be honoured andpraised! romis/uity .ill be so /ommon human beings .ill be li8e animals! Animosity ill .ill andhatred .ill be so strong people .ill .ant to 8ill the members o0 their o.n 0amily! There .ill be a seven@day .ar .ith great slaughter! But some people .ill hide 0or the seven days and a0ter.ards they .ill

&= * """ $(%,9 translated in *B """ $9%,= and TS ;&,%;,'! Miss orner seems to overloo8 this .hen she says thatthere is no mention in the Canon or Commentaries that Buddha >otama made a de/laration o0 0uture Buddhahood

0or Metteyya 3CB ?vi4!&, See also >S " 1&2 .here the Buddha says that these three things .ere already prevalent in his day!&( See CSM ;91!

1=



re6oi/e to see those .ho have survived! They .ill determine to stop 8illing and their li0e spans .illin/rease to t.enty years! Seeing this they .ill underta8e to 8eep other moral pre/epts and gradually thehuman li0e span .ill in/rease again!

The *uration o% the S+sana o% Buddha ,otama

*uring the period 0rom the time o0 Buddha >otama to the minimum li0e span the BuddhaPs *ispensation3Buddha-sāsana4 .ill disappear! -hen the Buddha agreed to /reate the Bhi88hunJ Sagha he told Nen!]nanda that the S+sana .ould last only hal0 as long be/ause o0 this! "nstead o0 lasting one thousandyears it .ould last 0ive hundred years! The /ommentary on the Abhidhamma te?t *hammasagaRJ saysthat .hen the 7irst Buddhist Coun/il /onvened by Nen! Mah+@Kassapa rehearsed the +Di Canon thismade it possible 0or the S+sana to endure 0or 0ive thousand years!&9

The /ommentaries on the Ninaya ia8a $' and the Aguttara@ni8+ya$1 say that the eight important rules.hi/h the Buddha gave to the Bhi88hunJ Sagha .ill ma8e his Tea/hings last 0or 0ive thousand yearsrather than 0ive hundred! There .ill be one thousand years 0or Arahats .ho attain analyti/al insight onethousand years 0or Arahats .ithout those attainments one thousand years 0or #on@returners onethousand years 0or )n/e@returners and one thousand years 0or [email protected]! A0ter these 0ive thousand

years o0 penetration o0 the true *o/trine 3 (a*ivedha-sadhamma4$2

the a//omplishment in the te?ts 3pariyatti@dhamma4 .ill remain! A0ter the a//omplishment in the te?ts disappears the signs 3liga4 .ill /ontinue 0ora long time

"n the /ommentary to the Therag+th+$; the S+sana is said to /onsist o0 0ive periods5 314 the age o0deliveran/e 3vimutti-yuga4 324 the age o0 /on/entration 3samādhi-yuga4 3;4 the age o0 morality 3sīla-yuga43&4 the age o0 learning the te?tsL 3suta-yuga4 and 3$4 the age o0 generosity 3dāna-yuga4! Nen! *hammap+lasays /on/erning the disappearan/e o0 learning "n a region .here there is no purity o0 moralitya//omplishment 3in the te?ts4 remains through ta8ing up great learning through the desire to a/Guire et/!But .hen a//omplishment in the summary i!e! the +timo88haL is /ompletely ended it disappears! 7romthat time on only the mere sign 3li4ga4 remains! Then having a//umulated ri/hes in various .ays theygive a.ay gi0ts 3dāna4 this truly is the last right pra/ti/e! Then the period startingL a0ter thedisappearan/e o0 learning is the last time 3 (acchima-kāla4! )thers say that it is 0rom the time o0 thedisappearan/e o0 morality! A//ording to the tradition in Burma the S+sana .ill last 0ive thousand years!The 0ive periods .ill o//ur t.i/e! The 0irst hal0 o0 the Sasana has 6ust passed .ith ea/h o0 the 0ive periodslasting 0ive hundred years! -e are no. in the se/ond hal0 .hen these periods .ill be repeated ea/hlasting 0or another 0ive hundred years!

"n the Anāgatavaṃsa /ommentary the Buddha is said to pre0a/e the a//ount o0 the 0uture Buddha AriyaMetteyya by saying his o.n dispensation .ill disappear in 0ive stages5 314 the disappearan/e o0 analyti/alinsight 3 (a*isam'hidā4 324 the disappearan/e o0 the aths and 7ruition States 3;4 the disappearan/e o0 thepra/ti/e 3 (a*i(atti4 3&4 the disappearan/e o0 the te?ts 3 (ariyatti4 and 3$4 the disappearan/e o0 the Sagha!

)ther /ommentaries also spea8 in terms o0 0ive stages o0 disappearan/e 3antaradhāna4 o0 the S+sana5$& 3147irst there .ill be the disappearan/e o0 attainment 3 adhigama4 .hi/h .ould /orrespond to the age o0deliveran/e! 324 The se/ond disappearan/e is o0 the pra/ti/e 3 (a*i(atti4 .hi/h /orresponds to the ages o0/on/entration and morality! 3;4 The disappearan/e o0 a//omplishment in the te?ts 3 (ariyatti4 is third and/orresponds to the age o0 learning! 3&4 The 0ourth disappearan/e is o0 the signs 3 li4ga4! *uring this periodthe only good a/tion le0t is ma8ing gi0ts to those .ho .ear a yello. strip o0 /loth around their ne/8s sothis .ould /orrespond to the age o0 generosity! -hen this disappearan/e o//urs 0ive thousand years .illhave passed!$$ A0ter this period there o//urs 3$4 the disappearan/e o0 the reli/s 3 dhātu4! -hen the reli/s nolonger re/eive honour they .ill assemble at the seat .here the Buddha attained A.a8ening under the

&9 As 2, see %(os! ;$!$' Sp 1291!$1 Mp "N 1;=0!$2 Nen! :edi Say+da. 3MB 1=94 /alls these 0ive thousand years the age o0 Ariyas 3#oble )nes4!$; Th@a """ (9!

$& See the /ommentary on A 3Mp " (,4 Moh 2'1%2'; and the e?tra/t 0rom the An+g /ommentary 3TS 1((= pp!;;%;= translated in BT &(1%&(=4!

$$ The number o0 years is mentioned only in the An+g /ommentary!

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>reat Bodhi tree! There they .ill ma8e an e00igy o0 the Buddha and per0orm a marvel similar to the T.inMarvel and .ill tea/h the *o/trine! #o human being .ill be present only *evas 0rom the ten thousand.orld systems .ill listen and many o0 them .ill attain release! A0ter that the reli/s .ill be burned up.ithout remainder!$=

The Coming o% Buddha Ariya Metteyya"n the dis/ourse .ith .hi/h .e began the Buddha goes on to des/ribe ho. morality among human

beings gro.s stronger and stronger! As a result their li0e span gro.s longer until it rea/hes eightythousand years$, and at that time Buddha Metteyya .ill /ome! Ashin Buddhaghosa e?plains that the li0espan in/reases to an in/al/ulable number o0 years 3 Asa4kheyya4 and then begins to de/rease again until itrea/hes ('''' years 0or Buddhas arise only .hen the li0e span is de/reasing! $( A tradition in Burma saysthat Buddha Metteyya .ill live 0or ('''' years and that the human li0e span .ill be 1''''' years 6ust asBuddha >otama lived 0or eighty years .hen the human li0e span .as one hundred years! #o de0initenumber o0 years is given 0or the period bet.een Buddha >otama and Buddha Metteyya! The Anāgatavaṃsa 3verse $4 says Buddha Metteyya .ill arise ten million years later 3 vassa-ko*iye4 but the/ommentary$9 says this means a0ter many hundreds o0 thousands times ten million years!='

This aeon 3ka((a4 is an Auspi/ious Aeon 3'haddha-ka((a4 .hi/h means that the ma?imum number o00ive Buddhas .ill arise in the same aeon! Some aeons are empty ones meaning no Buddhas arise! "n othertypes o0 aeons one to 0our Buddhas arise! Buddha >otama .as the 0ourth Buddha in this Auspi/iousAeon so Metteyya .ill be the last Buddha in it! The /ommentary to the BuddhavaIsa says that anAuspi/ious Aeon is very di00i/ult to en/ounter! Those .ho are born in su/h aeons are usually ri/h ingoodness and happiness! They usually have the three root /onditions 3o0 non@greed non@hatred and non@/on0usion4 and destroy the de0ilements! Those .ith the t.o root /onditions 3o0 non@greed and non@hatred4 are usually reborn in good planes o0 e?isten/e and those .ith no root /ondition a/Guire one! =1 "nanother /ommentary=2 it is said that during the time o0 Buddha Metteyya the group o0 sensual pleasures.ill have little initial po.er 3to distra/t4!

The Birth o% the Ne-t Buddha

Many details /on/erning the /oming Buddha /an be assembled by /ombining Buddha >otamaPspredi/tion in the *Jgha@ni8+ya=; the Anāgatavaṃsa=& the t.o versions o0 The Ten Bodhisattas=$ and the*asavatthuppa8arana!== 7urther details /an be added 0rom the des/ription by Buddha >otama o0 the pastBuddha NipassJ=, Nen! ]nandaPs praise o0 the Buddha=( and the /ommentary on The Chronicle of Buddhas!=9

Be0ore his last rebirth .hi/h is in the human .orld ea/h Bodhisatta resides in the Tusita *eva .orld!e is mind0ul and a.are .hen he is reborn there and .hile he lives there! e lives there as long as his li0espan lasts! )ne thousand years be0ore he is to be reborn as a human and be/ome a Buddha *evas orBrahm+s go to the .orld o0 men and announ/e that a Buddha .ill arise! This is a Buddha tumult!,'

$= Some te?ts spea8 o0 three disappearan/es! See C* under antaradhāna 0or re0eren/es!$, *b8 $$E12' says (2''' years!$( Sv """ (($0!$9 TS 1((= p! &1 n! $!=' *vp 12$E1;2 says that a0ter the human li0e span de/reases to ten years there .ill be seven intervening aeons

3sattantara-ka((a4 then the li0e span .ill in/rease to an in/al/ulable and .hen it has de/reased again to ('''' yearsthe ne?t Buddha .ill arise!

=1 CSM 2,,!=2 Sp8 """ ;9' /0! KS "N =' n! 2!=; * """ ,$%,, 3*B """ ,2%,& TS ;=$%;=(4!=& This Chroni/le o0 the 7uture is entirely devoted to the ne?t Buddha!=$ *b8 $$0! =1E12'0! 12,0! *bu 29(%;'2 ;'=E;;(%;&1 ;&&!== *vp 12$%12,E1;2%1;&!

=, * "" 1%$& 3*B "" &%&14 3Mah+pad+na Suttanta4!=( M sutta n! 12; 3M:S """ 1=;%1=94!=9 CSM &2(%&;'!

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-hen the time is right he des/ends into his motherPs .omb ,1 mind0ul and a.are! e is a.are it is hislast e?isten/e! At that time there is an illimitable splendid radian/e throughout the universe! is motheris prote/ted by 0our *evas during the gestation period! is mother does not brea8 the 0ive pre/eptsduring her pregnan/y and she is not attra/ted to any man! The mother is surrounded by all the pleasureso0 the 0ive senses! She su00ers 0rom no illness and she /an see the Bodhisatta in her .omb! e is seated/ross@legged in the .omb 0a/ing out.ard!

is mother gives birth in a standing position and in a 0orest! The Bodhisatta Metteyya .ill be born inthe deer par8 at "sipatana! ,2 The 0eet o0 the baby are pla/ed in a golden /loth! e is re/eived 0irst by *evasand a0ter.ards by men! Be0ore his 0eet tou/h the ground 0our *evas present him to his mother saying<e6oi/e lady 0or mighty is the son that is born to you! e /omes 0orth .ithout any stain! T.o sho.erso0 /ool and .arm .ater 0all 0rom the s8y to bathe the mother and the Bodhisatta! e ta8es seven steps tothe north surveys the 0our Guarters and pronoun/es the lionPs roar that he is supreme in the .orld!-hen he is born an illimitable splendid radian/e is seen throughout the universe! Seven days a0ter the

birth o0 the Bodhisatta his mother dies and is reborn in the Tusita *eva .orld!,;

-hen Bodhisatta Metteyya is reborn in the human .orld li0e on earth .ill be li8e li0e in a *eva .orld!-omen .ill marry at the age o0 0ive hundred! There .ill only be three diseases5 desire 3to eat4 3 icchā4sluggishness a0ter eating 3anasana4 and old age 3 0arā4!,& "ndia .ill have KetumatJ 3present@day Baranasi4 asits /apital /ity! "n addition there .ill be (&''' /ities .ith 9'''' /rores o0 prin/es! ,$ "ndia,= .ill e?tend 0or1''''' leagues! "t .ill be .ithout thorns /lear .ith green grass! There .ill be grass .hi/h is 0our in/heshigh and so0t as /otton! The /limate .ill al.ays be good! The rains .ill be even and the .inds .ill beneither too hot nor too /old! The rivers and ponds .ill not la/8 .ater! There .ill be .hite sand that is notrough the siHe o0 peas and beans! The /ountry .ill be li8e an adorned garden! The villages .ill be /losetogether 0ull o0 people .ithout interval!

