List of the named Buddhas
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/022_Stupas_and_Bodhi_Trees_representing_the_Seven_Buddhas_%2833772342726%29.jpg/450px-022_Stupas_and_Bodhi_Trees_representing_the_Seven_Buddhas_%2833772342726%29.jpg)
In Buddhism, Buddha (/ˈbuːdə, ˈbʊdə/), "awakened one,"[2] is a title for someone who is awake, and has attained nirvana and Buddhahood. The title is most commonly used for Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, who is often simply known as "the Buddha".
The title is also used for other beings who have achieved bodhi (awakening), such as the other human Buddhas who achieved enlightenment before Gautama, the five celestial Buddhas worshiped primarily in Mahayana, and the bodhisattva named Maitreya, who will achieve enlightenment in the future and succeed Gautama Buddha as the supreme Buddha of the world.
The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity
In the earliest strata of Pali Buddhist texts, especially in the first four Nikayas, only the following seven Buddhas, The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity (Saptatathāgata), are explicitly mentioned and named:
One sutta called Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta from an early Buddhist text called the Digha Nikaya also mentions that following the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, a Buddha named Maitreya is predicted to arise in the world.[3]
However, according to a text in the Theravada Buddhist tradition from a later strata (between 1st and 2nd century BCE) called the Buddhavamsa, twenty-one more Buddhas were added to the list of seven names in the early texts.[4][5] Theravada tradition maintains that there can be up to five Buddhas in a kalpa or world age and that the current kalpa has had four Buddhas, with the current Buddha, Gotama, being the fourth and the future Buddha Metteyya being the fifth and final Buddha of the kalpa. This would make the current aeon a bhadrakalpa (fortunate aeon). In some Sanskrit and northern Buddhist traditions however, a bhadrakalpa has up to 1,000 Buddhas, with the Buddhas Gotama and Metteyya also being the fourth and fifth Buddhas of the kalpa respectively.[6]
According to the Theravada tradition, of the seven Buddhas named in the early Buddhist texts four are from the current kalpa and three are from past ones.[6]
- Vipassī (lived ninety-one kalpas ago)
- Sikhī (lived thirty-one kalpas ago)
- Vessabhū (lived thirty-one kalpas ago in the same kalpa as Sikhī)
- Kakusandha (the first Buddha of the current bhadrakalpa)
- Koṇāgamana (the second Buddha of the current bhadrakalpa)
- Kassapa (the third Buddha of the current bhadrakalpa)
- Gautama (the fourth and present Buddha of the current bhadrakalpa)
Historical mentions of previous Buddhas
Koṇāgamana (the second Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)
The Koṇāgamana Buddha, second Buddha of the bhadrakalpa, is mentioned in a 3rd-century BCE inscription by Ashoka at Nigali Sagar, in today's Nepal. There is an Ashoka pillar at the site today. Ashoka's inscription in the Brahmi script is on the fragment of the pillar still partly buried in the ground. The inscription made when Emperor Asoka at Nigali Sagar in 249 BCE records his visit, the enlargement of a stupa dedicated to the Kanakamuni Buddha, and the erection of a pillar:
"Devanam piyena piyadasin lajina- chodasavasa bhisitena Budhasa Konakamanasa thube-dutyam vadhite Visativa sabhisitena –cha atana-agacha-mahiyite silathabe-cha usa papite"
“His Majesty King Priyadarsin in the 14th year of his reign enlarged for the second time the stupa of the Buddha Kanakamuni and in the 20th year of his reign, having come in person, paid reverence and set up a stone pillar”.[7][8]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Budhasa_Konaakamanasa.jpg/220px-Budhasa_Konaakamanasa.jpg)
According to Xuanzang, Koṇāgamana's relics were held in a stupa in Nigali Sagar, in what is now Kapilvastu District in southern Nepal.[9]
Gautama Buddha (Sakyamuni, the fourth and present Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)
The historical Buddha, Gautama, also called Sakyamuni ("Sage of the Shakyas), is mentioned epigraphically on the Pillar of Ashoka at Rummindei (Lumbini in modern Nepal). The Brahmi script inscription on the pillar gives evidence that Ashoka, emperor of the Maurya Empire, visited the place in 3rd-century BCE and identified it as the birth-place of the Buddha.[10][note 1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Buddha_Sakyamuni_on_the_Rummindei_pillar_of_Ashoka.jpg/220px-Buddha_Sakyamuni_on_the_Rummindei_pillar_of_Ashoka.jpg)
When King Devandmpriya Priyadarsin had been anointed twenty years, he came himself and worshipped (this spot) because the Buddha Shakyamuni was born here. (He) both caused to be made a stone bearing a horse (?) and caused a stone pillar to be set up, (in order to show) that the Blessed One was born here. (He) made the village of Lummini free of taxes, and paying (only) an eighth share (of the produce).
