ABC
Religious texts
Religious schools and traditions
Heavenly beings and deities
Legendary and historical figures
Legendary and real places
Symbols and art
Doctrines and rituals
- Awakening
- Community
- Compassion
- Craving
- Dependent origination
- Dharma
- Eightfold Path
- Emptiness
- Five Precepts
- Four Noble Truths
- Happiness
- Heavens and hells
- Impermanence
- Karma
- Koan
- Kung fu
- Meditation
- Merit
- Mindfulness
- Nirvana
- Non-self
- Om (mani padme hum)
- Parinirvana
- Pilgrimage sites
- Prajnaparamita
- Puja
- Pure lands
- Realms of existence
- Rebirth
- Recitation
- Renunciation
- Ritual
- Self
- Suffering
- Tales of rebirth
- Three Jewels
- Three-body doctrine
- Universal ruler
- Vesak
- Ye-dhamma formula
- Yoga
Maitreya
Heavenly beings and deities
Maitreya (Skt. ‘Loving Kindness’, Chin. Mile, Jap. Miroku) is often described as the Buddha of the Future who has yet to appear. Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha was not the first Buddha nor will he be the last. Buddha Shakyamuni is thus regarded as one of many buddhas who have proclaimed the Buddhist teaching in different worlds and ages. In the distant future – after Buddhist teachings have long been forgotten – Buddha Maitreya will be reborn on earth and again proclaim the teachings. Until his time comes, he resides in Tushita Heaven.