The people .ill be tranGuil sa0e and 0ree 0rom danger! They .ill be happy and 6oy0ul en6oying0estivals! They .ill have plenty to eat and drin8! "ndia .ill be delight0ul li8e ]la8amanda the /apital /ityo0 the Kurus! The /apital /ity o0 lndia ,, KetumatJ .ill be t.elve leagues long and seven leagues .ide!,(

The /ity .ill have beauti0ul lotus ponds 0ull o0 .ater that is 0ragrant /lear /lean /ool and s.eet! Theponds .ill be a//essible to people at all times! There .ill be seven ro.s o0 palm trees and .alls o0 seven

/olours made o0 6e.els .ill surround the /ity!

"n sGuares at the gates o0 the /ity there .ill be shining .ishing trees5 one blue one yello. one redand one .hite!,9 *ivine adornments and ornaments as .ell as all sorts o0 .ealth and possessions .ill behanging on the trees!

The Wheel.turning Monarch Sa/kha

At this time there .ill be a -heel@turning Monar/h named Sa8ha! ('"n a past li0e he and his 0ather hadmade a hut 0or a a//e8a Buddha! They had him stay there 0or the three months o0 the rains retreat and

,' CSM ;(9 mentions three su/h tumults and says the 0our guardian *evas .ill ma8e the announ/ement o0 a

Buddha! .llus! 1;'0! mentions 0ive tumults and says the Brahm+s o0 the Suddh+v+sa Brahm+ .orld announ/e aBuddha!,1 A//ording to *bu he is /on/eived on the 0ull@moon day o0 ]s+Dha 3une@uly4!,2 A//ording to *vp 12=E1;;!,; See Th@a " $'2! 7rom the Tusita .orld she goes to the T+vatiIsa .orld to hear the Abhidhamma!,& The translation o0 the 0irst t.o diseases is based on the /ommentary to * """ ,$ 3Sv ($$4! 6 "" ;2; says these mean

314 the /raving .hi/h is a .ish to be a *eva 3 !eva(atthana-ta+hā4 324 hunger 3khudā4 and 3;4 the de/ay o0 old age3 (ari(āka-0arā4!

,$ *bu 299E;;9!,= An+g vv ;;%&2!,, An+g vv ( 1$%2'!,( *bu 299E;;( says one league .ide!,9 A//ording to *bu 1'=E;&& a .ishing tree .ill spring up through the merit o0 the seven@days .al8 made by the

Bodhisatta in the past li0e .hen he .ent to see Buddha Sirimutta!(' #ot to be /on0used .ith the Bodhisatta Sa8ha! A//ording to *bu the 0uture Sa8ha is a *eva named Mah+@#aDa8+ra 3/0! *@t &;4! #aDa8+ra .as the name o0 Mah+@an+da in the T+vatiIsa *eva .orld 3a "N ;1(%;2;4!

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then gave him three robes! "n the same .ay they had seven a//e8a Buddhas stay in the hut! The 0atherand son(1 .ere reborn in the T+vatiIsa *eva .orld and Sa88a reGuested that the 0ather be reborn in thehuman .orld as rin/e Mah+@an+da! The ar/hite/t 0or the *evas Nissa8amma built a pala/e 0or Mah+@an+da! *uring the time o0 Buddha >otama Mah+@an+da .as the lder Bhadda6i .ho on one o//asionraised up the Mah+@an+da pala/e 0rom the bottom o0 the >anges! The pala/e still .aits there 0or the0uture Sa8a .ho .as the son that gave to the a//e8a Buddhas in the past! (2

-hen Sa8ha be/omes the -heel@turning Monar/h he .ill raise up the Mah+@anada pala/e .hi/h.ill serve as his pala/e in the /entre o0 KetumatJ! The pala/e is des/ribed as resplendent .ith many

6e.els so bright it is hard to loo8 at!(; And he .ill possess the seven treasures o0 a -heel@turningMonar/h5 the .heel elephant horse gem .i0e householder and adviser! (&

Through the merit o0 Sa8ha there .ill be a sGuare in the middle o0 the /ity .ith 0our halls 0a/ing the0our dire/tions .ith .ishing trees! anging 0rom the trees there .ill be all sorts o0 0ine garments drumsand 6e.ellery!

Through the merit o0 the people at that time there .ill be ri/e that gro.s .ithout being /ultivated! "t.ill be pure s.eet@smelling and the grains .ill be ready@hus8ed! The residents o0 KetumatJ .ill have.hatever they .ant! They .ill be very ri/h! They .ill .a8e up to the sound o0 drums and lutes! They .ill

be e?/eedingly happy in both body and mind!($

King Sa8haPs pala/e .ill have (&''' dan/ing girls!(= e .ill have one thousand sons valiant o0heroi/ 0orms /rushing enemy armies!(, The eldest son(( .ill be the 8ingPs adviser! The 8ing .ill /onGuerthe sea@girt land 3o0 "ndia4 .ithout violen/e .ithout a s.ord but rather by righteousness!

The Career o% Bodhisatta Metteyya

The Bodhisatta .ill be the son o0 the -heel@turning Monar/hPs head priest Subrahma and his .i0eBrahmavatJ!(9 e .ill be named A6ita and he .ill bear the [email protected] mar8s and eighty minor mar8s thatare /ommon to Buddhas and -heel@turning Monar/hs! 9' e .ill lead the household li0e 0or eightthousand years! e .ill have 0our pala/es named5 91 SirivaWWha NaWWham+na Siddhattha and Canda8a!e .ill have 1''''' dan/ing girls!92 is .i0e .ill be Candamu8hJ9; and his son .ill be namedBrahmavaddhana!

Bodhisattas de/ide to give up household li0e a0ter they have seen the 0our signs 3an old man a si/8man a dead man and a /ontented man .ho has gone 0orth 0rom lay li0e4 and a0ter a son is born to them!They put on the yello. robe and engage in striving! The Bodhisatta Metteyya .ill go 0orth in one o0 his

(1 The a//ount in a #o! &(9 says the 0ather be/ame Mah+@an+da! Sv """ ($= says it .as the son and that the 0atheris still in the *eva .orlds! * &; gives his name as #aDa8+ra 3the bas8et ma8er4 .hi/h .ould mean both 0ather andson had this name in the *eva .orlds! *vp 3119%12,E12=%1;&4 gives their names as #+va@8huddha8a@#aDa8+ra 3orCula@#aDa8+ra4 meaning the younger #aDa8+ra and eha8a@#aDa8+ra 3or eha@#aDa8+ra4 meaning the older#aDa8+ra so that here too it is the 0ather .ho .ill be the 0uture Sa8ha!

(2 Sv "ll ($=0! says that the pala/e has not disappeared be/ause o0 the meritorious a/t done by both the 0ather and

son in the past! Thus it a.aits the 0uture 8ing Sa8ha to be en6oyed by him!(; An+g vv 12%1&! C0! Th vv 1=;%1=&!(& "n *vp 312$E1;24 his /areer as a -heel@turning Monar/h is des/ribed as 0ollo.ing the pattern 0or other

Monar/hs 3see *# "" 1;&;00!4!($ An+g vv 2,%;2!(= *bu ;''E;;(! Th v 1=&5 =''' musi/ians dan/ed there!(, * """ ,$ 3*B """ ,;4! This is a /ommon 0eature to all -heel@turning Monar/hs see Sn p! 1'= 3>* 9=4!(( e .ill have the same name as the Bodhisatta in that li0e5 A6ita 3a//ording to *bu ;''E;;(4!(9 Also mentioned in Nism /hap! X""" 12, and As &1$ 3?pos! $2$4! *vp 312=E1;;4 gives the mother_s name as

a6+patJ!9' 7or the list o0 the ;2 mar8s see * " 1,%19 3*B " 1&1=4! The (' minor mar8s are given in the introdu/tion to *b8!91 This is the only /ase in .hi/h a Bodhisatta is said to have 0our rather than three pala/es! As ea/h o0 the three

pala/es .ere used 0or one o0 the three seasons .e /an surmise that there .ill be 0our seasons during the time o0 the

ne?t Buddha! *bu 3;''E;;94 and *vp 312=E1;;4 mention only three pala/es!92 *bu 3;''E;;94 says ,'''''!9; A//ording to *vp 312=E1;24 she .ill be the /hie0 /onsort out o0 1''' .ives!

2'



pala/es! A//ompanied by his 0ollo.ers he .ill 0ly through the air in the pala/e and go to the #+ga tree.hi/h .ill be his Bodhi tree! e .ill engage in striving 0or seven days .hi/h is the minimum period!

There is a detailed a//ount o0 these events in the *asabodhisatta@uddesa59&

At the age o0 eight thousand years the Bodhisatta .ill mount a /hariot that resembles a glorious/elestial pala/e and .hen going to the royal par8 he .ill see the 0our signs! They .ill produ/e the8no.ledge o0 a sense o0 urgen/y! And he .ill long 0or the state o0 going 0orth! Then he .ill return and goup to his pala/e! is mind .ill be bent on the state o0 going 0orth! At that moment that 6e.el pala/e .ill0ly up by a path in the s8y and he .ill leap up into the s8y li8e the 8ing o0 the golden .ater 0o.ltogether .ith his 0ollo.ers!

Then the *evas o0 the ten thousand .orld systems .ill ta8e 0lo.ers and honour him! The eighty@0ourthousand 8ings 3o0 "ndia4 the people 0rom the /ities and 0rom the /ountryside .ill honour him .ithper0ume and 0lo.ers! The 8ing o0 the Asuras .ill guard the pala/e! The 8ing o0 the #+gas .ill ta8e 3him4a pre/ious gem the 8ing o0 the SupaRRas .ill ta8e 3him4 a 6e.el ne/8la/e the 8ing o0 >andhabbas .illhonour him .ith musi/al instruments and dan/ers! The -heel@turning Monar/h together .ith his/onsorts and 0ollo.ers .ill go to the Bodhisatta!

By the po.er o0 the 8ing and the po.er o0 the >reat Being all that /ro.d .ill be established in thestate o0 going 0orth and the people .ill rise into the s8y .ith him and go to the Bodhi treeL! Then theMah+@Brahm+ .ill ta8e a si?ty@league parasol and hold it over themL! The *eva 8ing Sa88a .ill blo. theNi6ayuttara9$ /on/h shell! The 8ing o0 the +ma *evasL Suy+ma .ill ta8e a ya8Ps tail 0an and honour him!The 8ing o0 the Tusita *evasL Santusita .ill hold a 6e.el 0an! The >andhabba *evaL a/asi8ha .illta8e his /elestial lute NelupaRWa9= and play it! The 0our >reat *evaL Kings s.ords in hand .illsurround them on all 0our sides! All those *evas all those people and >andhabbas all those a88has#+gas and SupaRRas surrounding him in 0ront in ba/8 and on both sides .ill go .ith him! Surrounded

by that /ro.d o0 *evas .omen et/! o0 great splendour and beauty he the BodhisattaL .ill rise into thes8y and thenL des/end near the Terra/e o0 A.a8ening! At that moment the Mah+@Brahm+ .ill ta8e theeight reGuisites o0 an as/eti/L /reated by his psy/hi/ po.ers and o00er them to him! Then the >reat Being.ill /ut o00 the top8not o0 hair on his headL and thro. it up in the s8y! e .ill ta8e the eight reGuisites

0rom the hands o0 the Mah+@LBrahm+ and go 0orth! 7or seven days he .ill ma8e the >reat 00ort! And allthat great /ro.d o0 peopleL .ill 0ollo. the e?ampleL o0 the >reat Being in going 0orth!

The #+ga tree .here the Bodhisatta .ill be A.a8ened is des/ribed9, as being 12' /ubits high .ith 0our3main4 bran/hes 12' or 1;' /ubits long! There .ill be 2''' 3minor4 bran/hes! 9( The tips o0 the bran/hes.ill be bent 3/onstantly4 moving and .ill be /ontinually in bloom .ith blossoms as big as .heels! They.ill have a heavenly smell 0ull o0 pollen!99 The per0ume .ill spread around 0or ten leagues both .ith andagainst the .ind! The leaves .ill be a deep green in all seasons and the 0lo.ers .ill s/atter on the peopleall around!

