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| − | '''Metteyya''' (Pali) or '''Maitreya''' (Sanskrit) means ‘The Loving One’ or ‘The Friendly One’ and is the name that the [[Buddha]] of the next era will be known by (D.III,76). |
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| + | {{Buddha Infobox |
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| + | | name = Dipankara Buddha |
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| + | | img = |
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| + | | img_size = 200px |
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| + | | img_capt = A sculpture of Dipankara [[Buddhahood|Buddha]] from [[Gandhara]], present day [[Afghanistan]] |
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| + | | landscape = |
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| + | | sanskrit_name = Dipankara |
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| + | | bengali_name = দীপঙ্কর |
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| + | | pali_name = Dipamkara |
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| + | | burmese_name = |
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| + | | chinese_name = Rándēng Fo |
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| + | | japanese_name = |
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| + | | tibetan_name = mar me mdzad |
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| + | | korean_name = |
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| + | | thai_name = |
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| + | | vietnamese_name = |
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| + | | veneration = [[Theravada]], [[Mahayana]], [[Vajrayana]] |
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| + | | attributes = Causer of Light |
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| + | | shakti = |
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| + | | preceded_by = Saraṇaṃkara |
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| + | | succeeded_by = Koṇḍañña |
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| + | }} |
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| + | {{buddhism}} |
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| + | '''Dipankara''' ([[Sanskrit]] and [[Pali]] ''{{IAST|Dīpaṃkara}}'', "Lamp bearer"; [[Bengali language| Bengali]]: দীপঙ্কর ; [[Chinese language|Chinese]] {{lang|zh|燃燈佛}} ([[pinyin]] Rándēng Fo); [[Tibetan language|Tibetan]] མར་མེ་མཛད། ''mar me mdzad''; [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] ''Jula-yin Jokiyaγči'', ''Dibangkara'', [[Nepal Bhasa]]: दिपंखा ''Dipankha'') one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years. |
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| − | At present, Metteyya is a [[bodhisatta]] abiding somewhere in the world or perhaps in a heaven realm, practicing the spiritual qualities that will lead to his enlightenment in the distant future. In most Buddhist iconography Metteyya is depicted as a beautiful young prince with a stupa in his crown. In late Chinese art he is often depicted as a rotund smiling figure, so as to emphasize his approachability and his warm friendly nature, and is inelegantly and incorrectly dubbed ‘Laughing Buddha’ by some Westerners. |
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| + | Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are often collectively known under the name of "Thousand Buddhas". Each was responsible for a life cycle. According to some [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] traditions, '''Dipankara''' (also Dipamkara) was a [[Buddhahood|Buddha]] who reached enlightenment eons prior to [[Shakyamuni Buddha|Shakyamuni]], the historical Buddha. Generally, Buddhists believe that there has been a succession of many Buddhas in the distant past and that many more will appear in the future; Dipankara, then, would be one of numerous previous Buddhas, while Shakyamuni was the most recent, and [[Maitreya]] will be the next Buddha in the future. |
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| − | The [[Mahayana]] places the arrival of Metteya at approximately 5,000 years after the passing of Buddha, which would make it somewhere around the year 4517 which is about 2,500 years from now. The [[Theravada]] holds that there is not a set date and that it depends upon when the [[Dhamma]] disappears from the world and when the conditions are right, which could be that far off or even longer. |
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| + | [[Chinese Buddhism]] tends to honor Dipankara as one of many Buddhas of the past{{Fact|date=May 2008}}, which forms with Shakyamuni (Buddha of the present) and [[Maitreya]] (Buddha of the future), the Buddhas of Three Times. |
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| + | |||
| + | == Iconography == |
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| + | |||
| + | Dipankara is generally represented as a sitting Buddha, but his depictions as a standing Buddha are common in [[China]], [[Thailand]], and [[Nepal]]; with the right hand he generally forms a protection [[mudra]] (''[[Mudra#Abhaya Mudr.C4.81|abhaya mudra]]''), and often he forms it with both hands. |
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| + | He is rarely depicted alone; one of the [[Buddhas of Bamyan]], destroyed by the [[Taliban]] government in [[Afghanistan]] in 2001, was said to portray Dipankara. Statues of Dipankara can also be found in the [[Longmen Grottoes|Longmen]] and [[Yungang Grottoes]] in China. |
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| + | He is generally depicted with two [[Bodhisattva]]s, [[Manjushri]] and [[Vajrapani]] (common in [[Java]]) or [[Avalokiteshvara]] and Vajrapani (common in [[Sri Lanka]]); or with the Buddhas who come after him, Gautama and Maitreya. |
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| + | |||
| + | == Prediction == |
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| + | |||
| + | One story recounts a meeting between Dipankara Buddha and Shakyamuni, many lifetimes before Shakyamuni's eventual enlightenment. When Dipankara told Shakyamuni he would one day become a Buddha, Shakyamuni replied, "I am to become a Buddha, awakened to enlightenment; may you tread with your feet on my hair - on my birth, old age, and death." Dipankara Buddha then said, "Freed from human existence, you will become an effective teacher, for the sake of the world. Born among the [[Shakya]]s, as the epitome of the Triple World, the Lamp of all Beings, you will be known as Gauthama. You will be the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya. Shariputta and Moggallana will be your chief disciples. Your caretaker will name as Ananda" |
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| + | In 45 years life of the Buddha, said almost 554 past life stories, ''Jaathaka Katha'' in [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] of himself. Gauthama Bodisatta, ''a person starts the journey to become a Buddha filling 10 [[Paramita]]'', was born in the time of Dipankara Buddha, and was rich and gave away all his wealth to become a Monk. It is said that Gauthama Bodisatta received his first '''''Niyatha Vivarana''''', definite foresighting by a Buddha, from Dipankara Buddha. This encounter, among many other predictions of Shakyamuni Buddha's future enlightenment, can be found in a Mahayana text named the Sangatha Sutra. <ref>[http://www.sanghatasutra.net Sanghata Sutra]</ref>. |
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| + | |||
| + | == Veneration == |
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| + | By the 17th century, Dipankara had become a figure of [[veneration]] in [[Nepal]]ese Buddhist communities. These followers consider him a protector of merchants and associate him with alms-giving. |
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| + | |||
| + | He is also considered the protector of the sailors, and sometimes statues of Dipankara are found on the coastline to guide and protect the ships in their route. |
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| + | |||
| + | Folk worshipers in Taiwan also revere Dipankara. |
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| + | |||
| + | ==See also== |
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| + | *[[Randeng Daoren]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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| + | <references/> |
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| + | |||
| + | {{Buddhism topics}} |
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| ⚫ | |||
| − | *''[[Buddha's Lists|The Complete Book of Buddha's Lists -- Explained]]''. David N. Snyder, Ph.D., 2006. |
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| − | *http://www.thedhamma.com/ |
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| + | [[bo:མར་མེ་མཛད།]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
| + | [[de:Dipamkara]] |
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| + | [[fr:Dipankara]] |
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| + | [[it:Dipamkara Buddha]] |
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| + | [[ja:燃燈仏]] |
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| + | [[ta:தீபங்கர புத்தர்]] |
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| + | [[th:พระทีปังกรพุทธเจ้า]] |
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| + | [[zh:燃灯佛]] |
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Latest revision as of 01:01, 27 February 2010
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007) |
| Dipankara Buddha | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit: | Dipankara |
| Pāli | Dipamkara |
| Chinese: | Rándēng Fo |
| Tibetan: | mar me mdzad |
| Information | |
| Venerated by: | Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana |
| Attributes: | Causer of Light |
| Preceded By: | Saraṇaṃkara |
| Succeeded By: | Koṇḍañña |
|
Major figures |
|
Four Noble Truths |
|
Practices and attainment |
|
Buddhahood · Bodhisattva |
|
Countries and regions |
|
Texts |
|
Comparative studies |
|
|
Dipankara (Sanskrit and Pali Dīpaṃkara, "Lamp bearer"; Bengali: দীপঙ্কর ; Chinese 燃燈佛 (pinyin Rándēng Fo); Tibetan མར་མེ་མཛད། mar me mdzad; Mongolian Jula-yin Jokiyaγči, Dibangkara, Nepal Bhasa: दिपंखा Dipankha) one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years.
Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are often collectively known under the name of "Thousand Buddhas". Each was responsible for a life cycle. According to some Buddhist traditions, Dipankara (also Dipamkara) was a Buddha who reached enlightenment eons prior to Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. Generally, Buddhists believe that there has been a succession of many Buddhas in the distant past and that many more will appear in the future; Dipankara, then, would be one of numerous previous Buddhas, while Shakyamuni was the most recent, and Maitreya will be the next Buddha in the future.
Chinese Buddhism tends to honor Dipankara as one of many Buddhas of the past, which forms with Shakyamuni (Buddha of the present) and Maitreya (Buddha of the future), the Buddhas of Three Times.
Iconography
Dipankara is generally represented as a sitting Buddha, but his depictions as a standing Buddha are common in China, Thailand, and Nepal; with the right hand he generally forms a protection mudra (abhaya mudra), and often he forms it with both hands.
He is rarely depicted alone; one of the Buddhas of Bamyan, destroyed by the Taliban government in Afghanistan in 2001, was said to portray Dipankara. Statues of Dipankara can also be found in the Longmen and Yungang Grottoes in China.
He is generally depicted with two Bodhisattvas, Manjushri and Vajrapani (common in Java) or Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani (common in Sri Lanka); or with the Buddhas who come after him, Gautama and Maitreya.
Prediction
One story recounts a meeting between Dipankara Buddha and Shakyamuni, many lifetimes before Shakyamuni's eventual enlightenment. When Dipankara told Shakyamuni he would one day become a Buddha, Shakyamuni replied, "I am to become a Buddha, awakened to enlightenment; may you tread with your feet on my hair - on my birth, old age, and death." Dipankara Buddha then said, "Freed from human existence, you will become an effective teacher, for the sake of the world. Born among the Shakyas, as the epitome of the Triple World, the Lamp of all Beings, you will be known as Gauthama. You will be the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya. Shariputta and Moggallana will be your chief disciples. Your caretaker will name as Ananda"
In 45 years life of the Buddha, said almost 554 past life stories, Jaathaka Katha in Sinhalese of himself. Gauthama Bodisatta, a person starts the journey to become a Buddha filling 10 Paramita, was born in the time of Dipankara Buddha, and was rich and gave away all his wealth to become a Monk. It is said that Gauthama Bodisatta received his first Niyatha Vivarana, definite foresighting by a Buddha, from Dipankara Buddha. This encounter, among many other predictions of Shakyamuni Buddha's future enlightenment, can be found in a Mahayana text named the Sangatha Sutra. [1].
Veneration
By the 17th century, Dipankara had become a figure of veneration in Nepalese Buddhist communities. These followers consider him a protector of merchants and associate him with alms-giving.
He is also considered the protector of the sailors, and sometimes statues of Dipankara are found on the coastline to guide and protect the ships in their route.
Folk worshipers in Taiwan also revere Dipankara.
See also
- Randeng Daoren
References
bo:མར་མེ་མཛད། ja:燃燈仏 ta:தீபங்கர புத்தர் th:พระทีปังกรพุทธเจ้า zh:燃灯佛