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{{Short description|Condition of being fully spiritually awakened in Buddhism}}
{{for|the historical founder of Buddhism|The Buddha}}
{{redirect|Buddhas|other uses|Buddha (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Gandhara Buddha (tnm).jpeg|thumb|[[The Buddha|Buddha Śākyamuni]], in [[Greco-Buddhism|Greco-Buddhist style]], {{circa|1st}}–2nd century CE, [[Gandhara]]]]
[[File:Vajradhara7.jpg|thumb|A painting of the [[Adi-Buddha|primordial Buddha]], [[Vajradhara|Vajradhāra]], of [[Tibetan Buddhism]]]]
{{contains special characters|Indic}}
In [[Buddhism]], '''Buddha''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|uː|d|ə|,_|ˈ|b|ʊ|d|ə}}, which in classic [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indic languages]] means "awakened one"){{sfn|Buswell|2004|p=71}} is a [[title]] for those who are [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|spiritually awake or enlightened]], and have thus attained the [[Buddhist paths to liberation|supreme goal of Buddhism]], variously described as [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|awakening or enlightenment]] (''bodhi''), ''[[Nirvana (Buddhism)|Nirvāṇa]]'' ("blowing out"), and [[Moksha|liberation]] (''vimokṣa''). A Buddha is also someone who fully understands the ''[[Dharma|Dhārma]]'', the true nature of all things or [[Phenomenon|phenomena]] (''[[Abhidharma|dhārmata]]''), the [[Two truths doctrine|ultimate truth]]. '''Buddhahood''' ([[Sanskrit]]: ''buddhatva''; {{langx|pi|buddhatta|italic=yes}} or {{lang|pi|buddhabhāva|italic=yes}}; {{lang-zh|c=成佛}}) is the condition and state of being a Buddha.<ref>buddhatva, बुद्धत्व. [http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=buddhatva&trans=%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3&direction=AU Spoken Sanskrit Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102121429/http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=buddhatva&trans=%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3&direction=AU|date=2017-01-02}}. (accessed: January 10, 2016)</ref> This highest spiritual state of being is also termed '''''sammā-sambodhi''''' ([[Sanskrit]]: ''samyaksaṃbodhi''; "full, complete awakening" or “complete, perfect enlightenment”) and is interpreted in many different ways across [[schools of Buddhism]].
The title of "Buddha" is most commonly used for [[The Buddha|Gautama Buddha]], the [[History of Buddhism|historical founder of Buddhism]], who is often simply known as "the Buddha". The title is also used for other [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]] who have achieved [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|awakening or enlightenment]] (''bodhi'') and [[Moksha|liberation]] (''vimokṣa''), such as the other human Buddhas who achieved [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]] before Gautama; members of the [[Five Tathagatas|Five Buddha Families]] such as [[Amitābha]]; and the [[bodhisattva]] [[Maitreya]], known as the "Buddha of the future who will attain awakening at a future time."
In [[Theravada|Theravāda Buddhism]], a Buddha is commonly understood as a being with the deepest spiritual wisdom about the [[Two truths doctrine|true nature of reality]], who has transcended [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]] and [[Duḥkha|all causes of suffering]] (''duḥkha''). He is also seen as having many [[Miracles of Gautama Buddha|miraculous]] and [[Abhijñā|magical powers]]. However, a living Buddha has the limitations of a physical body, will feel pain, get old, and eventually die like other [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]]. In [[Mahayana|Mahāyāna Buddhism]], any Buddha is considered to be a [[Buddhist deities|transcendent being]] [[Other power|with extensive powers]], who is [[Omniscience|all-knowing]], [[Other power|immeasurably powerful]], with an eternal lifespan. His wisdom light is said to pervade [[Buddhist cosmology|the cosmos]], and his great compassion and [[Upaya|skillful means]] are limitless. This transcendent being is not understood as having a normal physical human body; instead, [[Mahayana|Mahāyāna Buddhism]] defends a kind of [[docetism]], in which [[The Buddha#Semi-legendary biography|Gautama Buddha's life on earth]] was a magical display which only appeared to have a human body.
A [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient being]] who is on the path to become a Buddha is called a ''[[bodhisattva]]''. In [[Mahayana|Mahāyāna Buddhism]], Buddhahood is the universal goal and all Mahāyānists ultimately aim at becoming a Buddha, in order to benefit and liberate all sentient beings.<ref name="gethin1998p224">{{cite book |last=Gethin|first=Rupert |title = The foundations of Buddhism |year=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|___location=Oxford [England]|isbn=0-19-289223-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/foundationsofbud00rupe/page/224 224–234] |edition=1st publ. paperback |url = https://archive.org/details/foundationsofbud00rupe/page/224 }}</ref> Thus, Buddhahood is the goal for all the various spiritual paths found in the various [[Mahayana|Mahāyāna traditions]] (including [[Vajrayana|Tantric Buddhism]], [[Zen]], and [[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land]]). This contrasts with the common [[Theravada|Theravādin]] goal of individual liberation, or [[arhat]]ship.<ref name="gethin1998p224" />
==Definition==
{{Main|Enlightenment in Buddhism}}
{{Further|Buddhist paths to liberation|Four stages of enlightenment}}
{{Buddhism}}
Buddhahood is the state of an [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|awakened being]], who, having found the path of cessation of [[Duḥkha|suffering]] (''duḥkha'')<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gethin|first1=Rupert|title=The foundations of Buddhism|date=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|___location=Oxford [England]|isbn=0-19-289223-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/foundationsofbud00rupe/page/32 32]|edition=1. publ. paperback|url=https://archive.org/details/foundationsofbud00rupe/page/32}}</ref> (as originated from [[Upādāna|attachment]] to [[Fetter (Buddhism)|fetters]] and [[Five hindrances|hindrances]], distorted perception and thinking) is in the state of "no-more-Learning".<ref>{{cite book |first1=Damien |last1=Keown |first2=Charles S. |last2=Prebish |title=Encyclopedia of Buddhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFpcAgAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-98588-1 |page=90 |access-date=2016-05-29 |archive-date=2023-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111060832/https://books.google.com/books?id=NFpcAgAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Rinpoche|last=Karma-raṅ-byuṅ-kun-khyab-phrin-las|title=The Dharma: That Illuminates All Beings Impartially Like the Light of the Sun and Moon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N4wVW91BLAYC |year=1986|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=978-0-88706-156-1|pages=32–33}}; Quote: "There are various ways of examining the Complete Path. For example, we can speak of Five Paths constituting its different levels: the Path of Accumulation, the Path of Application, the Path of Seeing, the Path of Meditation and the Path of No More Learning, or Buddhahood."</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Buswell |first1=Robert E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1tcGAAAAYAAJ |title=Paths to Liberation: The Mārga and Its Transformations in Buddhist Thought |last2=Gimello |first2=Robert M. |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-8248-1253-9 |pages=204 |language=en |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/pathstoliberatio0000unse_j4b9/mode/1up |archive-date=2021-03-05}}</ref>
[[Buddhism]] is devoted primarily to [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|awakening or enlightenment]] (''bodhi''), ''[[Nirvana (Buddhism)|Nirvāṇa]]'' ("blowing out"), and [[Moksha|liberation]] (''vimokṣa'') from [[Duḥkha|all causes of suffering]] (''duḥkha'') due to the existence of [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]] in ''[[Saṃsāra (Buddhism)|saṃsāra]]'' (the cycle of compulsory [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|birth, death, and rebirth]]) through the [[Threefold Training|threefold trainings]] ([[Buddhist ethics|ethical conduct]], [[Samadhi|meditative absorption]], and [[Prajñā (Buddhism)|wisdom]]). [[History of Buddhism in India|Classical Indian Buddhism]] emphasized the importance of the individual's [[Bhavana|self-cultivation]] (through numerous spiritual practices like keeping [[Five precepts|ethical precepts]], [[Buddhist meditation]], and [[Pūjā (Buddhism)|worship]]) in the process of liberation from the [[Kleshas (Buddhism)|defilements]] which keep us bound to the cycle of rebirth. According to the [[Abhidharma|standard Buddhist scholastic understanding]], liberation arises when the proper [[Phenomenon|elements]] (''dhārmata'') are cultivated and when the mind has been purified of its [[Upādāna|attachment]] to [[Fetter (Buddhism)|fetters]] and [[Five hindrances|hindrances]] that produce unwholesome mental factors (various called [[Kleshas (Buddhism)|defilements]], [[Three poisons|poisons]], or [[Asava|fluxes]]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Brunnhölzl |first=Karl |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jP6PEAAAQBAJ |title=The Center of the Sunlit Sky: Madhyamaka in the Kagyü Tradition |publisher=Snow Lion |year=2004 |isbn=978-1559392181 |series=[[Nitartha Institute]] Series |page=131}}</ref>
There is a broad spectrum of opinion on the nature of Buddhahood, its universality, and the [[Buddhist paths to liberation|method of attaining Buddhahood]] among the various [[schools of Buddhism]]. The level to which this manifestation requires [[Asceticism|ascetic practices]] varies from none at all to an absolute requirement, dependent on doctrine. In [[Mahayana|Mahāyāna Buddhism]], Buddhahood is the universal goal and all Mahāyānists ultimately aim at becoming a Buddha, in order to benefit and liberate all [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]].<ref name="gethin1998p224"/> While most Mahāyāna Buddhist schools accept the [[bodhisattva]] ideal, in which it takes aeons to reach Buddhahood, not all agree that everyone can become a Buddha or that the path to Buddhahood must necessarily take aeons.