The 29 Buddhas of Theravāda
The Pali literature of the Theravāda tradition includes tales of 29 Buddhas. In countries where Theravāda Buddhism is practiced by the majority of people, such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, it is customary for Buddhists to hold elaborate festivals, especially during the fair weather season, paying homage to the 29 Buddhas described in the Buddhavamsa. The Buddhavamsa is a text which describes the life of Gautama Buddha and the 27 Buddhas who preceded him, along with the future Metteyya Buddha.[14] The Buddhavamsa is part of the Khuddaka Nikāya, which in turn is part of the Sutta Piṭaka. The Sutta Piṭaka is one of three main sections of the Pāli Canon.
The first three of these Buddhas—Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara, and Saraṇaṅkara—lived before the time of Dīpankara Buddha. The fourth Buddha, Dīpankara, is especially important, as he was the Buddha who gave niyatha vivarana (prediction of future Buddhahood) to the Brahmin youth who would in the distant future become the bodhisattva Gautama Buddha.[15] After Dīpankara, 25 more noble people (ariya-puggala) would attain enlightenment before Gautama, the historical Buddha.
Many Buddhists also pay homage to the future (and 29th) Buddha, Metteyya. According to Buddhist scripture, Metteya will be a successor of Gautama who will appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure Dharma. The prophecy of the arrival of Metteyya is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Jambudvipa (the terrestrial realm, where ordinary human beings live).
Pāli name[16][17][18] | Sanskrit name | Class(Varṇa)[17][18] | Birthplace[17][18] | Parents[17][18] | Bodhirukka (tree of enlightenment)[17][18][19] | Incarnation of Gautama[18] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Taṇhaṅkara | Tṛṣṇaṃkara | Kshatriya | Popphavadi | King Sunandha and Queen Sunandhaa | Rukkaththana | |
2 | Medhaṅkara | Medhaṃkara | Yaghara | Sudheva and Yasodhara | Kaela | ||
3 | Saraṇaṅkara | Śaraṇaṃkara | Vipula | Sumangala and Yasawathi | Pulila | ||
4 | Dīpaṃkara | Dīpaṃkara | Brahmin | Rammawatinagara | Sudheva and Sumedhaya | Pipphala | Sumedha (also Sumati or Megha Mānava, a rich Brahman)[20] |
5 | Koṇḍañña | Kauṇḍinya | Kshatriya | Rammawatinagara | Sunanda and Sujata | Salakalyana | Vijitawi (a Chakravarti in Chandawatinagara of Majjhimadesa) |
6 | Maṅgala | Maṃgala | [21] | Uttaranagara (Majhimmadesa) | Uttara (father) and Uttara (mother) | A naga | Suruchi (in Siribrahmano) |
7 | Sumana | Sumanas | Kshatriya[21] | Mekhalanagara | Sudassana and Sirima | A naga | King Atulo, a Naga |
8 | Revata[22] | Raivata | Brahmin[21] | Sudhannawatinagara | Vipala and Vipula | A naga | A Veda-versed Brahman |
9 | Sobhita | Śobhita | Kshatriya[21] | Sudhammanagara | Sudhammanagara (father) and Sudhammanagara (mother) | A naga | Sujata, a Brahman (in Rammavati) |
10 | Anomadassi | Anavamadarśin | Brahmin[21] | Chandawatinagara | Yasava and Yasodara | Ajjuna | A Yaksha king |
11 | Paduma[23] | Padma | Kshatriya[21] | Champayanagara | Asama (father) and Asama (mother) | Salala | A lion |