The Anāgatavaṃsa1'' des/ribes the people .ho go 0orth .ith the Buddha in/luding the names o0 themost important people among them5 e .ill be a//ompanied by a large group o0 people in/luding0riends ministers and members o0 his 0amily! There .ill be a 0our0old army and an assembly o0 the 0our

/astes to go 0orth .ith him! There .ill be (&''' prin/esses and (&''' Brahm+s .ho are s8illed in theNedas! Among the (&''' there .ill be the brothers "sidatta and ur+Ra the t.ins o0 unlimited .isdom +timitta and Ni6aya the householder Suddhi8a and the 0emale dis/iple Suddhan+ the male dis/ipleSa8ha and the 0emale dis/iple Sa8h+1'1 the householder Saddara and the 0amous man Sudatta and the

9& *bu ;''E;;90!9$ Alternate reading5 Ni66uttara!9= Usually named Beluva@paRWu@vJn+! * de0ines vina as a lute but translates as 0lute 3si/4 under the entries

(a+7du and 'eluva!9, *vp 12=0!E1;& *bu ;''0!E;&' An+g vv 1''%1';!9( *bu says that 0rom the root to the e?tremity o0 the bran/hes .ill be 2'' 0eet plus &' /ubits! An+g says the trun8

.ill measure 2''' /ubits!

99 An+g v 1'' says the pollen 3o0 ea/h bloom4 .ill be enough to 0ill a nā3i measure!1'' Nv $$%=;!1'1 Alternate reading5 Sagha and Sagh+!

21



husband and .i0e Nis+8ha and asavatJ! Many other /itiHens and people 0rom the /ountryside o0 variousso/ial ran8 .ill go 0orth!

The spot on .hi/h the Bodhisattas attain A.a8ening is one o0 the 0our 0i?ed pla/es so Metteyya .illma8e his 0inal bid 0or liberation on the same spot as all the past BuddhasQthe present@day Bodha@gaya!)n the day they attain [email protected] Bodhisattas have a meal o0 mil8@ri/e! They are seated on a

spreading o0 grass! They use mind0ulness o0 breathing as their preparation 0or developing insight andshatter the 0or/es o0 M+ra! They attain the three 8no.ledges and the spe/ial Gualities not shared byothers et/! .hile still seated in the /ross@legged position! And they spend seven .ee8s near the Tree o0A.a8ening a0ter be/oming [email protected]! The Anāgatavaṃsa /ommentary says that 0rom the time he

be/omes A.a8ened Ariya Metteyya .ill be 8no.n as the King o0 the Buddhas 3Buddharā0ā4!

Then the Mah+@Brahm+ .ill reGuest that Buddha Metteyya tea/h others the path to #ibb+na!

Buddha Metteyya .ill prea/h his 0irst dis/ourse the Setting in Motion o0 the -heel o0 the *o/trine in#+gavana 3The lephant >rove4!1'2 The par8 is said to be in "sipatana near the /ity o0 KetumatJ! 1'; e .ill

be surrounded by an assembly e?tending one hundred leagues! A great many *evas .ill approa/h him atthat time and he .ill set 0ree one hundred /rores 0rom their bondage! 1'& This .ill be the 0irst o//asion.hen a great number o0 beings attain penetration 3 A'hisamaya4 into the 7our #oble Truths! 1'$

Then King Sa8ha .ill give his 6e.el pala/e to the Sagha .ith the Buddha at its head and he .illma8e a great donation to the poor the needy and beggars! A//ompanied by his .i0e and 9'''' /rores o0people the 8ing .ill approa/h the Buddha! And all that 9'''' /rores o0 people .ill be ordained .ith the.ords PCome bhi88huP 3ehi 'hikkhu4!1'= This .ill be the se/ond penetration!

A0ter that the third penetration o0 ('''' /rores .ill ta8e pla/e .hen *evas and men approa/h theBuddha .ith a Guestion /on/erning Arahatship!

There .ill be three assemblies 3"anni(āta4 o0 Arahats!1', The 0irst .ill in/lude 1''''' /rores! This may be as 0or many past Buddhas at the time the Buddha re/ites the +timo88ha on the 0ull@moon day o0M+gha to an assembly possessing 0our 0a/tors5 314 all the bhi88hus present are ordained .ith the Come

bhi88hu ordination 324 all have the si? types o0 higher 8no.ledge 3;4 all o0 them /ome .ithout anyprevious announ/ement and 3&4 the observan/e day 3/(osatha4 is on the 0i0teenth 3day in the bright0ortnight4!1'( The se/ond assembly .ill be at the time the Buddha pro/laims the "nvitation at the end o0the rainy season and .ill in/lude 9'''' /rores! 7or the third assembly ('''' /rores o0 Arahats .illa//ompany the Buddha .hen he goes in se/lusion on the >andham+dana slope o0 the imavantmountain range! )ther.ise the Buddha Metteyya .ill /ontinually be surrounded by 1''''' /rores o0those .ho have attained the si? types o0 higher 8no.ledge 3a'hi<<ā4 and great psy/hi/ po.er!1'9

Buddha >otama said11' that 6ust as he .as a//ompanied by a Sagha o0 hundreds o0 bhi88hus .hen he.andered around111 Buddha Metteyya .ill be a//ompanied by thousands!

Buddha Metteyya .ill go through the /ountryside tea/hing the *o/trine a.a8ening many people! 112

Some .ill ta8e the three re0uges some .ill be established in the 0ive pre/epts some .ill underta8e the

1'2

*vp 312=0!E1;&4 says it .ill be at the par8 in "sipatana near the /ity o0 Ketumat! "n this version King Sac8ha ispresent 0or the 7irst Sermon!1'; CSM &29 but /0! CB ??ii!1'& *vp 312,E1;&4 says an in/al/ulable! *bu 3;'1E;&'4 says 1'' /rores o0 humans and an unlimited number o0

*evas!1'$ The t.enty@0ive Buddhas des/ribed in the BuddhavaIsa 3in/luding Buddha >otama4 are said to have three

penetrations!1'= "n CSM 32,94 only Buddha adumuttara is des/ribed as having hi bhi88hus in a penetration! Many past

Buddhas had su/h bhi88hus in assemblies!1', Buddhas generally have three assemblies but Buddha >otama and the three Buddhas be0ore him had only one

ea/h 3* " 2%, *B " =0!L4!1'( C0! CSM 1('!1'9 An+g v (;!

11' * """ ,= 3*B """ ,&4!111 The last detail is added by the /ommentary 3Sv ($=4!112 This paragraph is based on Ang vv (,%9$!

22



ten s8il0ul a/tions! There .ill be some .ho be/ome ordained some .ho attain the 0our e?/ellent 7ruitionStates some .ho .ill attain analyti/ insight into the *o/trine some .ho .ill attain the eight e?/ellentper0e/tions some the three 8no.ledges and some the si? types o0 higher 8no.ledge! The Tea/hings o0Buddha Metteyya .ill be .idespread! Seeing people .ho are ready to be A.a8ened he .ill go 1'''''leagues in a moment to /ause them to be A.a8ened!

"t is even said that Buddha Metteyya .ill Guen/h the heat 0or beings reborn in the lo.er realms!11;

The0irst /hie0 dis/iple .ill be the -heel@turning Monar/h Sa8ha .ho .ill have the bhi88hu name o0Aso8a!11& The se/ond /hie0 dis/iple .ill be Brahmadeva! The BuddhaPs attendant .ill be named SJha! The/hie0 .omen dis/iples among the bhi88hunJs .ill be adum+ and Suman+! The /hie0 lay attendantsamong the men .ill be Sumano 11$ and Sagha11= among the .omen asavatJ and Sagh+! 11,

-herever he goes Buddha Metteyya .ill be a//ompanied by a great /ompany o0 *evas honouringhim!11( The K+mava/ari8a *evas .ill ma8e ne/8la/es .hi/h .ill be adorned by the 8ings o0 the #+gas andSupaRRas! There .ill be eight garlands ea/h o0 gold silver 6e.els and /oral! There .ill be manyhundreds o0 banners hanging do.n! A.nings adorned .ith 6e.els .ill resemble the moon! They .ill besurrounded by nets o0 bells and 6e.elled garlands! They .ill s/atter s.eet@smelling 0lo.ers and di00erentsorts o0 3per0umed4 po.der both divine and human! And there .ill be various types o0 /loth o0 many/olours! aving 0aith in the Buddha they .ill sport all around! And many marvels .ill ta8e pla/ethrough the po.er o0 Buddha MetteyyaPs merit! Seeing those marvels many people .ill de/ide they.ould rather die than abandon him as their re0uge! Many o0 them .ill attain A.a8ening and those .hodo not .ill do good deeds .hi/h lead to heavenly .orlds!

Several other details /an be predi/ted 0or Buddha Metteyya as they are part o0 the list o0 thirty thingsthat are true o0 all Buddhas5 119 e .ill live regularly at a monastery at etavana! is bed there .ill be onthe same spot as those o0 past Buddhas! e .ill per0orm the Marvel o0 the *ouble at the gate.ay to the/ity o0 S+vatthJ! e .ill tea/h the Abhidhamma to his mother in the T+vatiIsa *eva .orld! e .illdes/end 0rom that *eva .orld at the gate.ay to the /ity o0 Sa8assa!

e .ill lay do.n a rule o0 training .henever ne/essary! e .ill tell the story o0 one o0 his past lives3+ta8a4 .henever ne/essary and he .ill tea/h the BuddhavaIsa 3 The Chronicle of Buddhas4 to a gathering

o0 his relatives!Several details have to do .ith his day@to@day habits5 he .ill give a 0riendly .el/ome to bhi88hus

.hen they arrive! e .ill spend the rains retreat .here he is invited to and .ill not leave .ithout as8ingpermission! a/h day he .ill /arry out the duties to be per0ormed be0ore and a0ter meals and 0or thethree .at/hes in the night!

Many details are given about the physi/al appearan/e o0 Buddha Metteyya!12' e .ill be eighty@eight/ubits121 high! is /hest .ill be t.enty@0ive /ubits in diameter! 122 There .ill be [email protected] /ubits 0rom thesoles o0 his 0eet to the 8nees 0rom the 8nees to the navel 0rom the navel to the /ollar bone and 0rom the/ollar bone to the ape? o0 his head! is arms .ill be t.enty@0ive /ubits long! 12; The /ollar bones .ill be 0ive/ubits!12& a/h 0inger .ill be 0our /ubits! a/h palm .ill be 0ive /ubits! The /ir/um0eren/e o0 the ne/8 .ill

be 0ive /ubits! a/h lip .ill be 0ive /ubits!12$ The length o0 his tongue .ill be ten /ubits! is elevated nose

11; Sh """ v 2'!11& #ames o0 the /hie0 dis/iples are 0ound in An+g vv 9,%99! The /ommentary in B# =;'E(=2 gives the in0ormation

/on/erning Sa8ha ta8ing the bhi88hu name o0 Aso8a!11$ Alternate reading in B# =;'E(=25 Suddhana!11= Alternate reading5 Sa8ha!11, Alternate reading5 Sa8h+! These t.o pairs are identi0ied as lay dis/iples in B# =;'E(=2!11( *etails in this paragraph are 0rom Ang vv 112%12;!119 CSM &2(00!12' *b8 $$E=1 *bu ;'1E;&' Ang vv 1'$%1'9!121 Miss orner says that a /ubit 3hattha4 is the distan/e bet.een the elbo. and the tip o0 the e?tended middle

0inger 3CB ??ii4!122 *b8 says 2$ /ubits broad and 2$ /ubits length.ise! *bu says 2$ /ubits thi/8!

12; *bu says &' /ubits!12& *bu says 0rom one shoulder to the other .ill be 2$ /ubits!12$ *bu says 1$ /ubits but a variant reading gives $!

2;



.ill be seven /ubits! a/h eye so/8et .ill be seven /ubits! The eyes themselves .ill be 0ive /ubits! The Anāgatavaṃsa says12= his eyelashes .ill be thi/8 that the eyes .ill be broad and pure not .in8ing day ornight12, and that .ith his physi/al eye he .ill be able to see large and small things all around 0or tenleagues .ithout obstru/tion! The spa/e bet.een the eyebro.s .ill be 0ive /ubits! 12( The eyebro.s .ill be0ive /ubits! a/h ear .ill be seven /ubits! 129 The /ir/um0eren/e o0 his 0a/e .ill be t.enty@0ive /ubits!1;' Thespiral o0 the protuberan/e on his head 1;1 .ill be t.enty@0ive /ubits!