In [[Theravada|Theravāda Buddhism]], ''Buddha'' refers to one who has reached [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|awakening or enlightenment]] (''bodhi'') through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out the ''[[Dharma|Dhārma]]''. A ''samyaksaṃbuddha'' ("full, complete Buddha") re-discovers the [[Four Noble Truths]] and the [[Noble Eightfold Path]] to awakening on their own, and then teaches these to others after his awakening. A ''[[Pratyekabuddhayāna|pratyekabuddha]]'' ("solitary Buddha") also reaches ''[[Nirvana (Buddhism)|Nirvāṇa]]'' through his own efforts, but is unable or unwilling to teach the ''Dhārma'' to others. An ''[[arhat]]'' ("saint") needs to follow the teaching of a Buddha to attain ''Nirvāṇa'', and may also preach the ''Dhārma'' after attaining ''Nirvāṇa''.<ref name="Snelling, John 1987 Page 81">Snelling, John (1987), ''The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice''. London: Century Paperbacks. p. 81</ref> In one instance the term ''Buddha'' is also used in [[Pali Canon|Theravādin literature]] to refer to all who attain ''[[Nirvana (Buddhism)|Nirvāṇa]]'', using the term ''[[Śrāvakayāna|śrāvakabuddha]]'' to designate an ''arhat'', someone who depends on the teachings of a Buddha to attain ''Nirvāṇa''.<ref name="autogenerated1">''Udana Commentary''. Translation Peter Masefield, volume I, 1994. Pali Text Society. p. 94.</ref> In this broader sense it is equivalent to the arhat.
In [[Mahayana|Mahāyāna Buddhism]], a Buddha is seen as a [[Buddhist deities|transcendent being]] [[Other power|with extensive powers]], who is [[Omniscience|all-knowing]], [[Other power|immeasurably powerful]], with an eternal lifespan, and whose awakened [[Prajñā (Buddhism)|wisdom]] (''buddha-jñana'') is all pervasive.<ref>Williams, Paul (2008). ''Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations''. p. 122.</ref><ref name="Hamar-2007">Hamar, Imre (2007). "The Manifestation of the Absolute in the Phenomenal World: Nature Origination in Huayan Exegesis". Bulletin de l'École Française d'Extrême-Orient. 94: 229–250. {{doi|10.3406/befeo.2007.6070}}.</ref> This view can be found in numerous [[Mahayana sutras|Mahāyāna texts]], such as the ''[[Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra|Avataṃsaka Sūtra]]''.<ref name="Hamar-2007" /> Mahāyāna buddhology mainly understands the Buddha through the "[[Trikaya|three bodies]]" (''Trikāya'') framework.<ref>Snelling, John (1987), ''The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice,'' p. 100. London: Century Paperbacks</ref> In this framework, the [[Gautama Buddha|historical Buddha]] or other Buddhas who appear human are understood [[Docetism|docetically]] as magical "[[Nirmāṇakāya|transformation bodies]]" (''Nirmāṇakāya''). Meanwhile, the ''real'' or ultimate Buddha is the ''[[Dharmakāya]]'', the body of ultimate reality. Thus, the ''[[Ratnagotravibhāga]]'' (''Analysis of the Jeweled Lineage''), a key [[Mahayana sutras|Mahāyāna treatise]], defines the Buddha as "the uncompounded (''asamskrta''), and spontaneous (''anabhoga'') Dharmakāya" and as "self-enlightened and self-arisen wisdom (''jñana''), compassion and power for the benefit of others."<ref>Hookham, S. K. (1991), ''The Buddha within: Tathagatagarbha doctrine according to the Shentong interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga'', Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, pp. 186–190, {{ISBN|978-0-7914-0358-7}}.</ref> This ultimate awakened reality is understood and interpreted in numerous different ways by the different Mahāyāna schools.
The doctrine of [[Buddha-nature]] (''tathāgatagarbha'') in Mahāyāna Buddhism also consider Buddhahood to be a universal and innate property which is immanent in all [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]]. Most Buddhists do not consider [[Gautama Buddha]] to have been the only Buddha. The [[Pāli Canon]] refers to many previous ones (see [[list of the named Buddhas]]), while the [[Mahayana sutras|Mahāyāna texts]] additionally have many Buddhas of celestial origin (see [[Amitābha]] or [[Vairocana]] as examples; for lists of many thousands of Buddha names, see ''[[Taishō Tripiṭaka]]'', numbers 439–448).
==Views about the Buddhas==
=== A Buddha as a supreme person ===
[[File:Sukhothai, Buddha, Stupas, Thailand.jpg|thumb|A classic [[Sukhothai Kingdom|Sukhothai]]-style Buddha statue]]
The [[Theravada|Theravāda Buddhist tradition]] generally sees the Buddha as a supreme person who is neither a God in the [[Theism|theistic]] sense, nor a [[Deva (Hinduism)|deva]], nor a regular [[human]]. Thus, the Buddha is seen as a very special and unique class of persons called a "great person" (''mahāpurisa'').<ref name="Dhammika-2005">{{cite book |last=Dhammika |first=Shravasti |title=The Buddha and His Disciples |publisher=Buddhist Publication Society |year=2005 |isbn=978-955-24-0280-7 |page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Sangharakshita |title=A Guide to the Buddhist Path |publisher=Windhorse Publications |year=1996 |isbn=978-1-899579-04-4 |page=45 |author-link=Sangharakshita}}</ref>
Andrew Skilton writes that the Buddha was never historically regarded by Buddhist traditions as being merely human. Instead, he is seen as having [[Siddhi|many supranormal powers]] (''siddhi''), such as the [[Abhijñā|superknowledges]] (''abhijñā''), the capacity for a very long lifespan, as well as the [[Physical characteristics of the Buddha|thirty-two marks of a great man]].<ref name="Skilton-2004">Skilton, Andrew. ''A Concise History of Buddhism.'' 2004. pp. 64–65</ref>
In the [[Pali Canon|Pāli Canon]], the Buddha is depicted as someone between a human and a divine being. He has a human body that decays and dies, and he was born from human parents (though some sources depict this as a miraculous birth). The most important element of a Buddha is that they have attained the supreme spiritual goal: ''[[Nirvana (Buddhism)|Nirvāṇa]]''.<ref name="Dhammika-2005" /> This is what makes him supreme and what grants him special powers. This view of the Buddha as supreme person with many superpowers, but which has a physical body that has many limitations of a human form was also shared by other [[early Buddhist schools]], like the [[Sarvastivada|Sarvāstivāda]] and the [[Dharmaguptaka]].