12 | Nārada | Nārada | Kshatriya | Dhammawatinagara | King Sudheva and Anopama | Sonaka | A tapaso in Himalayas |
13 | Padumuttara[24] | Padmottara | Kshatriya | Hansawatinagara | Anurula and Sujata | Salala | Jatilo, an ascetic |
14 | Sumedha | Sumedha | Kshatriya | Sudasananagara | Sumedha (father) and Sumedha (mother) | Nipa | Native of Uttaro |
15 | Sujāta | Sujāta | Kshatriya | Sumangalanagara | Uggata and Pabbavati | Welu | A chakravarti |
16 | Piyadassi[25] | Priyadarśin | Brahmin | Sudannanagara | Sudata and Subaddha | Kakudha | Kassapa, a Brahmin (at Siriwattanagara) |
17 | Atthadassi | Arthadarśin | Kshatriya | Sonanagara | Sagara and Sudassana | Champa | Susino, a Brahman |
18 | Dhammadassī | Dharmadarśin | Kshatriya | Surananagara | Suranamaha and Sunanada | Bimbajala | Indra, the leader of the gods (devas) |
19 | Siddhattha | Siddhārtha | Brahmin | Vibharanagara | Udeni and Suphasa | Kanihani | Mangal, a Brahman |
20 | Tissa | Tiṣya | Kshatriya | Khemanagara | Janasando and Paduma | Assana | King Sujata of Yasawatinagara |
21 | Phussa[26] | Puṣya | Kshatriya | Kāśi | Jayasena and Siremaya | Amalaka | Vijitavi |
22 | Vipassī | Vipaśyin | Kshatriya | Bandhuvatinagara | Vipassi (father) and Vipassi (mother) | Pāṭalī (Stereospermum chelonoides) | King Atula |
23 | Sikhī | Śikhin | Kshatriya | Arunavattinagara | Arunavatti and Paphavatti | Puṇḍarīka (Mangifera indica) | Arindamo (at Paribhuttanagara) |
24 | Vessabhū | Viśvabhū | Kshatriya | Anupamanagara | Suppalittha and Yashavati | Sāla (Shorea robusta) | Sadassana (in Sarabhavatinagara) |
25 | Kakusandha | Krakucchanda | Brahmin | Khemavatinagara | Aggidatta, the purohita Brahman of King Khema, and Visakha | Sirīsa (Albizia lebbeck) | King Khema[27] |
26 | Koṇāgamana | Kanakamuni | Brahmin[28] | Sobhavatinagara | Yaññadatta, a Brahman, and Uttara | Udumbara (Ficus racemosa) | King Pabbata of a mountainous area in Mithila |
27 | Kassapa[29] | Kāśyapa | Brahmin | Baranasinagara | Brahmadatta, a Brahman, and Dhanavati | Nigrodha (Ficus benghalensis) | Jotipala (at Vappulla) |
28 | Gotama (current) | Gautama (current) | Kshatriya | Lumbini | King Suddhodana and Māyā | Assattha (Ficus religiosa) | Gautama, the Buddha |
29 | Metteyya | Maitreya | Brahmin[30] | Ketumatī[31] | Subrahma and Brahmavati[31] | Nāga (Mesua ferrea) |
See also
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Notes
Footnotes
- ^ John Marshall, A Guide to Sanchi, 1918 p.46ff (Public Domain text)
- ^ Buswell 2004, p. 71.
- ^ "Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor". Access To Insight.
- ^ A textual and Historical Analysis of the Khuddaka Nikaya – Oliver Abeynayake Ph. D. , Colombo, First Edition – 1984, p. 113.
- ^ Horner, IB, ed. (1975). The minor anthologies of the Pali canon. Volume III: Buddhavaṁsa (Chronicle of Buddhas) and Cariyāpiṭaka (Basket of Conduct). London: Pali Text Society. ISBN 0-86013-072-X.
- ^ a b Silk 2019, p. 110-111.
- ^ Basanta Bidari - 2004 Kapilavastu: the world of Siddhartha - Page 87
- ^ Inscriptions of Asoka. New Edition by E. Hultzsch (in Sanskrit). 1925. p. 165.
- ^ John S. Strong (2007). Relics of the Buddha. p. 130.