<ays o0 si? /olours .ill radiate 0rom his body and illumine the 1'''' .orld systems! 1;2 The ma6or andminor mar8s .ill al.ays be visible as /ountless hundreds o0 thousands o0 rays 1;; .hi/h .ill shine in alldire/tions 0or t.enty@0ive leagues!1;& Through the merit a/Guired .hen the blood 0lo.ed 0rom his head.hen he o00ered it to Buddha Sirimata his radian/e as a Buddha 3 Buddha-(athā4 .ill shine 0rom thesummit o0 the .orld to the lo.est o0 the hells AvJ/i and the o00ering o0 his head and the drops o0 blood.ill mean that the radian/e 0rom the hair bet.een his eyebro.s .ill be unlimited!1;$

eople .ill not be able to distinguish night 0rom day! 1;= The only .ay they .ill 8no. .hen it is night isthrough the sound o0 bird /ries and the /losing o0 the blossoms and leaves o0 lotuses and .ater lilies!They .ill 8no. it is day by the /ries o0 birds going to see8 0ood and the opening o0 the 0lo.ers and leaveso0 lotuses and .ater lilies!1;,

-herever Buddha Metteyya .al8s lotuses .ill spring up 0or him to step on! 1;( This is said to be theresult o0 his great e00ort in the past li0e .hen he .as King Sa8ha and .ent to Buddha Sirimata! 1;9 Themain petals o0 the lotuses .ill be thirty /ubits and the minor petals t.enty@0ive! The stamens .ill bet.enty /ubits1&' the pistils .ill be si?teen /ubits and they .ill be 0ull o0 red pollen!1&1

But even Buddhas are sub6e/t to the la. o0 impermanen/e! ventually Buddha Metteyya .ill attain0inal #ibb+na! All Buddhas have a meal .ith meat on the day o0 their 0inal #ibb+na! Be0ore their 0inal#ibb+na they .ill have a//omplished 2&''''' /rores o0 attainments!1&2 A//ording to the Anāgatavaṃsa/ommentary .hen Ariya Metteyya attains 0inal #ibb+na he .ill not leave behind his human body35i(āka-kamma0a-r6(a Pthe body produ/ed by the 0ruition o0 volitional a/tionsLP4 he .ill enter the elemento0 #ibb+na 3)i''āna-dhātu4 and no reli/s .ill remain! Although the poem says his dispensation .ill last0or 1('''' years1&; the /ommentary says it .ill /ontinue 0or ;('''' years!

0o1 to Meet Buddha Metteyya

The *asabodhisatta@uddesa and Anāgatavaṃsa both give instru/tions on .hat people must do i0 they areto meet Buddha Metteyya! This is very important 0or all those .ho do not attain at least the 0irst stage o0A.a8ening during this Buddha *ispensation 0or as .e have seen Buddha Metteyya .ill be the last

12= N 1'=!12, Usually given as a sign o0 a *eva or a88ha!12( *bu says &!129 *bu says $!1;' *b8 has the /ir/le o0 the 0a/e and ears 3trans!5 ea/h auri/le4! *b85 ka++a-mukha-ma+7alaṃH !'u: mukha-

ma+7alaṃ!1;1

*bu ;'15 āvatta-u+hīsaṃ! This mar8 is not entirely /lear as it seems an e?/eptionally high 0igure!1;2 *b8 $$E12' *bu ;'1E;&'!1;; An+g v 1'9!1;& An+g v 1', *b8 =1E12(!1;$ *bu ;'=E;&&!1;= A//ording to *bu 31'=E;&&4 he .ill shine both day and night through the merit he a/Guired 0rom the blood

.hi/h 0lo.ed 0rom his legs and 0eet .hen he .ent to see Buddha Sirimata in a past li0e!1;, *b8 12'0!E$$ *bu ;'10!E;&'!1;( *etails 0rom Ang Nv 11'0! *b8 $$E121 and *bu ;'2E;&1!1;9 *b8 =1E12(!1&' :e0t out o0 the translation o0 *b8 3p! $$4!1&1 *b8 translates pollen o0 ten /ubits 0or dasa-dasa-sam(annā ne+6 .hi/h should perhaps mean 0illed .ith tens

3o0 loads4 o0 pollen 3*bu has dasā-dasa-amma+a-re+ukā, amma+a meaning a load4! The siHe o0 an amma+a is not

8no.n pre/isely but .ould be a large Guantity!1&2 CSM &;'!1&; An+g v 1;&

2&



Buddha to arise in this .orld /y/le! "0 a person does not attain A.a8ening in this .orld /y/le it .ill bee?tremely di00i/ult to get another opportunity!

"n the *asabodhisatta@uddesa1&& Buddha >otama says to Nen! S+riputta #ot all men .ill see myphysi/al body! "0 they en/ounter my Tea/hings 3sāsana4 give gi0ts 3dāna4 observe morality 3sīla4 and/ultivate development o0 the mind 3'hāvana4 through the 0ruit o0 that they .ill be reborn in the time o0

Buddha Ariya Metteyya!These three a/tions are the basis o0 meritorious a/tion 3 (u<<a4!1&$ Through these a/tions a person /an be

assured o0 rebirth in the higher planes o0 e?isten/e! *eveloping the mind leads to the temporary purityattained through the h+na states! But it /an also lead to insight 3 5i(assanā4 and true liberation!

The Anāgatavaṃsa1&= gives more details! "n order to meet Buddha Metteyya people should put 0orthe00ort 3viriya4 and be 0irm 3da3ha4 .ith agitated mind 3u''igga@mānasa4! -e /an surmise that agitatedmind means the pro0ound stirring o0 the mind or sense o0 urgen/y 3 saṃvega4 that /omes 0rom realisingthe urgent need to .or8 0or liberation! All those .ho do good deeds and .ho are vigilantQ.hether theyare bhi88hus bhi88hunJs laymen or lay.omenQ.ill be able to en/ounter the ne?t Buddha! All those.ho pay great honour to the Buddha .ill see the auspi/ious assembly o0 Buddha Metteyya! The holy li0e3'rahma-cariya4 should be pra/tised! >i0ts 3dāna4 should be given! The )bservan/e days 3/(osatha4 should

be 8ept! :oving 8indness 3mettā4 should be /are0ully developed! By delighting in vigilan/e andmeritorious a/tions it .ill be possible to eventually ma8e an end to misery 3dukkha4!

Nen! :edi Sayada.1&, points out that it is ne/essary to ma8e balan/ed e00ort in terms o0 good /ondu/t3cara+a4 and right 8no.ledge 3vi00ā4 i0 one is to meet the ne?t Buddha!

<ight /ondu/t means developing morality 3sīla4 and /on/entration 3samādhi4! Kno.ledge meansdeveloping .isdom 3 (a<<ā4! <ight /ondu/t /an be /ompared to having sound limbs! <ight 8no.ledge /an

be /ompared to being able to see! "0 one or the other is missing a person .ill be unsu//ess0ul! A personmay be generous and 8eep the permanent moral rules o0 the 0ive pre/epts and the eight pre/epts on)bservan/e days but i0 the seeds o0 8no.ledge are not planted that person may meet Buddha Metteyya

but not be able to be A.a8ened! "0 only 8no.ledge is developed .rong /ondu/t .ill mean that the/han/es o0 en/ountering the ne?t Buddha .ill be slight due to the intervening period 3antara-ka((a4

bet.een this Buddha *ispensation and the ne?t one!?amples o0 .rong /ondu/t mentioned by Nen! :edi Sayada. are5 not being generous being poorly

guarded in physi/al a/tions being unrestrained in spee/h and un/lean in thought! Su/h /ondu/t .illmean rebirth in the lo.er realms either in the ne?t li0e or in a 0uture li0e! "0 people .ho a/t in this .ay domanage to be reborn in a higher .orld their la/8 o0 generosity .ill mean they .ill en/ounter hardshipstrials and tribulations in ma8ing a living! Through not 8eeping the pre/epts they are li8ely to meet .ithdisputes Guarrels anger and hatred and they .ill be sus/eptible to diseases and ailments! This .illma8e it even harder to avoid a/tions leading to the lo.er .orlds!

"t may be possible ho.ever that a person today has already prepared in the past 0or attainingA.a8ening! "0 the right e00ort is made in this li0e that person /an rea/h at least the 0irst stage o0A.a8ening and be/ome a Sot+panna! Then it .ill be impossible to do any a/tion that results in rebirth in

the lo.er realms! This .ill not ne/essarily mean that su/h a person .ill miss the opportunity to see thene?t Buddha! ventually as a #on@returner he or she /an be reborn in the Suddh+v+sa Brahm+ .orldsand li0e in these .orlds /an span the /areers o0 several Buddhas!1&(

"0 a person .ho has enough per0e/tions 3 (āramī 4 to rea/h A.a8ening in this li0etime does not ma8e thene/essary e00ort it may be possible to be/ome a Sot+panna in the ne?t li0e in the *eva .orlds! "0 su/h aperson does not pra/tise the 0a/tors leading to A.a8ening he or she .ill miss out entirely during thisBuddhaPs *ispensation and .ill only be able to attain release during the ne?t BuddhaPs *ispensation!

1&& ;'=E;&&!1&$ *B """ 211!1&= Nv 1;(%1&2!

1&, MB 1,=%1,2! C0! Nism /hap! N"l ;'!1&( See *B "" ;9%&1! Buddha >otama re/ounts ho. the Brahms in the Suddhvsa .orlds told him about the si?Buddhas be0ore him!

2$



Nen! :edi Sayada.Ps instru/tions /on/erning the ne/essary .or8 to be done in this li0e in/lude .hatshould be done by a person .ho pra/tises bare insight meditation! 1&9 )ne should 0ul0il the 0irst eleven o0the 0i0teen good a/tions 3cara+a-dhammā41$' that is to say all e?/ept the h+na states! The 0irst 0our a/tionsare5 314 being moral1$1 324 guarding the sense doors 3;4 being moderate in eating and 3&4 .a8e0ulness!

The ne?t seven Gualities are the seven good states 3saddhammā4 .hi/h the Buddha /ompared to the

various prote/tions 0or the /itiHens o0 a royal border to.n51$2

314 7aith 3saddhā4 in the Buddha is li8e a deeply embedded pillar!

324 Modesty 3hiri4 is li8e a deep .ide moat and means the dis/iple is ashamed o0 .rong /ondu/t in body spee/h and mind!

3;4 Shrin8ing 0rom doing .rong 3otta((a4 is li8e a high .ide road surrounding the /ity and means thedis/iple is /on/erned .ith avoiding .rong /ondu/t in body spee/h and mind!

3&4 Being o0 great learning 3'ahu-sacca4 is li8e a great armoury o0 spears and s.ords! A person .ho hasheard mu/h .ho remembers .hat .as heard and .ho treasures it means a person .ho 8no.s theBuddhaPs *o/trine!

3$4 nergy 3viriya4 is li8e a large army prote/ting the /ity 0or a person should rouse energy to get rid o0uns8illed mental states to a/Guire s8illed mental states to be stead0ast 0irm in advan/e and persevere.ith s8illed mental states!

3=4 Mind0ulness 3sati4 is li8e a .ise intelligent gate 8eeper .ho re0uses entran/e to un8no.n peopleand only lets in those .ho are 8no.n! A person should have the highest degree o0 mind0ulness anddis/rimination!

3,4 -isdom 3 (a<<ā4 is li8e a high .ide rampart /overed .ith plaster! A person should possess .isdomleading to 3the /utting o00 o04 rise and 0all .ith the noble penetration leading to the /omplete destru/tiono0 misery!

All seven o0 these good states enable a person to abandon .rong a/tions and /ultivate good a/tions toabandon .hat is blame.orthy and develop blamelessness! Thus he develops purity!

-e need not .orry about .hether .e .ill be able to attain the goal o0 #ibb+na in this li0e or .hether.e .ill only be able to do so under Buddha Ariya Metteyya! "0 .e ma8e the best e00ort .e /an su/hGuestions .ill ta8e /are o0 themselves! -e must gro. as mu/h as possible in sīla, samādhi and (a<<ā/on0ident that in this .ay .e .ill be able to /ome to the end o0 all su00ering!

Truth -ill TriumphV

1&9 "ukkha-vi(assaka literally one .ho develops OdryP insight!

1$' Nism /hap! N"" ;'0! 7or a dis/ussion o0 these see M:S "" 2'%2$!1$1 Nen! :edi Say+da. says generosity is in/luded here!1$2 See >S "ll ,1%,;! -e dis/uss them in the order 0ound there! The 0hānas are added to the seven there!

2=



A22endi- A3

The Chronicle of the Future Buddha

Anāgatava!a Pā"i

#$%

)amo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato "ammā-"am'udhassa

@ "āri(utto mahā-(a<<o /(atisso vināyakodhamma-senā(ati dhīro u(etvā loka-nāyakaṃ

I anāgataṃ 0in āra''ha ā(ucchi ka4kham attano:tuyh ānantariko dhīro Buddho kīdisako 'haveG

J vitthāren eva taṃ sotum iccham, ācikkha cakkhumā?therassa vacanaṃ sutvā 'hagavā etad a'ravi:

K ana((akaṃ (u<<a-rāsiṃ A0itassa mahā-yasaṃna sakkā sa''aso vattuṃ vitthāren eva kassa-ciHeka-desena vakkhāmi, "āri(utta, su+ohi me?