In the Pāli Canon, the Buddha is asked whether he was a [[Deva (Buddhism)|deva]] or a human, and he replies that he had eliminated the deep-rooted unconscious traits that would make him either one, and should instead be called a Buddha: one who had grown up in the world but had now gone beyond it, as a [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus flower]] grows from the water but blossoms above it, unsoiled.<ref>Peter Harvey, ''An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History, and Practices.'' Cambridge University Press, 1990, p. 28</ref>
The Pāli Canon also states that Gautama Buddha is known as being a "teacher of the gods and humans", superior to both the [[Deva (Buddhism)|gods]] (devas) and humans since he has attained the highest [[Moksha|liberation]], whereas the gods are still subject to attachment, ignorance, anger, fear, and sorrow.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jootla |first=Susan Elbaum |title=Teacher of the Devas |url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/jootla/wheel414.html |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=www.accesstoinsight.org |archive-date=2019-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127200934/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/jootla/wheel414.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the ''Madhupindika Sutta'' (MN 18), Buddha is described in powerful terms, such as the "Lord of the ''[[Dharma|Dhārma]]''" and the bestower of immortality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madhupindika Sutta: The Ball of Honey |url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.018.than.html |website=www.accesstoinsight.org |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-date=2022-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005160928/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.018.than.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
Similarly, in the ''Anuradha Sutta'' (SN 44.2), Gautama Buddha is described as the "supreme man" and the "attainer of the superlative attainment".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anuradha Sutta: To Anuradha |url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn44/sn44.002.than.html |website=www.accesstoinsight.org |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-date=2022-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005160921/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn44/sn44.002.than.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Because he has attained the highest spiritual knowledge, the Buddha is also identified with the ''[[Dharma|Dhārma]]'' (the most fundamental reality) In the ''Vakkali Sutta'' (SN 22.87).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.087x.wlsh.html|title=Vakkali Sutta: Vakkali|website=www.accesstoinsight.org|access-date=2022-10-05|archive-date=2022-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007112254/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.087x.wlsh.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
===
[[File:Upper Floor, Cave No. 6, Ajanta Caves - 1.jpg|thumb|Buddha statue on the upper floor of [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta Cave No. 6]]. These caves are associated with the [[Mahāsāṃghika]] school.<ref>Gadkari, Jayant. ''Society and Religion: From Rgveda to Puranas.'' 1996. p. 198</ref>]]
In the [[early Buddhist schools]], the [[Mahāsāṃghika]] branch regarded the buddhas as being characterized primarily by their [[Lokottaravāda|supramundane (''lokottara'') nature]]. The Mahāsāṃghikas advocated the transcendental and supramundane nature of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and the fallibility of arhats.<ref name="autogenerated1b">Baruah, Bibhuti. ''Buddhist Sects and Sectarianism.'' 2008. p. 48.</ref> Of the 48 special theses attributed by the Indian scholar Vasumitra to the Mahāsāṃghika sects of [[Ekavyāvahārika]], [[Lokottaravāda]], and [[Kukkuṭika]], 20 points concern the supramundane nature of buddhas and bodhisattvas.<ref>Sree Padma. Barber, Anthony W. ''Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra.'' 2008. p. 56.</ref> According to Vasumitra, these four groups held that the Buddha is able to know all dharmas in a single moment of the mind.<ref name="Yao, Zhihua 2005. p. 11">Yao, Zhihua. ''The Buddhist Theory of Self-Cognition.'' 2005. p. 11</ref> Yao Zhihua writes:<ref name="Yao, Zhihua 2005. p. 11"/>
{{blockquote|In their view, the Buddha is equipped with the following supernatural qualities: transcendence (''lokottara''), lack of defilements, all of his utterances [[Dharmachakra|preaching his teaching]], expounding all his teachings in a single utterance, all of his sayings being true, his physical body being limitless, his power (''prabhāva'') being limitless, the length of his life being limitless, never tiring of enlightening sentient beings and awakening pure faith in them, having no sleep or dreams, no pause in answering a question, and always in [[Samadhi|meditation]] (''samādhi'').}}
A doctrine ascribed to the Mahāsāṃghikas is, "The power of the tathāgatas is unlimited, and the life of the buddhas is unlimited."<ref>Tanaka, Kenneth. ''The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine.'' 1990. p. 8</ref> According to Guang Xing, two main aspects of the Buddha can be seen in Mahāsāṃghika teachings: the true Buddha who is [[Omniscience|omniscient]] and immeasurably powerful, and the manifested forms through which he liberates sentient beings through skillful means.<ref>Guang Xing. ''The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the Trikaya Theory.'' 2004. p. 53</ref> For the Mahāsaṃghikas, the historical Gautama Buddha was one of these transformation bodies (Skt. ''[[trikaya|nirmāṇakāya]]''), while the essential real Buddha is equated with the [[Dharmakāya]].<ref>Sree Padma. Barber, Anthony W. ''Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley of Andhra.'' 2008. pp. 59–60</ref>
As in Mahāyāna traditions, the Mahāsāṃghikas held the doctrine of the existence of many contemporaneous Buddhas throughout the ten directions.<ref name="autogenerated65">Guang Xing. ''The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the Trikaya Theory.'' 2004. p. 65</ref> In the Mahāsāṃghika ''Lokānuvartana Sūtra'', it is stated, "The Buddha knows all the [[Abhidharma|dharmas]] of the countless buddhas of the ten directions."<ref name="autogenerated65"/> It is also stated, "All buddhas have one body, the body of the Dharma."<ref name="autogenerated65"/> The concept of many bodhisattvas simultaneously working toward Buddhahood is also found among the Mahāsāṃghika tradition, and further evidence of this is given in the ''Samayabhedoparacanacakra'', which describes the doctrines of the Mahāsāṃghikas.<ref>Guang Xing. ''The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the Trikaya Theory.'' 2004. p. 66</ref>
Guang Xing writes that the ''Acchariyābbhūtasutta'' of the [[Majjhima Nikāya]] along with its Chinese [[Madhyama Agama|Madhyamāgama]] parallel is the most ancient source for the Mahāsāṃghika view. The sutra mentions [[Miracles of Gautama Buddha|various miracles performed by Buddha Śākyamuni]] before his birth and after. The Chinese version even calls him [[Bhagavan]], which suggests the idea that the Buddha was already awakened before descending down to earth to be born.<ref name="Xing-2004">Xing, Guang. An Enquiry into the Origin of the Mahasamghika Buddhology Authors. The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies, 2004, n. 5, p. 41-51.</ref>
Similarly, the idea that the lifespan of a Buddha is limitless is also based on ancient ideas, such as the ''Mahāparinirvānasūtra's'' statement that the Buddha's lifespan is as long as an eon ([[Kalpa (time)|kalpa]]) but that he voluntarily allowed his life to end.<ref name="Xing-2004" /> Another early source for the Mahāsāṃghika view that a Buddha was a transcendent being is the idea of the [[Physical characteristics of the Buddha|thirty-two major marks]] of a Buddha's body.<ref name="Xing-2004" /> Furthermore, the ''Simpsapa sutta'' states that the Buddha had way more knowledge than what he taught to his disciples. The Mahāsāṃghikas took this further and argued that the Buddha knew the dharmas of innumerable other Buddhas of the ten directions.
==== Buddhahood in Mahāyāna Buddhism ====
[[File:Ming Bronze Vairocana Buddha.jpg|thumb|A Ming Bronze of the supreme cosmic Buddha Vairocana ("The Illuminator"). The bronze depicts the cosmic body of Vairocana (which is equal to the universe itself) and also depicts the numerous manifestations (nirmanakayas) of Vairocana (the small Buddhas covering his body).]]