- ^ Paranavitana, S. (Apr. - Jun., 1962). Rummindei Pillar Inscription of Asoka, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 82 (2), 163-167
- ^ Weise, Kai; et al. (2013), The Sacred Garden of Lumbini – Perceptions of Buddha's Birthplace (PDF), Paris: UNESCO, pp. 47–48, archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-30
- ^ Hultzsch, E. /1925). Inscriptions of Asoka. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 164-165
- ^ Hultzsch, E. (1925). Inscriptions of Asoka. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 164-165
- ^ Morris, R, ed. (1882). "XXVII: List of the Buddhas". The Buddhavamsa. London: Pali Text Society. pp. 66–7.
- ^ "Life of the Buddha: Dīpankara's Prediction of Enlightenment". The Huntington Archive - The Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
- ^ Malalasekera (2007), Buddha, pp. 294-305
- ^ a b c d e Davids, TWR; Davids, R (1878). "The successive bodhisats in the times of the previous Buddhas". Buddhist birth-stories; Jataka tales. The commentarial introduction entitled Nidana-Katha; the story of the lineage. London: George Routledge & Sons. pp. 115–44.
- ^ a b c d e f Horner, IB, ed. (1975). The minor anthologies of the Pali canon. Volume III: Buddhavaṁsa (Chronicle of Buddhas) and Cariyāpiṭaka (Basket of Conduct). London: Pali Text Society. ISBN 0-86013-072-X.
- ^ Malalasekera (2007), Bodhirukka, p. 319
- ^ Ghosh, B (1987). "Buddha Dīpankara: twentyfourth predecessor of Gautama" (PDF). Bulletin of Tibetology. 11 (new series) (2): 33–8. ISSN 0525-1516.
- ^ a b c d e f Beal (1875), Beal S, Chapter III: Exciting to religious sentiment, pp. 10-17
- ^ Malalasekera (2007), Revata, pp. 754-5
- ^ Malalasekera (2007), Paduma, p. 131
- ^ Malalasekera (2007), Padumuttara, pp. 136-7
- ^ Malalasekera (2007), Piyadassi, p. 207
- ^ Malalasekera (2007), Phussa, p. 257
- ^ Prophecies of Kakusandha Buddha, Konagamana Buddha and Kassapa Buddha Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Barua, A (2008). Dīgha-Nikāya: romanize Pāli text with English translation. Vol. 2 (1st ed.). Delhi, India: New Bharatiya Book Corporation. p. 6. ISBN 81-8315-096-9.
- ^ Cunningham, A (1880). "XVIII: Tandwa". Report of Tours in the Gangetic Provinces from Badaon to Bihar, in 1875-76 and 1877-78. Calcutta, India: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. pp. 70–8.
- ^ "Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor". www.accesstoinsight.org.
- ^ a b Vipassana.info, Pali Proper Names Dictionary: Metteyya
References
- Beal, S (1875). The romantic legend of Sâkya Buddha: from the Chinese-Sanscrit. London: Trubner & Company, Ludgate Hill.
- Malalasekera, GP (2007). Dictionary of Pāli proper names. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited. ISBN 978-81-208-3020-2.
- Buswell Jr., RE; Lopez Jr., DS (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (1st ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 106, 776. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
- Silk, Jonathan A. (2019), Brill's encyclopedia of Buddhism Vol Two, Hinüber, Oskar von,, Eltschinger, Vincent,, Bowring, Richard, 1947-, Radich, Michael, Leiden, ISBN 978-90-04-29937-5, OCLC 909251257
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Further reading
- Law, BC, ed. (1938). "The lineage of the Buddhas". The Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon: Buddhavaṃsa, the lineage of the Buddhas, and Cariyā-Piṭaka or the collection of ways of conduct (1st ed.). London: Milford.
- Takin, MV, ed. (1969). "The lineage of the Buddhas". The Genealogy of the Buddhas (1st ed.). Bombay: Bombay University Publications.
- Vicittasarabivamsa, U (1992). "Chapter IX: The chronicle of twenty-four Buddhas". In Ko Lay, U; Tin Lwin, U (eds.). The great chronicle of Buddhas, Volume One, Part Two (PDF) (1st ed.). Yangon, Myanmar: Ti=Ni Publishing Center. pp. 130–321.