L imasmiṃ Bhaddake ka((e a0āte vassa-ko*iye Metteyyo nāma nāmena sam'uddho dvi(ad uttamo

mahā-(u<<o mahā-(a<<o mahā-nānī mahā-yasomaha''alo mahā-thāmo u((a00issati cakkhumāH

N mahā-gati sati c eva dhītimā 'āhusaccavāsaṃkhāto sa''a-dhammānaṃ nāto di ho su(hassito (ariyogā3ho (arāma**ho u((a00issati so 0ino?

O tadā 2etumatī nāma rā0adhāni 'havissatidvādasa-yo0an-āyāmā satta-yo0ana-vitthatā,

P āki++ā nara-nārīhi, (āsādehi vicittitā,sevitā suddha-sattehi, a0eyyā dhamma-rakkhitā?

@Q "a4kho nām āsi so rā0ā ananta-'ala-vāhano,satta-ratana-sam(anno, cakkavattī maha''alo,

@@ iddhimā yasavā c eva sa''a-kāma-sama((itoHhata-(accatthikaṃ khemaṃ anusāsissati dhammato?

@I (āsādo sukato tattha di''a-vimāna-sādiso

(u<<akamma'hini''ato nānā-ratana-cittito@J vedikāhi (arikkhitto suvi'hatto manoramo (a'hassar accuggato se ho duddikkho cakkhu-musano

@K ra<<o Mahā-anādassa (avatto ratanāmayotaṃ y6(aṃ ussa(etvāna "a4kho rā0ā vasissati?

@L atha(i tasmiṃ nagare nānā-vīthī tahiṃ-tahiṃsumā(itā (okkhara+i rama+īyā su(atitthā

1$; " .ish to than8 Mr! K!<! #orman 0or his help in translating the Anāgatavaṃsa! " am responsible o0 /ourse 0orthe 0inal version and any mista8es in it! " hope to prepare an edition .ith 0ull /riti/al apparatus but this .ill only be

possible a0ter the unpublished /ommentary has been e?amined in detail! Mr #orman has revised this translation andpublished it .ith his notes in the 1ournal of the ali Te%t "ociety Nol! XXN""" pp! 19%;, 3reprinted in his Collecteda(ers Nol! N""" pp! 2&2%='4!Q-illiam ruitt

2,



@ acchodakā vi((asannā sādu-sītā sugandhikāsama-titthikā kāka-(eyyā atho vāluka-saṃthatā

@N (adum u((ala-saṃchannā sa''otuka-m-anāva ā?satt eva tāla-(antiyo sattava++ika-(ākārā

@O ratanamayā (arikkhittā nagarasmiṃ samantato?2usāvatī rā0adhānī tadā 2etumatī 'have?

@P catukke nagare-dvāre ka((a-rukkhā 'havissarenīlaṃ (ītaṃ lohitakaṃ odātan ca (a'hassarā?

IQ ni''attā di''a-dussāni di''ā c eva (asādhanāu(a'hoga-(ari'hogā ca sa''e tatth6(alam'are?

I@ tato nagara-ma00hamhi catu-sālaṃ catummukhaṃ (u<<akamma'hini''atto ka((a-rukkho 'havissati?

II ka((āsikan ca koseyyaṃ khoma-kodum'arāni ca (u<<akamma'hini''attā ka((a-rukkhesu lam'are?

IJ (ā+issarā muti4gā ca mura0 ā3am'arāni ca (u<<akamma'hini''attā ka((a-rukkhesu lam'are?

IK (arihārakan ca kāy6raṃ gīveyyaṃ ratanāmayaṃ (u<<akamma'hini''attā ka((a-rukkhesu lam'are?

IL u++ataṃ mukha(hullan ca a4gadā ma+i-mekhalā (u<<akamma'hini''attā ka((arukkhesu lam'are?

I a<<e ca nānā-vividhā sa'' ā'hara+a'h6sanā (u<<akamma'hini''attā ka((a-rukkhesu lam'are?

IN āro(itaṃ sayaṃ-0ātaṃ (u<<akammena 0antunaṃaka+aṃ athusaṃ suddhaṃ sugandhaṃ ta+7ula-(halaṃ

aka**ha-(ākimaṃ sāliṃ (ari'hun0anti mānusā?IO dve sakala-sahassāni dve sakala-satāni casakalā sattati c eva am'a+aṃ so3asaṃ 'have?

IP atho (i dve ca tum'āni ta+7ulāni (avuccareeka-'ī0e samu((anna (u<<akammena 0antunaṃ?

JQ ye 2etumatiyā viharanti "a4khassa vi0ite narātadā (i te 'havissanti gu+i-kāy6radhārino

J@ sam(u++a-mana-sa4ka((ā sumukhā th6la-ku+7alāhari-candana-litt-a4gā kāsik uttama-dhārino

JI 'ah6ta-vittā dhanino vī+ā-tāla-((a'odhanā

accanta-sukhitā niccaṃ kāya-cetasikena ca?

JJ dasa yo0anasahassāni 1am'6dī(o 'havissatiaka+ ako agahano samo harita-saddalo?

JK tayo rogā 'havissanti icchā anasanaṃ 0arā, (ancavassasat itthīnaṃ vivāhā ca 'havissantiH

JL samaggā sakhilā niccaṃ avivādā 'havissare?sam(annā (hala-(u((hehi latā gum'a-vanā dumā,

J catur-a4gulā ti+a-0āti mudukā t6la-sanni'hā?natisītā naccu+ha ca sama-vassā manda-mālutā

JN sa''adā utusam(annā, an6nā ta3ākā nadī?tahiṃ-tahiṃ 'h6mi-'hāge akharā suddha-vālukākalāya-mugga-mattiyo viki++a mutta-sādisā?

2(



JO alaṃkatuyyānam iva rama+īyā 'havissati? gāmanigamā āki++ā accāsanne tahiṃ-tahiṃ

JP na3ave3u-vanam iva 'rahā kukku a-sam(atiavīci ma<<e va (hu**hā manussehi 'havissare,

KQ (agā3ham nara-nārīhi sam(u++ā (hu a'hedanāiddhā (hītā ca khemā ca anīti anu(addavā?

K@ sadā-rati sadā-khi77ā ekanta-sukha-sama((itānakkhatte vicarissanti tu**ha-ha**hā (amoditā?

KI 'ahv-a<<a-(ānā 'ahu-'hakkhā 'ahu-maṃsa-surodakā Rlakamandā va devānam visālā rā0adhāni va2ur6naṃ rama+īyo va 1am'6dī(o 'havissati?

KJ A0ito nāma nāmena Metteyyo dvi(aduttamoanu'yan0ana-sam(anno dvattiṃsavara-lakkha+o

KK suva++a-va++o vigata-ra0o su(a'hāso 0utiṃdharo yasagga((atto sirimā a'hir6(o sudassano

KL mahanu'hāvo asamo 0āyissati 'rahma+a-kule?mahaddhano mahā-'hogo mahā ca kula-m-uttamoakkhitto 0ātivādena 0āyissati 'rahma+a-kule?

K "iriva77ho 5a77hamāno ca "iddhattho c eva Candako A0itatthāya u((annā (āsādā ratanāmayā?

KN nāriyo sa''a4gasam(annā sa''ā'hara+a-'h6sitāmahāma00himakā c63ā A0itassa (aricārikā,

KO an6nā satasahassā nāriyo samalaṃkatā?Candamukhī nāma nārī, (utto so Brahmavaddhano?

KP ramissati ratisam(anno modamāno mahā-sukhe,anu'hutvā yasaṃ sa''aṃ )andane 5āsavo yathā

LQ a**ha vassa-sahassāni agāramhi vasissati?kadā-ca rati-m-atthāya gacchaṃ uyyāne kī3ituṃ

L@ kāmesv ādīnavaṃ dhīro 'odhisattāna dhammatānimitte caturo disvā kāma-rativināsane

LI 0i++aṃ vyādhitakan c eva matan ca gata-m-āyukaṃsukhitaṃ (a''a0itaṃ disvā sa''a'h6tanukam(ako

LJ ni''i++o kāma-ratiyā ana(ekkho mahā-sukheanuttaraṃ santa-(adaṃ esamāno S'hinikkhami?

LK sattaham (adhāna-cāraṃ caritvā (urisuttamo (āsāden eva la4ghitvā nikkhamissati so 0ino?

LL mittamacca-sahāyehi nāti-sālohitehi cacatura4gini-senāya (arisāhi catuva++īhi

L caturāsīti sahassehi rā0a-kannāhi (urekkhatomahatā 0ana-kāyena A0ito (a''a0issati?

LN caturāsīti sahassāni 'rahma+ā veda-(ārag6 Metteyyasmiṃ (a''a0ite (a''a0issanti te tadā?

LO .sidatto urā+o ca u'hayo te (i 'hātarocaturāsīti sahassāni (a''a0issanti te tadā?

LP 1ātimitto 5i0ayo ca yugā amita-'uddhino (accu(essanti sam'uddhaṃ caturāsīti-sahassato?

29



Q "uddhiko nāma gaha(ati "udhanā ce u(āsikā (accu(essanti sam'uddhaṃ caturāsīti-sahassato?

@ "a4kho nāma u(āsako "a4khā nāma u(āsikā (accu(essanti sam'uddhaṃ caturāsīti-sahassato?

I "udhano nāma gaha(ati "udatto iti vissuto (accu(essanti sam'uddhaṃ caturāsīti-sahassato?

J itthī asavatī nāma 5isākhā iti vissutācaturāsīti-sahassehi nāra-nārīhi (urekkhitā

K nikkhamissanti nekkhammaṃ Metteyyassanusāsane?a<<e nāgarikā c eva tato 0āna(adā 'ah6khattiyā 'rahma+ā vessā suddā c eva ana((akā

L nekkhamma'himukhā hutvā nānā-0accā mahā-0anā Metteyyassanu(a''a00aṃ (a''a0issanti te tadā?

yasmiṃ ca divase dhīro nekkhammaṃ a'hinikkhaminikkhanta-divase yeva 'hodi-ma+7am u(ehiti?

N a(arā0ita-nisa'ha-*hāne 'odhi(alla4ka-m-uttame (alla4kena nisīditva 'u00hissati mahā-yaso?

O u(etvā uyyāna-varaṃ (hullaṃ )agavanaṃ 0inoanuttaraṃ dhamma-cakkaṃ evaṃ so vattayissati:

P dukkhaṃ dukkha-samu((ādaṃ dukkhassa ca atikkamaṃariyaṃ a**ha4gikaṃ maggaṃ dukkh6(asama-gāminaṃ?

NQ tadā manussā hessanti samantā sata-yo0ane (arisā loka-nāthassa dhammaccaka-(avattane?

N@ tato 'hiyyo 'ah6 devā u(essanti tahiṃ 0inaṃ,

nesaṃ mocessati tadā 'andhanā sahassa-ko*inaṃ?NI tadā so "a4kha-rā0ā ca (āsādaṃ ratanāmayaṃ 0ina(āmokkha-sa4ghassa niyyādetvā, (una(aram

NJ mahā-dānam daditvāna ka(a+iddhika-va+i''ake,taramāna-r6(o sam'uddhaṃ deviyā saha-m-ekato

NK mahārā0anu'hāvena ananta-'ala-vāhanonavuti-ko*i-sahassehi saddhiṃ 0inam u(ehiti?

NL tadā hanissati sam'uddho dhamma-'heriṃ varuttamaṃamatadudra'hi-nigghosaṃ catusacca-(akāsanam?

N ra<<o anucarā 0anatā navuti-sahassa-ko*iyo,

sa''e va te nivavasesā 'havissant ehi-'hikkhukā?

NN tato devā manussā ca u(etvā loka-nāyakaṃarahatta-varam āra''ha (anham (ucchissare 0inaṃ?

NO tesaṃ 0ino 'yākareyya, arahatta-vara-(attiyāasīti-ko*i-sahassehi tatiya'hi'asmayo 'have?

NP khī+āsavānaṃ vimalānam santa-cittāna tādinaṃko*i-sata-sahassānam (a*hamo hessati samāgamo?

OQ vassaṃ vu hassa 'hagavato a'highu he (avāra+enavuti-ko*i-sahassehi (avāressati so 0ino?

O@ yadā ca ;imavantamhi (a''ate andhamādanehema-ra0ata-(a''hāre (aviveka-gato muni

;'



OI asīti-ko*i-sahassehi santa-cittehi tādihikhī+āsavehi vimalehi kī3issati 0hāna-kī3itaṃ?

OJ ko*i-sata-sahassāni cha3a'hi<<ā mahiddhikā Metteyyaṃ loka-nāthaṃ taṃ (arivāressanti sa''adā,

OK (a*isam'hidāsu kusalā nirutti-(ada-kovidā'ahu-ssutā dhamma-dharā viyattā sa4gha-so'hanā

OL sudantā soratā dhīrā (arivāressanti taṃ 0inaṃ? (urekkhato tehi 'hikkh6hi nāgo nāgehi tādihiti++o ti++ehi santehi saddhiṃ santi-samāgato

O saddhiṃ sāvaka-sa4ghehi (avāretvā mahā-munianukam(ako kāru+iko Metteyyo div(aduttamo

ON uddharanto 'ahu-satte ni''ā(ento sa-devake gāma-nigama-rā0adhāniṃ carissati cārikaṃ 0ino?

OO āhantivā dhamma-'heriṃ dhamma-sa4kha-(alā(anaṃdhamma-yāgaṃ (akittento dhamma-dha0aṃ samussayaṃ

OP nadanto sīha-nādaṃ va vattento cakkam uttamaṃrasuttamaṃ sacca-(ānaṃ (āyanto nara-nārinaṃ

PQ hitāya sa''a-sattānaṃ nāthanāthaṃ mahā-0anaṃ'odhento 'odhaneyyānaṃ carissati cārikam 0ino?

P@ kassa-ci sara+āgamane nivesessati cakkhumākassa-ci (anca-sīlesu kassa-ci kusale dasa,

PI kassa-ci dassati sāma<<aṃ caturo (hala-m-uttame,kassa-ci asame dhamme dassati (a*isam'hidā,

PJ kassa-ci vara-sam(attī a**ha dassati cakkhumā,

kassa-ci tisso vi00āyo cha3 a'hi<<ā (avacchati?PK tena yogena 0ana-kāyaṃ ovadissati so 0ino,tadā vitthārikaṃ hessaṃ Metteyya-0ina-sāsanaṃ?

PL 'odhaneyya-0anaṃ disvā sata-sahasse (i yo0anekha+ena u(agantvāna 'odhayissati so muni?

P mātā Brahmavatī nāma "u'rahmā nāma so (itā (urohito "a4kha-ra<<o Metteyyassa tadā 'have?

PN Asoko Brahmadevo ca aggā hessanti sāvakā,"īho nāma u(a**hāko u(a**hissati taṃ 0inaṃ?

PO adumā c eva "umanā ca aggā hessanti sāvikā,

"umano c eva "a4kho ca 'havissant aggu(a**hakā,

PP asavatī ca "a4khā ca 'havissant aggu(a**hikā?'odhi tassa 'hagavato )āgarukkho 'havissati

@QQ vīsa-hattha-sata-kkhandho, sākhā vīsa-satāni casaṃvellitagga lu3itā, mora-hattho va so'hati?

@Q@ su(u((hitaggā satataṃ sura'hi-deva-gandhikānā3ī-(6rā 'have re+u su(hullā cākka-mattakā

@QI anuvāta-(a ivātamhi vāyati dasa yo0anea00hokirissati (u((hāni 'odhi-ma+7e samantato?

@QJ samāgantvā 0āna(adā ghāyitvā gandham uttamaṃvākyaṃ nicchārayissanti tena gandhena moditā:

;1



@QK sukho vi(āko (u<<anaṃ Buddha-se hassa tādino yassa te0ena (u((hānaṃ acinteyyo (avāyati?

@QL a**hāsīti 'have hattho āyāmen eva so 0ino,uraṃ 'have (a++avīsaṃ vikkham'he tassa satthuno?

@Q visāla-netto a3ārakkhi visuddha-nayano isi,animisaṃ divā-rattiṃ a+u th6laṃ maṃsa-cakkhunā

@QN anāvara+aṃ (asseyya samantā dvādasa-yo0anaṃH (a'hā niddhāvati tassa yāvatā (a++avīsati?

@QO so'hati vi00u-la**hī va dī(a-rukkho va so 0ino,ratanagghika-sa4kāso 'hānumā viya 'hāhiti?

@QP lakkha+anu'yan0anā raṃsī dissanti sa''ākalikā, (atanti vividhā raṃsī aneka-sata-sahassiyo?

@@Q (āduddhāre (āduddhāre su(hullā (aduma ruhā,tiṃsa-hatthā samā (attā, anu(attā (a++avīsati,

@@@ kesarā vīsati-hatthā, ka++ikā so3asaṃ 'have,suratta-re+u-'haritā (adumā kokāsa-m-antare?

@@I 2āmavacarikā devā nimminissanti agghike,)āga-rā0ā ca "u(a++ā ca tadā te Sla4karissareH

@@J a**ha sova++ayā agghī a**ha r6(imayāni caa**ha ma+imayā agghī a**ha (avā3amayāni ca?

@@K aneka-ratana-saṃcitā dha0amālā-vi'h6sitālam'amānā kī3issanti dha0ā neka-satā 'ah6?

@@L ma+i-mutta-dāma-'h6sitā vitānā soma-sanni'hā (arikkhittā ki4ka+ika-0ālā vataṃsaka-ratanā 'ah6?

@@ nānā-(u((hā vikirissanti sura'higandha-sugandhikāvividhā nānā-cu++āni di''a-mānussakāni ca?

@@N vicittā nānā-dussāni (ancava++ika-so'hanāa'hi(asannā Buddhasmiṃ kī3issanti samantato?

@@O tattha sahassa-m-u''edhā dossaneyyā manoramāratanagghika-tora+ā asam'ādhā susaṃ hitā

@@P so'hamānā (adissanti visālā sa''ato-(a'hā?tesaṃ ma00ha-gato Buddho 'hikkhusa4gha(urekkhato

@IQ Brahmā va (ārisa00ānaṃ .ndo va vimānantare? gacchanti Buddhe gacchante, ti**hamānamhi thassare,

@I@ nisinne sayite ca(i satthari saha-(ārisecatu-iriyā(athe niccaṃ dhārayissanti sa''adā?

@II eta c a<<ā ca (60āyo di''a-mānussakā (i cavividhāni (ā*ihīrāni hessanti sa''akālikā

@IJ ananta(u<<a-te0ena Metteyyam a'hi(60ituṃ?disvāna taṃ (ā*ihīraṃ nānā-0accā mahā-0anā

@IK sa-(utta-dārā (ā+ehi sara+aṃ hessanti satthuno? ye 'rahmacariyaṃ carissanti sutvāna munino vacaṃ

te tarissanti saṃsāraṃ maccudheyyaṃ suduttaraṃ?

@IL 'ahu ggihī dhamma-cakkhuṃ visodhessanti te tadādasahi (u<<a-kiriyāhi tīhi sucaritehi ca

;2



@I āgamadhigamen eva sodhayitvāna s ādaramanudhamma-cārino hutvā 'ah6 sagg6(agā 'have?

@IN na sakkā sa''aso vattuṃ ettakaṃ iti vā yasaṃ?accanta-sukhitā niccaṃ tasmiṃ gate kāla-sam(ade

@IO mahā-yasā sukhena(i āyu-va++a-'alena cadi''a-sam(atti vā tesaṃ mānussānaṃ 'havissati?

@IP anu'hutvā kāma-sukhaṃ addhānaṃ yāvaticchakaṃte (acchā sukhitā yeva ni''issant āyu-sa4khayāH

@JQ asītivassa-sahassāni tadā āyu 'havissare,tāvatā ti**hamāno so tāressati 0ane 'ah6?

@J@ (ari(akka-mānase satte 'odhayitvāna sa''asoavasesadi**hasaccānaṃ maggamaggam anusāsiyā

@JI dhammokkaṃ dhamma-nāvan ca dhammādāsan ca osadhaṃsakkaccena hi sattānaṃ *ha(etvā āyatiṃ-0ane

@JJ saddhiṃ sāvakasa4ghena kata-kiccena tādinā 0alitvā aggikkhandho va ni''āyissati so 0ino?

@JK (arini''utamhi sam'uddhe sāsanaṃ tassa hāhitivassasata-sahassāni asīti c eva sahassatoH

tato (araṃ antaradhānaṃ loke hessati dāru+aṃ?

@JL evaṃ aniccā sa4khārā addhuvā tāvakālikā,ittarā 'hedanā c eva 0a00arā rittakā 'havā,

@J tucchamu**hi-samā su<<a-sa4khārā 'āla-lā(anā,na kassa-ci vaso tattho vattati iddhimassa (iH

@JN evaṃ <atvā yathā-'h6taṃ ni''inde sa''a-sa4khate?

dulla'ho (urisā0a<<o, na so sa''attha 0āyatiH yattha so 0āyati dhīro taṃ kulaṃ sukham edhati?

@JO tasmā Metteyya-'uddhassa dassanatthāya vo idhau''iggamānasā su**huṃ karotha viriyaṃ da3haṃ?

@JP ye keci kata-kalyā+ā a((amādavihārino'hikkh6 'hikkhuniyo c eva u(āsakā u(āsikā

@KQ mahantaṃ Buddha-sakkāraṃ u3āraṃ a'hi(60ayuṃdakkhinti 'hadra-samitiṃ tasmiṃ kāle sa-devakā?

@K@ caratha 'rahmacariyaṃ? !etha dānaṃ yathā Srahaṃ?u(osathaṃ u(avasatha, mettaṃ 'hāvetha sādhukaṃ?

@KI a((amāda-ratā hotha (u<<akiriyāsu sa''adā?idh eva katvā kusalam dukkhass antaṃ karissathā ti? Anāgatavaṃso ni**hito?

;;



Tran!lation

raise to That 9ne, the Blessed 9ne, the )o'le 9ne, the 8ully "elf-A#akened 9ne

1 S+riputta o0 great .isdom the leader Upatissa the 0irm general o0 the *o/trine approa/hed theleader o0 the .orld

2%; and as8ed the ConGueror about his o.n doubts .ith re0eren/e to the 0uture Buddha5 -hat .illthe .ise Buddha immediately a0ter you be li8e[ " .ish to hear this in detail! lease tell me o Seeing)ne! earing the TheraPs .ords the Blessed )ne said this5

& "t is not possible 0or anyone to des/ribe at length A6itaPs great a//umulated merit .hi/h is notsmall .hi/h is o0 great 0ame! " .ill tell you aboutL it in part! :isten o S+riputta!

$ "n this auspi/ious .orld /y/le in the 0uture in a /rore o0 years there .ill be an A.a8ened )nenamed Metteyya best o0 men

= o0 great merit great .isdom great 8no.ledge great 0ame great po.er great stead0astness he.ill be born one .ho sees!

, aving great rebirth greatL mind0ulness 0ull o0 .isdom o0 great learning he .ill be a prea/her a8no.er one .ho sees .ell .ho tou/hes and plunges into the highest goal! e .ill be born thatConGueror!

( At that time there .ill be a royal /ity named KetumatJ t.elve leagues long and seven leagues.ide

9 0ull o0 men and .omen adorned .ith pala/es 0reGuented by men and .omen in/omparablerightly prote/ted!

1' There .ill be a 8ing named Sa8ha o0 limitless strength and vehi/les possessing the seven

6e.els a -heel@turning Monar/h o0 great po.er11 having psy/hi/ po.ers 0ame en6oying all sensual pleasures and he .ill prea/h the do/trine o0Guies/en/e that destroys all its opponents!

12 A .ell@made pala/e there li8e a divine pala/e .ill arise through his merit! "t .ill beL resplendant.ith many 6e.els

1; surrounded by balustrades .ell designed delight0ul resplendant very tall the best hard to loo8at harming the eyes!

1& The 6e.el pala/e that /ame into e?isten/e 0or King Mah+@an+dassa .ill rise up 0or him and KingSa8ha .ill live in it!

1$ And then in that /ity there .ill be various streets here and there delight0ul lotus ponds .ell built .ith beauti0ul ban8s

1= 0ull to the brim o0 0ragrant /lear /lean /ool s.eet .ater .ith ban8sL stre.n .ith sand

1, pondsL /overed .ith red and blue lotuses a//essible to all people at all times! There .ill be sevenro.s o0 palm trees and .alls o0 seven /olours

1( made o0 6e.els en/ir/ling all the /ity! The royal /ity o0 Kusav+tJ at that time .ill be KetumatJ

19 "n sGuares at the gatesL o0 the /ity there .ill be shining .ishing trees oneL blue oneL yello.oneL red and oneL .hite!

2' There .ill have /ome into being divine /lothes and divine ornaments hanging there all sorts o0.ealth and possessions!

21 At that time in the middle o0 the /ity there .ill be 0our halls 0a/ing the 0our dire/tions and there.ill be anotherL .ishing tree produ/ed by his merit!

;&



22 anging 0rom those .ishing trees there .ill be /otton /loth sheaths 0la?en /loth o0 Kodumprodu/ed by his merit!