Mahāyāna Buddhism generally follows the Mahāsāṃghika ideal of the Buddha being a transcendent and all-knowing (sarvajña) being with unlimited spiritual powers. Guang Xing describes the Buddha in Mahāyāna as an [[Omnipotence|omnipotent]] and almighty [[divinity]] "endowed with numerous supernatural attributes and qualities".<ref>Guang Xing (2005). ''The Three Bodies of the Buddha: The Origin and Development of the Trikaya Theory''. Oxford: Routledge Curzon: pp. 1, 85</ref> Mahāyāna cosmology also includes innumerable Buddhas who reside in innumerable buddha fields (''buddha kshetra'').<ref name="Williams-2008a">Williams, Paul, ''Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations,'' Routledge, 2008, p. 21.</ref> The Mahāyāna ''[[Lotus Sutra]],'' for example, says the lifespan of the Buddha is immeasurable. It also says that the Buddha actually achieved Buddhahood countless eons (''kalpas'') ago and has already been teaching the Dharma through his numerous manifestations (''nirmana'') for eons.<ref>Hurvitz, Leon (2009), ''Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma: The Lotus Sutra'' (Rev. ed.), p. 239. New York: Columbia university press, {{ISBN|978-0-231-14895-5}}</ref><ref>[[Teiser, Stephen F.]]; [[Stone, Jacqueline Ilyse]] (2009), ''Interpreting the Lotus Sutra''; in: Teiser, Stephen F.; Stone, Jacqueline Ilyse; eds. ''Readings of the Lotus Sutra'', New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 1–61, {{ISBN|978-0-231-14288-5}}</ref>
In spite of this transcendent nature, Mahāyāna also affirms the [[Immanence|immanent]] nature of Buddhahood in all beings (through the doctrine of [[Buddha-nature]], which is seen as something that all beings have). This view of an immanent Buddha essence in all normal human beings is common throughout [[East Asian Buddhism]].<ref name="Yampolsky1990">{{Cite book |title=Selected writings of Nichiren |date=1990 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=0-231-07260-0 |editor=Yampolsky, Philip Boas |___location=New York |pages=336–337 |chapter=Introduction |oclc=21035153 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/selectedwritings00nich}}</ref>
The myriad Buddhas are also seen as active in the world, guiding all sentient beings to Buddhahood. Paul Williams writes that the Buddha in Mahāyāna is "a spiritual king, relating to and caring for the world".<ref name="Williams-2008b">Williams, Paul, ''Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations,'' Routledge, 2008, p. 27.</ref> This view entails a kind of [[docetism]] regarding the "historical" Buddha, [[The Buddha|Shakyamuni]]. His life and death were a "mere appearance," like a magic show; in reality, the Buddha still exists and is constantly helping living beings.<ref name="Williams-2008b" />
Because of this transcendental view, Mahāyāna Buddhologies have sometimes been compared to various types of [[theism]] (including [[pantheism]]) by different scholars. There is disagreement among scholars regarding this issue, as well on the general relationship between [[Buddhism and God|Buddhism and theism]].<ref name="Zappulli-2022">{{cite journal |last1=Zappulli |first1=Davide Andrea |year=2022 |title=Towards a Buddhist theism |journal=Religious Studies |volume=59 |issue=4 |pages=762–774 |doi=10.1017/S0034412522000725 |s2cid=254354100|doi-access=free }}</ref>
Since Buddhas remain accessible, a Mahāyānist can direct prayers to them, as well as experience visions and revelations from them. This has been very influential in the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism.<ref>Williams and Tribe (2002), p. 171.</ref> Furthermore, a Mahāyāna devotee can also aspire to be reborn in a Buddha's Pure Land or Buddha field (''[[Pure land|buddhakṣetra]]''), where they can strive towards Buddhahood in the best possible conditions. This practice is the central element of East Asian [[Pure Land Buddhism]].<ref>Dr. Guang Xing, ''The Three Bodies of the Buddha: The Origin and Development of the Trikaya Theory'', Routledge Curzon, Oxford, 2005, p. 1</ref>
===The Buddha
Some modern Buddhists have argued that the Buddha was just a human being, albeit a very wise one.<ref name="Skilton-2004" /> This is a common view in [[Buddhist modernism]], which sought to teach a form of Buddhism that was [[Modernism|modern]], [[Rationality|rational]] and [[Science|scientific]].<ref>McMahan, David L. (2008), ''The Making of Buddhist Modernism'', Oxford University Press, pp. 1–10. {{doi|10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195183276.001.0001}}, {{ISBN|978-0-19-518327-6}}</ref> One figure who sees Buddha as mainly human is [[Thích Nhất Hạnh]], a [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] [[bhikkhu|Buddhist monk]] in the [[Zen]] tradition, who states that "Buddha was not a god. He was a human being like you and me, and he suffered just as we do."<ref>{{cite book |last=Nhất Hạnh |first=Thích |title=The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching |publisher=[[Broadway Books]] |year=1999 |isbn=0-7679-0369-2 |page=3 |author-link=Thích Nhất Hạnh}}</ref>
In a similar fashion, Jack Maguire, a Western monk of the [[Mountains and Rivers Order]] in New York, writes that Buddha is inspirational based on his humanness:
{{blockquote|A fundamental part of Buddhism's appeal to billions of people over the past two and a half millennia is the fact that the central figure, commonly referred to by the title "Buddha", was not a god, or a special kind of spiritual being, or even a prophet or an emissary of one. On the contrary, he was a human being like the rest of us who quite simply woke up to full aliveness.<ref>{{cite book|last=Maguire|first=Jack|title=Essential Buddhism|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2013|page=2|isbn=978-1-4767-6196-1}}</ref>}}
==Nature of the Buddha==
[[File:Korea-Gyeongju-Silla Art and Science Museum-Seokguram model-01.jpg|thumb|Seated Shakyamuni Buddha, [[Seokguram|Seokguram cave]], [[Korea]].]]
The various Buddhist schools hold some varying interpretations on the nature of Buddha. All Buddhist traditions hold that a Buddha is fully awakened and has completely purified his mind of the [[three poisons]] of [[taṇhā|craving]], [[Dvesha (Buddhism)|aversion]] and [[avidyā (Buddhism)|ignorance]]. A Buddha is no longer bound by [[saṃsāra]], and has ended the [[Dukkha|suffering]] which unawakened people experience in life.
Most schools of Buddhism have also held that the Buddha was [[omniscience|omniscient]]. However, the early texts contain explicit repudiations of making this claim of the Buddha.<ref>[[A. K. Warder]], ''Indian Buddhism.'' Third edition published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 2000, pp. 132–133.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kalupahana |first=David |author-link=David Kalupahana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SlDArya3YvcC&pg=PA43 |title=A History of Buddhist Philosophy: Continuities and Discontinuities |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-8248-1402-1 |page=43}}</ref>
Mahāyāna buddhology expands the powers of a Buddha exponentially, seeing them as having unlimited lifespan and all-pervasive omniscient wisdom, as omnipotent, and as able to produce an infinite number of magical manifestations (nirmanakayas) as well as being able to produce pure lands (heaven-like realms for bodhisattvas).
=== The classic superknowledges ===
The [[Early Buddhist texts]] (and other later sources as well) contain a classic list of "[[Abhijñā|supernormal knowledges]]" (Skt. ''abhijñā'', [[Pali]]: ''abhiññā'') that a Buddha has attained through spiritual practice.<ref name="EB">{{cite encyclopedia |year=2010 |title=Abhijñā |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. |___location=Chicago, Illinois |url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/31 |editor-last=Hoiberg |editor-first=Dale H. |edition=15th |volume=I: A-ak Bayes |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/31 31] |isbn=978-1-59339-837-8 |url-access=registration}}</ref>
There is an ancient list of "six classes of superknowledge" (Pali: chalabhiññā, Skt. ṣaḍabhijña) that Buddhas have which are found in various Buddhist sources. These are:<ref>Dalai Lama, Thubten Chodron (2014). ''Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions,'' pp. 93–101. Wisdom Publications.</ref>
# "[[Ṛddhi|Higher powers]]" (P: ''iddhi,'' S: ''ṛddhi''), such as walking on water and through walls; flight, becoming invisible and creating mind made bodies.
# "Divine ear" (Pali: ''dibbasota''), that is, [[clairaudience]] which extends in the human realm as well as into the other realms, like the realms of the gods (devas).
# "Mind-penetrating knowledge" (''cetopariyañā{{IAST|ṇ}}a''), that is, [[telepathy]];
# "Remember one's former abodes" (''pubbenivāsanussati''), recalling one's own [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|past lives]] stretching back eons into the past.
# "Divine eye" (''dibbacakkhu''), that is, knowing others' [[Karma in Buddhism|karmic]] destinations (where they will be reborn); and,
# "Knowledge of the destruction of [[Asava|the mental pollutants]]" (''āsavakkhaya''), which is the eradication of all negative mental states and the ending of suffering. This knowledge is the "liberation of the mind" (Pali: ''cetovimutti'', Skt. ''cittavimukti'').
=== Miraculous displays ===
[[File:Museum für Indische Kunst Dahlem Berlin Mai 2006 013.jpg|thumb|Shakyamuni Buddha demonstrating control over the fire and water elements. [[Gandhara]], 3rd century CE.]]
Buddhist texts include numerous stories of the Buddha's [[miracle]]s, which include displays of the ''abhiññās,'' healings, elemental magic (such as manipulating fire and water), and various other supernatural phenomena, traveling to higher realms of [[Buddhist cosmology]], and others.<ref name="Keown-2013">{{Cite book |last=Keown |first=Damien |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFpcAgAAQBAJ |title=Encyclopedia of Buddhism |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-98588-1 |page=96 |access-date=2019-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702052821/https://books.google.com/books?id=NFpcAgAAQBAJ |archive-date=2019-07-02 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Nyanaponika-2012">{{Cite book |last1=Nyanaponika |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PbfmHoSYVQAC |title=Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy |last2=Hecker |first2=Hellmuth |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-86171-864-1 |page=89 |access-date=2019-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924124422/http://promienie.net/images/dharma/books/sutras_great-disciples-of-the-buddha.pdf#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=2017-09-24 |url-status=live}}</ref>
One of the most famous of these miracles was the [[The Twin Miracle|Twin Miracle at Sāvatthī]], in which the Buddha emitted fire from the top of his body and water from his lower body simultaneously, before alternating them and then expanding them to illuminate the cosmos.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vogel |first=Jean Philippe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=caskYEbIQDoC |title=Indian Serpent-lore: Or, The Nāgas in Hindu Legend and Art |date=1995 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-1071-2 |pages=113 |language=en |access-date=2019-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327123216/https://books.google.com/books?id=caskYEbIQDoC&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=2018-03-27 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Strong-2009">{{Cite book |last=Strong, John, 1948– |title=The Buddha : a beginner's guide |date=2009 |publisher=Oneworld Publications |isbn=978-1-4416-3432-0 |___location=Oxford |pages=140–143 |oclc=527853452}}</ref><ref name="Howard-2014">{{Cite book |last1=Howard |first1=Angela |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LiWeBQAAQBAJ |title=Archaeological and Visual Sources of Meditation in the Ancient Monasteries of Kuča |last2=Vignato |first2=Giuseppe |date=2014-11-14 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-27939-1 |pages=115 |language=en |access-date=2017-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318225313/https://books.google.com/books?id=LiWeBQAAQBAJ |archive-date=2021-03-18 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Mahayana sutras]] contain even more extensive miracles. In the ''[[Vimalakirti Sutra]]'', the Buddha display the true pure nature of his "[[Pure land|buddha field]]" to everyone on earth, who suddenly beholds the world as a perfect world filled with jewels and other majestic features.<ref>{{cite web |date=2014-09-12 |title=The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar and the Vimalakīrti Sutra |url=http://www.bdkamerica.org/digital/dBET_Srimala_Vimalakirti_2004.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912130032/http://www.bdkamerica.org/digital/dBET_Srimala_Vimalakirti_2004.pdf |archive-date=2014-09-12 |access-date=2019-05-22}}</ref> Likewise, in the [[Lotus Sutra]], the Buddha shakes the earth and shines a beam of light which illuminates thousands of "buddha-fields".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Olson |first=Carl |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5xx5BgAAQBAJ&q=miracles+of+the+buddha+mahayana&pg=PT245 |title=Indian Asceticism: Power, Violence, and Play |date=2015-03-03 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-026640-0 |access-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318223916/https://books.google.com/books?id=5xx5BgAAQBAJ&q=miracles+of+the+buddha+mahayana&pg=PT245 |archive-date=2021-03-18 |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Ten epithets of a Buddha===
Some Buddhists meditate on (or contemplate) the Buddha as having ten characteristics (Ch./Jp. 十號). These characteristics are frequently mentioned in the Pāli Canon as well as in other early Buddhist sources as well as in [[Mahayana sutras|Mahayana texts]], and are chanted daily in many Buddhist monasteries. The ten epithets are:<ref>{{Cite web |title=In Theravada Buddhism's canonical Buddhavamsa[6] the Ten Perfections (dasa pāramiyo) are (original terms in Pali): | Nexopia – Lifestyle and Community Forums |url=https://forums.nexopia.com/blogs/in-theravada-buddhisms-canonical-buddhavamsa-6-the-ten-perfections-dasa-p%C4%81ramiyo-are-original-terms-in-pali.3489786/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185735/https://forums.nexopia.com/blogs/in-theravada-buddhisms-canonical-buddhavamsa-6-the-ten-perfections-dasa-p%C4%81ramiyo-are-original-terms-in-pali.3489786/ |archive-date=2021-07-09 |access-date=2021-07-02 |website=forums.nexopia.com}}</ref>
# Thus gone, thus come (Skt: ''{{IAST|[[tathāgata]]}}'')
# Worthy one (Skt: ''[[arhat]]'')
# Perfectly self-enlightened (Skt: ''{{IAST|samyak-saṃbuddha}}'')
# Perfected in knowledge and conduct (Skt: ''{{IAST|vijya-carana-sampanno}}'' )
# Well gone (Skt: ''sugato'')
# Knower of the world (Skt: ''lokavidu'')
# Unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed (Skt: ''{{IAST|anuttaro-puriṣa-damma-sārathi}}'')
# Teacher of the gods and humans (Skt: ''{{IAST|śaththa deva-manuṣsāṇaṃ}}'')
# The Enlightened One (Skt: buddha)
# The Blessed One or fortunate one (Skt: ''bhagavat'')<ref>Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 147a/163</ref>
The tenth epithet is sometimes listed as "The World Honored Enlightened One" (Skt. ''Buddha-Lokanatha'') or "The Blessed Enlightened One" (Skt. ''Buddha-Bhagavan'').<ref>[http://www.tientai.net/teachings/dharma/buddha/10titles.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530200825/http://www.tientai.net/teachings/dharma/buddha/10titles.htm|date=2012-05-30}}, also see [[Thomas Cleary]] and [[J. C. Cleary]] ''The Blue Cliff Record'', p. 553.</ref>
=== Acts of a Buddha ===
[[File:Birth of Buddha at Lumbini.jpg|thumb|A painting of the miraculous birth of the Buddha]]
According to various Buddhist texts, upon reaching Buddhahood each Buddha performs various acts (''buddhacarita'') during his life to complete his duty as a Buddha.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Strong |first=John |title=The Buddha : a beginner's guide |date=2009 |publisher=Oneworld Publications |isbn=978-1-4416-3432-0 |___location=Oxford |pages=15–16 |oclc=527853452}}</ref>
The Mahayana tradition generally follows the list of "Twelve Great Buddha Acts" (Skt. ''dvadaśabuddhakārya''). These are:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berzin |first=Alexander |title=The Twelve Deeds of a Buddha |url=https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/lam-rim/refuge/the-twelve-deeds-of-a-buddha |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323101414/https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/lam-rim/refuge/the-twelve-deeds-of-a-buddha |archive-date=2023-03-23 |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=studybuddhism.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>Philippe Cornu, ''Manuel de bouddhisme — Philosophie, pratique et histoire. Tome I, Bouddhisme ancien et Theravāda'' (Editions Rangdröl, 2019), pages 37–58.</ref>
# A Buddha must descend from [[Tushita]] heaven and transfer his throne to the next future Buddha.
# A Buddha must enter his mothers womb.
# A Buddha must be born (generally accompanied by miracles).
# A Buddha must master numerous arts and skills in his youth.
# A Buddha must live in the palace and enjoy his life with his wife.
# A Buddha must make a [[Great Renunciation|great departure]] from his palace and become a renunciant ([[Śramaṇa|sramana]]).
# A Buddha must practice [[asceticism]].
# A Buddha must sit under a buddha tree (like the [[Bodhi Tree|bodhi tree]]) on a [[Bodhimaṇḍa|bodhimanda]] (place of awakening)
# A Buddha must defeat the demonic forces of [[Mara (demon)|Mara]].
# A Buddha must attain and manifest full awakening.
# A Buddha must give his [[Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta|first sermon]], and thus turn the wheel of the <abbr>Dharma.</abbr>
# A Buddha must die and pass into Nirvana, demonstrating liberation and impermanence.
The Pali suttas do not have such a list, but the Theravada [[Atthakatha|commentarial tradition]] lists 30 obligatory acts of a Buddha.<ref>Strong, John (2009), ''The Buddha: A Beginner's Guide,'' Chapter 1, Oxford: Oneworld Publications</ref>
=== Attributes of a Buddha in Mahāyāna ===
[[File:方便法身尊影-Amida_Manifesting_in_the_Dharma-body_of_Expedient_Means_MET_18_146_1_O3_sf.jpg|thumb|"[[Amitābha|Amida]] Manifesting in the Dharma-body of [[Upaya|Expedient Means]]", Japanese painting, at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art|Met]].]]
Various [[Mahayana sutras]] and treatises contain explanations of the nature of a Buddha and the various attributes which Buddhas are said to have. These attributes are significantly different and more exalted than the way a Buddha is understood in non-Mahayana Buddhism.
Some of the key attributes of Buddhahood in Mahayana buddhology include:
* '''Triple body ([[Trikaya|Trikāya]]):''' This is the central Mahayana buddhological theory which states that a Buddha has three aspects, or functions (Sanskrit: vṛṭṭis): the ''[[Dharmakāya]]'' ([[Sanskrit]]; [[Dharma]] body, the [[ultimate reality]], the true nature of all things), the [[Saṃbhogakāya|''Sambhogakāya'']] (the body of self-enjoyment, a blissful divine body with infinite forms and powers) and the ''[[Nirmāṇakāya]]'' (manifestation body, the body which appears in the everyday world and presents the semblance of a [[human body]]).<ref>Snelling, John (1987), ''The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice'', p. 100. London: Century Paperbacks</ref>
* '''[[Eternity]]''' and '''[[Immutable object|Immutability]]''': In its ultimate aspect (i.e. ''Dharmakāya''), Buddhahood is said to be unchanging, [[Anutpada|non-arising]], un-created, eternal, permanent (nitya) and unceasing.<ref>Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations.'' Routledge, 2008, p. 179.</ref><ref name=":0">Xing, Guang (2005). ''The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the Trikāya Theory,'' p. 90. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-33344-3.</ref> Various sources like the ''[[Lotus Sutra]]'' also indicate the Buddha's lifespan (ayus) is also immeasurable or eternal ("ever enduring, never perishing").<ref>Hurvitz, Leon (1976). ''Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma: The Lotus Sutra'' (1st ed.), p. 239. New York: Columbia University Press, {{ISBN|978-0231037891}}</ref> Furthermore, in Mahayana, Buddhahood is also understood as timeless, beyond any concept of past, present or future, since any concept of time is a mental construction.
* '''Beyond thought''': A Buddha has no [[thought]]s or ordinary [[cognition]] ([[Samjna (concept)|samjña]]), he does not plan, [[concept]]ualize, [[Thought|think]] (amanasikāra). His mind is beyond all mental proliferation (nis[[Conceptual proliferation|prapañca]]). Instead, Buddhahood naturally and spontaneously manifests myriad [[Upaya|skillful means]] to benefit all beings in an automatic manner without any thought or planning.<ref name=":1">Lai, Whalen W. 'A Clue to the Authorship of the Awakening of Faith: "Siksananda's" Redaction of the Word "Nien"*' ''Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies'', Volume 3, 1980, Number 1.</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1) / 84000 Reading Room |url=https://84000.co/translation/toh555#UT22084-089-012-chapter-3 |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=84000 Translating The Words of The Buddha |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":42">Buswell, R.; Lopez, D. ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism,'' p. 1005. Princeton University Press, 2013.</ref> Thus he is said to have a mind which is [[no-mind]] (Sanskrit: acitta) or without discrimination (nirvikalpa).<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":42"/><ref>Edelglass, W.; Garfield, J. ''Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings,'' p. 317. Oxford University Press, Apr 21, 2009.</ref>
* '''Wordless Teaching''': Various sutras, like the ''[[Tathāgataguhya Sūtra]],'' state that the Buddha "has never once uttered a single word" since Buddha is always in a state of meditative [[samadhi]].<ref>Shingan, Shaku (2021). ''[https://sites.google.com/view/shingans-portal/s%C5%ABtra-translations The Secrets of the Tathāgata A Mahāyāna Sūtra] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224141133/https://sites.google.com/view/shingans-portal/s%C5%ABtra-translations|date=2021-12-24}},'' p. 38. Kamakura. ISBN 978-1-716-23850-5 (Lulu).</ref> In spite of this, the Buddha manifests innumerable skillful means that magically appears to all sentient beings as various teachings appropriate specifically for them, in whatever language or sound they can understand.<ref name=":3">Shingan, Shaku (2021). ''[https://sites.google.com/view/shingans-portal/s%C5%ABtra-translations The Secrets of the Tathāgata A Mahāyāna Sūtra] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224141133/https://sites.google.com/view/shingans-portal/s%C5%ABtra-translations|date=2021-12-24}},'' pp. 32, 37. Kamakura. ISBN 978-1-716-23850-5 (Lulu).</ref>
* '''[[Omniscience|All-knowing]] wisdom''': Buddha's knowledge and wisdom is said to be all-knowing (Sanskrit: sarvajña), i.e. omniscient.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro. ''Lankavatara Sutra: A Mahayana Text,'' p. xiii. 1932, London</ref> This is because a Buddha knows the true nature of all reality as well as all phenomena (dharmas).
* '''All-pervasive''': Sutras like the ''[[Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra|Avatamsaka Sutra]]'' state that Buddha's light and wisdom is all pervasive and [[Omnipresence|omnipresent]] throughout out the cosmos.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hamar |first1=Imre |year=2007 |title=The Manifestation of the Absolute in the Phenomenal World: Nature Origination in Huayan Exegesis |journal=Bulletin de l'École Française d'Extrême-Orient |volume=94 |pages=229–250 |doi=10.3406/befeo.2007.6070}}</ref><ref name="Williams, Paul page 122">{{cite book |author=Paul Williams |title=Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations |page=122}}</ref> As such, Buddhahood is present everywhere, including in the minds of all beings as [[buddha-nature]]. However, most beings do not detect Buddha's presence, because their minds are deluded and clouded over by [[Kleshas (Buddhism)|defilements]].
* '''[[Other power|Measureless Power]]''': Buddha's power (anubhāva, adhiṣṭhāna) is said to be immeasurably vast, though not claimed to be [[Omnipotence|omnipotent]] per se. This power is able to influence and help liberate sentient beings in different ways.<ref name=":12">Sharf, Robert H. ''Coming to Terms With Chinese Buddhism: A Reading of the Treasure Store Treatise'', p. 119. University of Hawaii Press, Jan 1, 2002</ref><ref name=":02">Jackson, Roger. Makransky, John. ''Buddhist Theology: Critical Reflections by Contemporary Buddhist Scholars'', p. 114. Routledge, Dec 16, 2013.</ref> Furthermore, the "power of the [Buddha's] past vows" (pūrva-praṇidhāna-vaśa) can help living beings who call on the Buddha's aid by helping them be reborn in a [[Pure land|Pure Land]].<ref name=":11">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=RO9vKnYPtxkOzY2g&v=G4b18rlk7bY&feature=youtu.be |title=2020 Annual Symposium: Other Power in Buddhism |date=2021-01-26 |last=UBC Asian Studies |access-date=2024-10-15 |via=YouTube}}</ref> This idea, also called "other-power", is central to [[Pure Land Buddhism]].
* '''Great Compassion''': Buddha's great compassion ([[Karuṇā|mahākaruṇā]]) and kindness ([[maitrī]]) is universal and embraces all beings in the universe. It is due to this great compassion that the Buddha works to liberate all beings, and will unceasingly continue to manifest immeasurable numbers of emanation bodies (''[[nirmāṇakāya]]s'') and [[Upaya|skillful means]] in order to save all beings.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>Gethin, Rupert (1998). ''The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford'', p. 228. Oxford University Press.</ref>
* '''[[Upaya|Skillful Means (Upaya)]]:''' Buddha's compassion and love manifests as Buddha's skillful means which take immeasurably many forms. For example, Buddha may appear as a human, any deva, animal, etc. In order to liberate all different types of beings, the Buddha also teaches many paths to awakening (such as the [[Yana (Buddhism)|three vehicles]]), many teachings (such as the [[Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma|three turnings]]) and many methods of spiritual cultivation.
* '''Inconceivability''': In numerous sources, the Buddha is seen as being inconceivable (acintya), beyond all concepts, indescribable by language, unable to grasped by thought or intellectual understanding.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ryûichi Abé |title=The Weaving of Mantra: Kûkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse |page=285}}</ref> One of the names of the Buddha [[Amitābha|Amitabha]] is Acintyaprabha, "Inconceivable Light".
* '''Purity:''' Buddhahood is totally beyond the [[Kleshas (Buddhism)|defilements]] (kleśa) and thus perfectly pure (viśuddhi), unstained ([[Asrava|anāśrava]]), and undefiled (akleśa).
* '''Non-dual:''' While Buddhahood is said to transcend the suffering of [[Saṃsāra|samsara]] (the conditioned world), it is also not separate from samsara either, and thus is [[Nondualism|non-dual]] (advaya) with the world of suffering.<ref>McCagney, Nancy, ''Nāgārjuna and the Philosophy of Openness,'' Rowman & Littlefield, 1 January 1997, p. 129.</ref><ref>McCagney, Nancy (1997)''. Nāgārjuna and the Philosophy of Openness'', pp. 40-41. Rowman & Littlefield</ref> This due to the Mahayana doctrine of "[[Nirvana (Buddhism)#In Mahayana Buddhism|non-abiding nirvana]]" (apratiṣṭhita-nirvana, also "not-fixed" or "non-localized"), which holds that nirvana is not a state of total transcendence separated from the world, but is also able to freely operate in the world of suffering, ecompassing the entire cosmos and being [[Immanence|immanent]] within it.<ref>Buswell, Robert E. Jr.; Lopez, Donald S. Jr. (2013), ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', "apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa." Princeton University, {{ISBN|978-1-4008-4805-8}}</ref>
== Lists of Buddhas ==
[[File:022 Stupas and Bodhi Trees representing the Seven Buddhas (33772342726).jpg|thumb|'''"The Seven Buddhas"''', at [[Sanchi]] (1st century BCE/CE). Six Buddhas of the past are represented, together with the current Buddha, [[Gautama Buddha]], with his [[Bodhi Tree]] (at the extreme right). In the central section are three [[stupa]]s alternating with four trees with thrones in front of them, adored by figures both human and divine. These represent six Buddhas of the past (namely: [[Vipassī Buddha]], [[Sikhī Buddha]], [[Vessabhū Buddha]], [[Kakusandha Buddha]], [[Koṇāgamana Buddha]], and [[Kassapa Buddha]]). Three are symbolized by their stupas, and four by the trees under which each respectively attained enlightenment. The tree on the extreme right is the [[ficus religiosa|pipal]] tree of Gautama Buddha and the one next to it is the [[banyan]] tree of Kassapa Buddha. The identification of the others is less certain.<ref name="Marshall 46">John Marshall, A Guide to Sanchi, 1918 [https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.459148 p.46ff] (Public Domain text)</ref>]]
=== The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity ===
In the earliest strata of [[Early Buddhist Texts|Pali Buddhist texts]], especially in the first four [[Nikāya|Nikayas]], only the following seven Buddhas, The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity (''Saptatathāgata''), are explicitly mentioned and named (see for example [[Saṃyutta Nikāya|SN]] 12.4 to SN 12.10). Four of these are from the current ''[[Kalpa (aeon)|kalpa]]'' (Pali: ''kappa'', meaning "eon" or "age") called the good eon (''bhaddakappa'') and three are from past eons.{{sfn|Silk|von Hinüber|Eltschinger|Bowring|2019|p=110-111}}
# [[Vipassī]] (lived ninety-one ''kalpas'' ago)
# [[Sikhī Buddha|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 good eon)
# [[Koṇāgamana Buddha|Koṇāgamana]] (the second Buddha of the current eon)
# [[Kassapa Buddha|Kassapa]] (the third Buddha of the current eon)
# [[Gautama Buddha|Gautama]] (the fourth and present Buddha of the current eon)
One sutta called ''Chakkavatti-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.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.26.0.than.html |title = Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor |website = Access To Insight |access-date = 2020-09-13 |archive-date = 2020-11-12 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201112002530/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.26.0.than.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
However, according to a text in the Theravada Buddhist tradition from a later stratum (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.<ref>A textual and Historical Analysis of the Khuddaka Nikaya – Oliver Abeynayake Ph.D., Colombo, First Edition – 1984, p. 113.</ref><ref>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}}.</ref> Theravada tradition maintains that there can be up to five Buddhas in a ''[[Kalpa (aeon)|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.{{sfn|Silk|von Hinüber|Eltschinger|Bowring|2019|p=110-111}}
[[File:Budhasa Konaakamanasa.jpg|thumb|"''Budha-sa Konākamana-sa''" ("Of the [[Koṇāgamana Buddha|Kanakamuni Buddha]]") inscription in [[Brahmi script]], at [[Nigali Sagar]], 250 BCE]]
[[File:Buddha Sakyamuni on the Rummindei pillar of Ashoka.jpg|thumb|The words "[[Buddha|Bu-dhe]]" and "[[Sakyamuni|Sa-kya-mu-nī]]" in [[Brahmi script]], on the Rummindei pillar of Ashoka.]]
The [[Koṇāgamana Buddha]], is mentioned in a 3rd-century BCE inscription by [[Ashoka]] at [[Nigali Sagar]], in today's [[Nepal]]. There is an [[Pillars of Ashoka|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 [[Ashoka|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.<ref>Basanta Bidari – 2004 Kapilavastu: the world of Siddhartha – Page 87</ref><ref>{{cite book |title = Inscriptions of Asoka. New Edition by E. Hultzsch |year = 1925 |page = 165 |url = https://archive.org/stream/InscriptionsOfAsoka.NewEditionByE.Hultzsch/HultzschCorpusAsokaSearchable#page/n339 |language = sa }}</ref>
According to [[Xuanzang]], Koṇāgamana's relics were held in a stupa in [[Nigali Sagar]], in what is now [[Kapilvastu District]] in southern [[Nepal]].<ref>{{cite book |title = Relics of the Buddha |first = John S. |last = Strong |year = 2007 |page = 130 |publisher = Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-11764-5 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_KLAxmR8PZAC }}</ref>
The historical Buddha, Gautama, also called Shakyamuni ("Sage of the [[Shakyas]]"), is mentioned epigraphically on the [[Pillars of Ashoka|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.<ref>Paranavitana, S. (Apr. – Jun., 1962). Rummindei Pillar Inscription of Asoka, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 82 (2), 163–167</ref>
{{blockquote|When King Devānāmpriya Priyadasin 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 [[Rummindei]] Edict, one of the [[Minor Pillar Edicts]] of Ashoka.<ref>Hultzsch, E. (1925). [https://archive.org/stream/InscriptionsOfAsoka.NewEditionByE.Hultzsch/HultzschCorpusAsokaSearchable#page/n337/mode/2up Inscriptions of Asoka]. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 164–165.</ref>|title=|source=}}
=== The last 28 Buddhas of Theravāda (aṭavīsi Buddha) ===
[[File:28Buddhas-01.JPG|thumb|[[Buddhism|Buddhist]] men at the [[Sule Pagoda]] in [[Yangon]], [[Burma|Myanmar]], paying homage to the 29 Buddhas described in Chapter 27 of the [[Buddhavamsa]]]]
The [[Pali literature]] of the [[Theravada|Theravāda]] tradition includes tales of 28 previous Buddhas. In countries where [[Theravada|Theravāda Buddhism]] is practiced by the majority of people, such as [[Buddhism in Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]], [[Buddhism in Cambodia|Cambodia]], [[Buddhism in Laos|Laos]], [[Buddhism in Myanmar|Myanmar]], [[Buddhism in Thailand|Thailand]], it is customary for [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] to hold elaborate festivals, especially during the fair weather season, paying homage to the last 28 Buddhas described in the ''[[Buddhavamsa]]''. The ''Buddhavamsa'' is a text which describes the life of [[Gautama Buddha]] and the 27 [[Buddha (title)|Buddhas]] who preceded him, along with the future [[Maitreya|Metteyya]] Buddha.<ref name="Morris1882" /> The Buddhavamsa is part of the ''[[Khuddaka Nikaya|Khuddaka Nikāya]]'', which in turn is part of the ''[[Sutta Pitaka|Sutta Piṭaka]]''. The ''Sutta Piṭaka'' is one of three main sections of the ''[[Pāli Canon]]''.
The first three of these [[Buddha (title)|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.<ref name="Huntington" /> After Dīpankara, 25 more noble people (''[[Four stages of enlightenment|ariya-puggala]]'') would attain [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]] before Gautama, the historical Buddha.
Many Buddhists also pay homage to the future Buddha, Metteyya. According to [[Buddhist texts|Buddhist scripture]], Metteyya will be a successor of Gautama who will appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure ''[[Dharma (Buddhism)|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).
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!
! Pāli name<ref name=Malalasekera294/><ref name=Davids1878/><ref name=Horner1975/>
! Sanskrit name
! Birthplace<ref name=Davids1878/><ref name=Horner1975/>
! Parents (father - mother)<ref name=Davids1878/><ref name=Horner1975/><ref name="VipassanaMetteyya">Vipassana.info, [http://www.vipassana.info/me_mu/metteyya.htm Pali Proper Names Dictionary: Metteyya] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222152344/http://www.vipassana.info/me_mu/metteyya.htm|date=2020-02-22}}</ref>
! ''Bodhirukkha'' (tree of enlightenment)<ref name=Davids1878/><ref name=Horner1975/><ref name=Malalasekera319/>
! Incarnation of Gautama<ref name=Horner1975/>
|-
| 1
|[[Taṇhaṅkara]]
|Tṛṣṇaṃkara
|Puppavadī
|Sunanda - Sunandā
|Rukkaththana
|
|-
| 2
|[[Medhaṅkara Buddha|Medhaṅkara]]
|Medhaṃkara
|Yaghara
|Sudeva - Yasodharā
|Kaela
|
|-
| 3
|[[Saraṇaṅkara Buddha|Saraṇaṅkara]]
|Śaraṇaṃkara
|Vipula
|Sumaṅgala - Yasavatī
|Pulila
|
|-
| 4
|[[Dīpankara Buddha|Dīpaṃkara]]
|Dīpaṃkara
|Rammavatī
|Sudeva - Sumedhā
|Pipphala
|Sumedha (also Sumati or Megha Mānava)<ref name=Ghosh1987/>
|-
| 5
|[[Kaundinya Buddha|Koṇḍañña]]
|Kauṇḍinya
|Rammavatī
|Sunanda - Sujātā
|Salakalyana
|Vijitawi (a Chakravarti in Chandawatinagara of Majjhimadesa)
|-
| 6
|[[Maṅgala Buddha|Maṅgala]]
|Maṃgala
|Uttara (Majhimmadesa)
|Uttara - Uttarā
|Nāga ([[Mesua ferrea]])
|Suruchi (in Siribrahmano)
|-
| 7
|[[Sumana Buddha|Sumana]]
|Sumanas
|Mekhala
|Sudassana - <dfn>Sirimā</dfn>
|Nāga ([[Mesua ferrea]])
|King Atulo, a [[Nāga|Naga]]
|-
| 8
|[[Revata Buddha|Revata]]<ref name=Malalasekera754/>
|Raivata
|Sudhaññavatī
|Vipula - Vipulā
|Nāga ([[Mesua ferrea]])
|
|-
| 9
|[[Sobhita Buddha|Sobhita]]
|Śobhita
|Sudhamma
|Sudhamma - Sudhammā
|Nāga ([[Mesua ferrea]])
|Sujata (in Rammavati)
|-
| 10
|[[Anomadassi Buddha|Anomadassi]]
|Anavamadarśin
|Candavatī
|Yasava - Yasodharā
|Ajjuna
|A Yaksha king
|-
| 11
|[[Paduma Buddha|Paduma]]<ref name=Malalasekera131/>
|Padma
|Campaka
|Asama - Asamā
|Salala
|A lion
|-
| 12
|[[Nārada Buddha|Nārada]]
|Nārada
|Dhaññavatī
|Raja Sudeva - Anomā
|Sonaka
|A [[tapaso]] in the Himalayas
|-
| 13
|[[Padumuttara Buddha|Padumuttara]]<ref name=Malalasekera136/>
|Padmottara
|Haṁsavatī
|Ānanda - Sujātā
|Salala
|Jatilo, an ascetic
|-
| 14
|[[Sumedha Buddha|Sumedha]]
|Sumedha
|Sudassana
|Sumedha - Sumedhā
|Nipa
|Native of Uttaro
|-
| 15
|[[Sujāta Buddha|Sujāta]]
|Sujāta
|Sumaṅgala
|Uggata - Pabhāvatī
|Welu
|A chakravarti
|-
| 16
|[[Piyadassi Buddha|Piyadassi]]<ref name=Malalasekera207/>
|Priyadarśin
|Sudhañña
|Sudinna/Sudatta - Sucandā
|Kakudha
|Kassapa (at Siriwattanagara)
|-
| 17
|[[Atthadassi Buddha|Atthadassi]]
|Arthadarśin
|Sobhana
|Sāgara - Sudassanā
|Champa
|Susino,
|-
| 18
|[[Dhammadassī Buddha|Dhammadassī]]
|Dharmadarśin
|Saraṇa
|Saraṇa - Sunandā
|Bimbajala
|Indra
|-
| 19
|[[Siddhattha Buddha|Siddhattha]]
|Siddhārtha
|Vebhāra
|Udena - Suphassā
|Kanihani, kanikara (Pterospermum
acerifolium) (Bayur tree)
|Mangal
|-
| 20
|[[Tissa Buddha|Tissa]]
|Tiṣya
|Khemaka
|Janasandha - Padumā
|Assana
|King Sujata of Yasawatinagara
|-
| 21
|[[Phussa Buddha|Phussa]]<ref name=Malalasekera257/>
|Puṣya
|Kāsika
|Jayasena - Sirimā
|Amalaka
|Vijitavi
|-
| 22
|[[Vipassī Buddha|Vipassī]]
|Vipaśyin
|Bandhumatī
|Bandhumā - Bandhumatī
|Pāṭalī ([[Stereospermum chelonoides]])
|King Atula
|-
| 23
|[[Sikhī Buddha|Sikhī]]
|Śikhin
|Aruṇavatī
|Aruṇa - Pabhāvatī
|Puṇḍarīka ([[Mangifera indica]])
|Arindamo (at Paribhuttanagara)
|-
| 24
|[[Vessabhū Buddha|Vessabhū]]
|Viśvabhū
|Anoma
|Suppatīta - Yasavatī
|Sāla ([[Shorea robusta]])
|Sadassana (in Sarabhavatinagara)
|-
| 25
|[[Kakusandha Buddha|Kakusandha]]
|Krakucchanda
|Khemāvatī
|Aggidatta - Visākhā
|Sirīsa ([[Albizia lebbeck]])
|King Khema<ref name=jatakaonline/>
|-
| 26
|[[Koṇāgamana Buddha|Koṇāgamana]]
|Kanakamuni<ref name=Barua2008/>
|Sobhavatī
|Yaññadatta - Uttarā
|Udumbara ([[Ficus racemosa]])
|King Pabbata of a mountainous area in Mithila
|-
| 27
|[[Kassapa Buddha|Kassapa]]<ref name=Cunningham1880/>
|Kāśyapa
|Bārāṇasī
|Brahmadatta - Dhanavatī
|Nigrodha ([[Ficus benghalensis]])
|Jotipala (at Vappulla)
|-
| 28
|[[Gautama Buddha|Gotama]]
|Gautama (current)
|[[Kapilavastu (ancient city)|Kapilavatthu]]
|[[Śuddhodana|Suddhodana]] - [[Maya (mother of the Buddha)|Māyā]]
|Assattha ([[Ficus religiosa]])
|Gautama, the Buddha
|-
|29
|[[Metteyya]]
|[[Maitreya]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.26.0.than.html|title=Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor|website=www.accesstoinsight.org|access-date=2020-09-13|archive-date=2020-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112002530/https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.26.0.than.html|url-status=live}}</ref> (next)
|Ketumatī ([[Varanasi|Bārāṇasi]])
|Subrahmā -Brahmavatī
|Nāga ([[Mesua ferrea]])
|
|-
|}
== Mahāyāna Buddhas ==
[[File:Kamakura_Budda_Daibutsu_front_1885.jpg|thumb|''[[Kamakura Daibutsu|The Great Buddha of Kamakura]]'', a Japanese statue of Amida ([[Amitābha]]), 13th-century.]]
[[Mahayana|Mahāyāna]] Buddhists venerate numerous Buddhas that are not found in early Buddhism or in Theravada Buddhism. They are generally seen as living in other realms, known as buddha-fields (Sanskrit: ''buddhakṣetra'') or [[pure land]]s ([[Chinese language|Ch]]: 淨土; [[Pinyin|p]]: ''Jìngtǔ'') in [[East Asian Buddhism]]. They are sometimes called "celestial Buddhas" since they are not from this earth.
[[File:35_Buddha.jpg|thumb|A Mahayana illustration of 35 Confession Buddhas]]
Some of the key Mahāyāna Buddhas are:
* [[Akshobhya]] ("the Imperturbable"), appears in various sutras like the ''[[Vimalakirti Sutra|Vimalakirti sutra]].'' His buddha-field is [[Abhirati]] (lit. "The Joyous").
* [[Amitābha]] (Amida Buddha, ."Infinite Light"), the principal Buddha of [[Pure Land Buddhism]]. His buddha-field is called [[Sukhavati|Sukhāvatī]] ("Blissful").
* [[Amoghasiddhi]] ("Infallible Success")
* [[Bhaisajyaguru|Bhaiṣajyaguru]] ("Medicine guru") also known as "Medicine Buddha", the healing Buddha. His pure land is Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa ("Pure Beryl Light").
* [[Ratnasambhava]] ("Jewel Born")
* [[Vairocana]] ("the Illuminator"), a key figure in the ''[[Avatamsaka Sutra]]'' and the ''[[Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra]]''. He is the central Buddha in [[Huayan]] Buddhism, [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism]] and [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]]. His pure land is known as the Padmagarbhalokadhātu (the lotus treasury world) and also as "Densely Arrayed [[Akaniṣṭha]]" (''Ghanavyūhakaniṣṭha'').
* [[Prabhutaratna|Prabhūtaratna]] ("Many Treasures"), an ancient Buddha who appears in the ''[[Lotus Sutra]]''
* [[Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva)|Samantabhadra]], a Buddha who is mentioned in the ''[[Akṣayamatinirdeśa Sūtra]],'' which states that the bodhisattva [[Akṣayamati]] is said to be from the Buddha field of Samantabhadra.<ref>The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra "The Teaching of Akṣayamati" ''Āryākṣayamatinirdeśanāmamahāyānasūtra.'' Toh 175 Degé Kangyur, vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 79.a–174.b. Translated by Jens Braarvig and David Welsh, University of Oslo under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. First published 2020. Current version v 1.0.9 (2021). https://read.84000.co/translation/toh175.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214521/https://read.84000.co/translation/toh175.html |date=2021-06-02 }}</ref>
* [[Lokesvararaja|Lokeśvararāja]], a past Buddha who is mentioned in the ''[[Larger Sutra|Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life]]''
* [[Budai]] (Jp: Hotei), the fat [[laughing Buddha]], usually seen in [[China]] and often mistaken as ''the'' Buddha in western culture. This figure is believed to be a representation of a medieval Chinese monk who is associated with [[Maitreya]], the future Buddha.
Some [[Mahayana sutras|Mahāyāna sutras]] also contain long lists of Buddhas which are used in different ways. One popular list of Buddhas is the [[Thirty-five Confession Buddhas|Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas]] which is found in the ''Sutra of the Three Heaps'' (Sanskrit: ''Triskandhadharmasutra''). This sutra is popular in [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] rites of confession.<ref name="HimalayanArt1">{{cite web |last=Watt |first=Jeff |author-link=Jeff Watt |date=July 2011 |title=Thirty-five Confession Buddhas Main Page |url=http://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=660 |access-date=2016-07-20 |website=Himalayan Art Resources |publisher=}}</ref>
The ''[[Bhadrakalpika Sūtra|Bhadrakalpikasūtra]]'' contains a list of one thousand and four Buddhas and discusses their deeds. Most of these are Buddhas of the future.
=== In Vajrayana ===
In Tantric Buddhism ([[Vajrayana]], