Zen in Ten: Miroku Bosatsu

THE BUDDHA TO BE

This beautiful illustration of Miroku Bostatsu is by Seigaku Amato, a writer, illustrator and Soto Zen Buddhist priest. Seigaku graciously gave me permission to use his copyrighted image. To read more about him and purchase his art, please visit: www.seigakuamato.com.

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1. “Miroku Bosatsu, also called Maitreya Bodhisattva in Sanksrit, is the buddha that is to come. Miroku resides in the Tushita heaven as a bodhisattva.”¹

2. “Maitreya is a transcendent bodhisattva named as the universal Buddha of a future time. The name is taken from the Sanskrit maitri (in Pali, metta), which means ‘loving kindness.’ In Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya is the embodiment of all-encompassing love.”²

3. “Maitreya makes his first appearance in Buddhist scriptures in the Cakkavatti Sutta of the Pali Tipitika (Digha Nikaya 26). In this sutta, the Buddha spoke of a future time in which the dharma is entirely forgotten. Eventually, ‘Another Buddha—Metteyya (Maitreya)—will gain Awakening, his monastic Sangha numbering in the thousands,’ the Buddha said. This is the only time the historical Buddha is recorded as mentioning Maitreya. From this simple comment arose one of the most important figures of Buddhist iconography.”³

4. “In the early first millennium CE, Mahayana Buddhism developed Maitreya further, giving him a history and specific attributes. The Indian scholar Asanga (ca. 4th century CE), a co-founder of the Yogacara school of Buddhism, is particularly associated with Maitreya teachings. Note that some scholars think attributes assigned to Maitreya were borrowed from Mithra, the Persian god of light and truth.”⁴

5. “Miroku is already prominent in Japan by the 7th century AD and was among the most important deities in early Japanese Buddhism. By the 9th century, Miroku became extremely popular among believers of the Shingon Sect, a form of Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō 密教). Founded by Kōbō Daishi (774 to 835 AD), who visited China and brought back the teachings, the Shingon sect believes that, far in the future, Miroku Bodhisattva will become a Buddha, and then appear on earth to save those unable to achieve enlightenment, thus bringing universal salvation to all sentient beings.”⁵

6. “As all things are impermanent, there is said to be three eras that Buddhism is practiced in. The first age is the age of Shakyamuni Buddha teaching directly. The second is what is taught by direct disciples of Shakyamuni. The third age is the degenerate age when Buddhism has changed so much that it is no longer the practice of Buddhism. It is stated that this is the age when Miroku Bodhisattva will be born on earth as a buddha to revive the Buddhist teachings, when they have faded and fallen out of practice.”⁶

7. “Miroku can be represented as either a buddha or a bodhisattva [as depicted in Seigaku’s illustration]. With each person who begins to practice the Dharma, Miroku emerges into the world.”⁷

8. “There are many different forms or images of the Maitreya, yet many of these forms of Maitreya hold a stupa in his crown. This contains a sarira or real relic of the Buddha Sâkyamuni. In the Shingon Tradition, it is taught that this stupa represents Mahâvairocana Buddha.”⁸

9. “During the mealtime sutra recitation in Zen temples, Miroku is listed as one of the names of the ten buddhas: as Maitreya of Future Birth.”⁹

10. After the oryoki bowls (three nesting bowls) are opened, the assembly chants the verse below before breakfast and dinner at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center:

    In the midst of the three treasures which verify our understanding, entrusting ourselves to the sangha [community], we invoke:

    Vairochana Buddha, pure Dharmakaya

    Lochana Buddha, complete Sambhogakaya

    Shakyamuni Buddha, myriad Nirmanakaya

    Maitreya Buddha, of future birth

    All buddhas throughout space and time

    Lotus of the Wondrous Dharma, Mahayana Sutra

    Manjushri Bodhisattva, great wisdom

    Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, great activity

    Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, great compassion

    All honored ones, bodhisattva-mahasattvas

    Wisdom beyond wisdom, Maha-prajnaparamita

1. Amato, Seigaku. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen. Somerville, MA, Wisdom Publications, 2021.

2. O’Brien, Barbara. https://www.learnreligions.com/maitreya-buddha-449794

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Schumacher, Mark. https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/miroku.shtml

6. Amato, Seigaku.

7. Ibid.

8. http://www.shingon.org/deities/jusanbutsu/miroku.html

9. Amato, Seigaku.

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