2; anging 0rom those .ishing trees there .ill be tambourines tambours and small drumsprodu/ed by his merit!

2& anging 0rom those .ishing trees there .ill be en/ir/ling bra/elets and ne/8la/es made o0 6e.elsprodu/ed by his merit!

2$ anging 0rom those .ishing trees there .ill be high oranments blooming@0a/e ornaments bra/elets and girdles produ/ed by his merit!

2= And hanging 0rom those .ishing trees there .ill be many other ornaments and de/orations o0di00erent sorts!

2, Through the a/tion o0 beingsP merits men .ill en6oy sel0@generated ri/e that has no dust no/ha00 that is pure s.eet@smelling .ith grains ready hus8ed ripened .ithout /ultivation!

2( A si?teenth o0 todaysL am'a+a measureL .ill be 22,' /artloads!

29 And at that time one grain .ill produ/e t.o tum'asQthey are /alled ri/e grainsQprodu/ed by the

a/tion o0 beingsP merits!;' The men .ho live in KetumatJ in the 8ingdom o0 Sa8ha .ill .ear armour and bra/lets!

;1 -hatever they .ant .ill be 0ul0illed! They .ill have happy 0a/es! They .ill .ear large earrings!Their bodies .ill be /overed .ith yello. sandal.ood paste! They .ill .ear garments 0rom K+si!

;2 They .ill be o0 great .ealth ri/h they .ill be .a8ed by drums and lutes! They .ill /onstantly bee?/eedingly happy in body and mind!

;; amb`dJpa .ill be ten thousand leagues .ithout thorns /lear .ith green grass!

;& There .ill be three diseases5 desire hunger and old age! The .omen .ill marry at the age o0 0ivehundred!

;$ They .ill al.ays be in unity /ongenial .ithout disputes! The vines trees and bushes .ill beeGuipped .ith 0ruit and 0lo.ers!

;= There .ill be a grass 0our@in/hes high that .ill be as so0t as /otton! There .ill be even rains andgentle .inds neither too hot nor too /old!

;, There .ill al.ays be a beauti0ul /limate! The rivers and ponds .ill not la/8 in .aterL! ere andthere in the distri/ts the pure sand .ill not be rough! "t .ill be s/attered around li8e pearls the siHeo0 peas and beans!

;( "t .ill be delight0ul li8e an adorned garden! ere and there there .ill be villages and to.ns very/lose together and 0ull o0 people!

;9 The villages and to.nsL .ill be li8e a great 0orest o0 reeds and bamboo 0ull o0 people " thin8 at a

/o/80lightPs distan/eL .ithout interval!&' Trading /ities .ill be 0illed .ith men and .omen .ho .ill be prosperous ri/h and tranGuil 0ree0rom danger and in good health!

&1 They .ill .ander about 0estivals al.ays 6oy0ul al.ays playing e?tremely happy! They .illre6oi/e happy and pleased!

&2 There .ill be mu/h 0ood and .ater mu/h to eat mu/h meat drin8 and .ater! amb`dJpa .ill bedelight0ul li8e the ]la8amand+ o0 the *evas or the broad /apital o0 the Kurus!

&;%&$ )ne named A6ita .ill be bornL Metteyya the best o0 t.o@0ooted beings .ith the [email protected]?/ellent mar8s and the eightyL minor /hara/teristi/s o0 golden /omple?ion .ithout stain verysplendid resplendent o0 the highest 0ame glorious o0 per0e/t 0orm o0 good sight o0 great po.er

in/omparable! e .ill be born in a Brahman 0amily .ith great .ealth and possessions and o0e?/ellent 0amily! There .ill be no dispute /on/erning his birth!

;$



&= 7ourL pala/es made o0 6e.els .ill have /ome into being 0or A6ita5 SirivaWWha NaWWham+naSiddhattha and Canda8a!

&, A6itaPs 0emale attendants .ill be .omen per0e/t in all their limbs adorned .ith all 8inds o0Lornaments small medium and large!

&( There .ill be a /omplete retinue o0L one hundred thousand .omen 0ully adorned! Candamu8hJ.ill be his .i0e! Brahmavaddhana .ill be his son!

&9 e .ill delight in great happiness be 6oy0ul and endo.ed .ith pleasure! e .ill en6oy all 0ameli8e #andana and N+sava!

$' e .ill live in a household 0or eight thousand years! At some time he .ill go to a par8 0orpleasure to amuse himsel0!

$1 Seeing the danger in sensual pleasures and being .ise in a//ordan/e .ith the nature o0Bodhisattas he .ill see the 0our signs .hi/h destroy sensual pleasures5

$2 an old man a si/8 man a dead man and a happy .anderer! e .ill go 0orth! aving sympathy0or all beings

$; he .ill be/ome averse to sensual pleasures! #ot loo8ing 0or the unsurpassed great happiness and bliss in see8ing honour he .ill go 0orth!

$& e .ill underta8e the pra/ti/e o0 e?ertion 0or seven days! That ConGueror .ill go 0orth leapingup into the airL .ith his pala/e!

$$%$= A6ita .ill go 0orth honoured by a great group o0 people 0riends and /ompanions bloodrelatives a 0our0old army an assembly o0 the 0our /astes and (&''' prin/esses!

$, -hen Metteyya has gone 0orth at that time (&''' Brahmans .ho are s8illed in the Nedas .ill go0orth!

$( At that time both o0 the brothers "sidatta and ur+Ra .ill go 0orth .ithL (&''' other peopleL!

$9 The t.ins +timitta and Ni6aya o0 unlimited .isdom .ill approa/h that er0e/t Buddha 0rom the(&'''!

=' The householder named Suddhi8a and the lay .oman Sudhan+ .ill approa/h the per0e/t Buddha0rom that (&'''!

=1 The lay dis/iple named Sagha and the lay .oman named Sagh+ .ill approa/h that per0e/tBuddha 0rom the (&'''!

=2 The householder named Saddhara and the reno.ned Sudatta .ill approa/h that per0e/t Buddhaout o0 the (&'''!

=; The .oman named asavatJ and the reno.ned Nis+8h+ .ill be honoured by men and .omen!

=& They .ill go 0orth in renun/iation on the admonition o0 Metteyya! )ther /itiHens and many

people 0rom the /ountry and no 0e. nobles Brahmans mer/hants and .or8ers=$ in/lined to renun/iation a great /ro.d o0 all sorts o0 birth .ill then go 0orth 0ollo.ing the going0orth o0 Metteyya!

== )n the day that -ise )ne goes 0orth in renun/iation on that very day o0 renoun/ing he .illapproa/h the dais o0 the tree o0 a.a8ening!

=, "n the pla/e o0 the un/onGuered Bulls Among Men on that supreme seat o0 a.a8ening seated ina /ross@legged position the )ne o0 >reat 7ame .ill be a.a8enend!

=( The ConGueror .ill go to the e?/ellent garden #+gavana in 0ull 0lo.er and there he .ill set inmotion the in/omparable -heel o0 the *o/trine5 =9 misery the arising o0 misery the over/oming o0misery and the #oble ight0old ath leading to the /essation o0 misery!

,' Then there .ill be a gathering o0 men all around 0or one hundred leagues .hen that prote/tor o0the .orld sets in motion the -heel o0 the *o/trine!

;=



,1 Then very many *evas .ill approa/h the ConGueror there and he .ill 0ree 1''''' /rores 0romtheir bondage!

,2%,; Then that 8ing Sa8ha having given his 6e.el pala/e to the Sagha .ith the ConGueror at itshead having given another great gi0t to the poor the needy and to beggars hurrying along .ith thisGueen he .ill approa/h the er0e/t Buddha!

,& Through the po.er o0 the great 8ing and his limitless 0or/e o0 /harriots he .ill approa/h theConGueror a//ompanied by 9'''' /rores o0 peopleL!

,$ Then the er0e/t Buddha .ill beat the drum o0 the *o/trine the e?/ellent and highest sound o0the 8ettle drum o0 the undying ma8ing 8no.n the 7our Truths!

,= The /ompany o0 people a//ompanying the 8ing all 9'''' /rores .ithout e?/eption .ill be/omeCome Bhi88hu mon8s!

,, Then *evas and men .ill approa/h the :eader o0 the -orld and as8 the ConGueror a Guestion/on/erning Arahatship!

,( That ConGueror .ill ans.er them and ('''' /rores .ill attain Arahatship! That .ill be the thirdpenetration! ,9 The 0irst assembly .ill be o0 1''''' /rores o0 those .hose taints are destroyed .hoare spotless o0 pea/e0ul minds venerable ones!

(' -hen the Blessed )ne pro/laims the "nvitation to de/lare purityL at the end o0 the rainy seasonthat ConGueror .ill be surrounded by 9'''' /rores!

(1 And .hen the Sage has gone in se/lusion to the golden and silver >andham+dana slope o0 theimavanta mountain range

(2%(; he .ill en6oy the sport o0 meditation a//ompanied byL ('''' /rores o0 those .hose taints aredestroyed .ho are spotless o0 pea/e0ul minds venerable ones! (; 1''''' /rores o0 those .hopossess the si? higher 8no.ledges .ho possess great psy/hi/ po.er .ill /onstantly surround thatrote/tor o0 the -orld Metteyya!

(& S8illed in dis/riminating 8no.ledge 8no.ing the .ords and the e?planation o0 the *o/trineLvery learnede?pert in the *o/trine 8no.ledgeable adorning the Sagha

($ .ell tamed gentle 0irm they .ill surround that ConGueror! That #+ga the BuddhaL .ill behonoured by those mon8s .ho .ill be #+gas li8e him! e .ho .ill have /rossed over together .iththose .ho have /rossed over .ho are at pea/e .ho assemble in pea/e!

(= Together .ith an order o0 dis/iples surrounding that >reat Sage the Compassionate )ne theSympatheti/ )ne Metteyya greatest o0 t.o@0ooted beings

(, raising up many individuals and *evas .ill bring them to #ibb+na! That ConGueror .ill .anderaround the to.ns and villages and /apitals!

(( e .ill beat the drum o0 the *o/trine! e .ill sound the /on/h shell o0 the *o/trine! e .illpro/laim the spiritual sa/ri0i/e! e .ill raise the banner o0 the *o/trine!

(9 e .ill roar the lionPs roar set in motion the e?/ellent .heel o0 the *o/trineL and /ause men and.omen to drin8 the drin8 o0 truth .ith its e?/ellent taste!

9' That ConGueror .ill .ander 0or the sa8e o0 all beings both ri/h and poor /ausing many people.ho are /apable o0 being a.a8ened to be a.a8ened!

91 The Seeing )ne .ill /ause some to ta8e re0uge in the Triple >emL some to ta8e the 0ive moralpre/epts and some to underta8e the ten s8il0ul a/tionsL!

92 e .ill give some the state o0 being a novi/e and the 0our e?/ellent 7ruition States! e .ill givesome dis/riminating 8no.ledge into the in/omparable *o/trine!

9; The Seeing )ne .ill give some the eight e?/ellent attainments! e .ill give some the three

8no.ledges and the si? higher 8no.ledges!

;,



9& That ConGueror .ill admonish a largeL group o0 people to underta8eL that pra/ti/e! Then theTea/hing o0 the ConGueror Metteyya .ill be .ide spread!

9$ Seeing people /apable o0 being a.a8ened that Sage .ill go 1''''' leagues in a moment and .ill/ause them to be a.a8ened!

9= At that time MetteyyaPs mother .ill be named BrahmavatJ his 0ather .ill be named Subrahmaand .ill be the priest o0 King Sa8ha!

9, is 0oremost lay dis/iples .ill be Aso8a and Brahmadeva! The layL attendant SJha .ill attend onthat ConGueror!

9( adum+ and Suman+ .ill be his 0oremost 0emale dis/iples! Suman+ and Sagha .ill be his0oremost personal attendants!

99 asavatJ and Sagha .ill be his 0oremost 0emale attendants! The #+ga tree .ill be the a.a8eningpla/eL 0or that Blessed )ne!

1'' "ts trun8 .ill be t.o thousand /ubits! "t .ill have 2'''' bran/hes .ith /urved tips al.aysLmoving! "t .ill shine li8e the outspread tail o0 a pea/o/8!

1'1 The tips o0 the bran/hesL .ill be /ontinually in 0lo.er and 0ragrant .ith a heavenly smell! The blossoms .ill be the siHe o0 .heels .ith enough pollen to 0ill a nā3i measure!

1'2 The treeL .ill send its per0ume in all dire/tions 0or ten leagues both .ith and against the .ind!"t .ill s/atter its 0lo.ers all around the throne o0 a.a8ening!

1'; eople 0rom the /ountry /oming together there .ill smell the e?/ellent odour and pour 0orth.ords o0 admirationL re6oi/ing in its odour!

1'& There .ill be a happy 0ruition o0 meritorious deeds 0or that venerable one the Best o0 Buddhas.hose unimaginable radian/e .ill spread out li8e the smell o0L the 0lo.ers!

1'$ That ConGueror .ill be eighty@eight /ubits tall! That Tea/herPs /hest .ill be t.enty@0ive /ubits indiameter!

1'= The Seer .ill have broad eyes .ith thi/8 eyelashes! is eyes .ill be pure not blin8ing day ornight! is physi/al eye .ill see small or large things

1', in all dire/tions 0or ten leagues .ithout obstru/tion! is radian/e .ill stream 0orth as 0ar ast.enty@0ive leagues!

1'( That ConGueror .ill shine li8e a strea8 o0 lightening or a /andlesti/8! e .ill shine li8e the sunresembling a garland o0 6e.els!

1'9 is [email protected] ma6orL mar8s and eightyL se/ondary mar8s .ill at all times be seen as rays!Many hundreds o0 thousands o0 di00erent sorts o0 rays .ill 0all do.n!

11' At every 0ootstep he ta8esL a beauti0ul 0lo.ering lotus .ill gro.! The lotuses .ill beL thirty/ubits a/rossL .ith even petals and t.enty@0ive minor petals!

111 The stamens .ill be t.enty /ubits long and the peri/aps .ill be si?teen /ubits long! "nside thered lotuses the 0lo.ersL .ill be 0illed .ith very red pollen!

112 The K+mava/ari8a *evas .ill ma8e /olumns o0 honour and #+ga 8ings and SupaRRa *evasL.ill de/orate them!

11; There .ill be eight /olumns o0 gold eight o0 silver eight o0 6e.els and eight made o0 /oral!

11& There .ill be many hundreds o0 0lags hanging there disporting themselvesQadorned garlandso0 0lags ornamented .ith many pre/ious things!

11$ There .ill be a.nings adorned .ith 6e.els and resembling the moon! There .ill be many 6e.elled head ornaments .ith nets o0 small bells surrounding them!

11= They .ill s/atter 0ragrant s.eet@smelling per0umed 0lo.ers and di00erent sorts o0 po.der bothhuman and divine

;(



11, and a variety o0 /loths o0 diverse /olours beauti0ul o0 the 0ive /olours! They .ill all sportaround having 0aith in the Buddha!

11( There .ill be gate.ays there .ith strings o0 6e.els a thousand /ubitsL high delight0ul beauti0ul unobstru/ted and .ell@0ormed!

119 They .ill be seen to be shining .ith their radian/e .idespread all around! The Buddha at thehead o0 the )rder o0 Mon8s .ill go in their midst

12' li8e Brahm+ in his assembly or lnda in his pala/e! -hen the Buddha goes any.hereL they .illgo .hen he stays in a pla/eL they .ill stay

121 .hen the Tea/her sits or lies do.n together .ith his assembly they .ill al.ays pra/tise thesameL 0our postures!

122 There .ill be these honours as .ell as others both human and divine! There .ill /onstantly bemany sorts o0 marvels

12; to honour Metteyya through the po.er o0 his endless merit! aving seen that marvel manypeople o0 various births manyL men .ith their 0amilies .ill only abandon the Tea/her as theirre0uge at the /ost o0 their lives!

12& -hoever pra/tises the holy li0e a0ter hearing the .ord o0 the Sage that person .ill go beyond 6ourneying@on .hi/h is sub6e/t to death and di00i/ult to es/ape 0rom!

12$ Many householders .ill puri0y the eye o0 the *o/trine by means o0 the ten meritorious a/ts andthe three types o0 right a/tion!

12= Many .ill be destined 0or heaven through being a//omplished in the traditional learning andte?ts having puri0ied themselvesL through respe/t 0or him and through 0ollo.ing the true *o/trine!

12, "t .ould not be possible to des/ribe in every detail their 0ame .hi/h .ill be so great! They .ill be /ontinually very happy! -hen they rea/h the end o0 their time in that li0eL

12( those men .ill have great 0ame as .ell as happiness! :i0e beauty and strength and heavenly

bliss in a heavenly .orldL .ill be theirs!129 They .ill e?perien/e the happiness o0 sensual pleasures 0or as long as they .ish! Thena0ter.ards at the end o0 their lives they .ill enter into trueL happiness!

1;' The BuddhaPsL li0etime there .ill be ('''' years! <emaining there that long he .ill bring manypeople to the other shore!

1;1 e .ill /ause beings .hose minds are ripe to be /ompletely a.a8ened and he .ill instru/tothers .ho have not per/eived the 0ourL truths /on/erning .hi/h is the right path and .hi/h is the.rong path!

1;2 e .ill /are0ully establish the tor/h o0 the *o/trine the boat o0 the *o/trine the mirror o0 the*o/trine the medi/ine o0 the *o/trineL 0or beings at that time andL in the 0uture!

1;; Then in the midst o0 the venerable order o0 lay dis/iples .ho .ill have done .hat should bedone that ConGueror .ill blaHe out li8e a mass o0 0ire and he .ill be e?tinguished!

1;& -hen the er0e/t Buddha has been /ompletely e?tinguished his Tea/hing .ill remain 0or1('''' years! A0ter that there .ill be a terrible disappearan/e in the .orld!

1;$ Thus the /onstituent elements are impermanent not 0irm temporary transitory liable todestru/tion and old age and empty!

1;= The /onstituent elements are li8e an empty 0ist they are empty they are the tal8 o0 0ools! There isno po.er 0or anyone there not even 0or one .ho has the psy/hi/ po.ers!

1;, Thus 8no.ing this as it really is one should be disillusioned .ith all /ompounded things! AThoroughbred Among Men is hard to 0ind! e is not born every.here! -herever that ero is bornthat happy 0amily prospers!

;9



1;( There0ore in order to see Buddha Metteyya here a/t rightly 0irmly energeti/ally .ith agitatedmind!

1;9 -hoever does good things here and d.ells vigilant .hether a mon8 nun lay dis/iple orlay.oman dis/iple

1&' .hoever esteems the great Buddha pays great honour to the >reat )ne that person together.ith the *evas .ill see the auspi/ious assembly at that time!

1&1 ra/tise the holy li0e! >ive suitable gi0ts! Keep the observan/e days! ra/tise loving 8indness/are0ully!

1&2 Be one .ho delights in being vigilant al.ays per0orming meritorious a/tions! aving a/teds8il0ully here you .ill ma8e an end o0 misery!

&'



A22endi- B3

A!&iration! to 'eet Buddha Ariya 'etteyya-e have made some alterations in the 0ollo.ing translations!1$&

1! Aspiration /on/luding many +Di manus/ripts in Sri :an8a 30rom *b8 p! ;=45

By the merit o0 this .riting may " dra. near to Metteyya 3and4 having been established in the<e0uges may " be .ell established in the S+sana!

2! Aspiration /on/luding manus/ripts in Sinhalese 30rom *b8 p! ;,45

By the po.er o0 these meritorious deeds .ithout 0alling into the 0our hells may " see8 theBodhisatta Metteyya in the T+vatiIsa heaven and en6oying divine happiness and going 0romthere to KetumatJ City eradi/ating the de0ilements may " re/eive the pea/e o0 liberation 0rom

the Buddha Metteyya!;! Aspiration /on/luding the !vādasa(aritta 30rom *b8 p! ;(45

"n the 0uture Buddha Metteyya .ill be une?/elled in the .orld he o0 great merits o0 greatpo.er may you have great pea/e!

&! Aspiration attributed to King ar+8ramab+hu " o0 Sri :an8a 30rom *b8 p! ;(45

aving departed 0rom here and being reborn on the pea8 o0 imalaya in the noble ambudJpa3"ndia4 as a leading deity o0 an aeonPs li0e@span " shall indeed hear the *o/trine o0 :ordMetteyya!

$! Aspiration at the /on/lusion o0 the /ommentary on the +ta8a 30rom *b8 p! ;9 verses &%11 o0 the/on/luding ;, verses45

May " through this meritorious deed be born in my ne?t li0e in the /ity o0 Tusita the beauti0uld.elling@pla/e o0 the gods! May " listen to the prea/hing o0 :ord Metteyya and en6oy greatglory .ith him 0or a long time! -hen this >reat Being is born in the /harming /ity o0 KetumatJas the Buddha may " be reborn .ith the three noble root@/onditions in a Brahman 0amily! May" ma8e o00erings to that >reat Sage o0 invaluable robes o0 the 0inest sort alms d.elling@pla/esand medi/ines in abundan/e! May " underta8e the li0e o0 a bhi88hu in the dispensation andillumine that noble 3institution4 being the possessor o0 poten/y mind0ul and .ell@versed inthe Tipia8a! May he predi/t 3o0 me4 This one .ill be a Buddha in the 0uture! And may "o00er gi0ts to the Buddhas .ho .ill /ome one a0ter the other and 3re/eive sure predi/tion4 0romthem too! May " 0are on in repeated births give 0ood and other things that are desired li8e a.ish@/on0erring tree! May " 0ul0il all the per0e/tions o0 morality renun/iation .isdom and so

0orth and having attained the summit o0 the per0e/tions be/ome an in/omparable Buddha!May " prea/h the s.eet *o/trine .hi/h brings bliss to all beings liberating the .hole .orld.ith its *evas 0rom the bondage o0 repeated births! May " guide them to the most e?/ellenttranGuil #ibb+na!

=! Aspiration at the /on/lusion o0 Sinhalese manus/ripts o0 Ashin BuddhaghosaPs 5isuddhimagga3The ath of urification pp! (;,0!45

By the per0orman/e o0 su/h meritAs has been gained by me through thisAnd any other still in handSo may " in my ne?t be/oming

1$&

See Culte pp! $$9%$=' 0or the 0ormula re/ited by lay people in Sri :an8a and the e?hortation o0 the bhi88hus tothe lay people to aspire to rebirth in the *eva .orlds in their ne?t li0e in order to eventually en/ounter Metteyya hearhim prea/h and attain liberation.

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Behold the 6oys o0 T+vatiIsa>lad in the Gualities o0 virtueAnd unatta/hed to sense desiresBy having rea/hed the 0irst 0ruitionAnd having in my last li0e seenMetteyya :ord o0 Sages highest)0 persons in the .orld and helper*elighting in all beingsP .el0areAnd heard the oly )ne pro/laimThe tea/hing o0 the #oble :a.May " gra/e the Ni/torPs *ispensationBy realising its ighest 7ruit!

,! The aspiration o0 Thera Mah+@Magala in his biography o0 Ashin Buddhaghosa3Buddhaghosu((atti4 30rom *b8 p! &'45

) may it be my lot to meet .ith him the :ord MetteyyaV e the 7ully A.a8ened )ne shalllead vast multitudes a/ross saṃsāras stream!

-hen " have 0ound Metteyya may " be versed in the three s/riptures and then in .isdom "shall see 0a/e@to@0a/e the lord o0 mer/y!

(! Aspiration at the end o0 sharing merits in the *+na /eremony in Sri :an8a 30rom *b8 p! &145

By the aid o0 this meritorious deed o0 *+na may you be reborn in the heavenly and human.orlds en6oying the greatest o0 .orldly happiness and may you be born again in the presen/eo0 Buddha Metteyya and bene0iting 0rom his tea/hing o0 the 7our #oble Truths may youattain to the supreme immortal great #ibb+naV

9! Aspiration used in /onne/tion .ith the re/itation arittas 3verses o0 prote/tion4 in Sri :an8a 30rom*b8 p! &245

May the multitude o0 gods d.elling over the seven o/eans on Mount Meru in the TitansP

.orld in the .orld o0 #+gas in the si? /elestial .orlds in the 0our shrines o0 the 30our>uardian4 *evas on Mount Samanta8`t+ on the imalayas over the seven la8es over :a8eAnotatta in the s8y on the earth in all the Brahm+ .orlds in this Ca88av+Da 3.orld@system4in the island o0 Ceylon parta8e o0 these merits .ith loving thoughts and per/eive #ibb+na byseeing the sage@8ing Metteyya!

1'! Closing verses at the end o0 Sinhalese manus/ripts o0 Ashin BuddhaghosaPs Atthasālinī 30rom The%(ositor p! $&245

By gra/e o0 this the boo8 " .rote"nto MetteyyaPs presen/e am " /ome!-ithin the <e0uges establishedUpon the S+sana " ta8e my stand!

May mother 0ather tea/hers they .ho .ish me .ellAnd they .ho do not give me happy than8sAnd long sa0eguard the merit " have .on!

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The Buddhist Publication Society

The BS is an approved /harity dedi/ated to ma8ing 8no.n the Tea/hing o0 the Buddha .hi/h has avital message 0or all people!

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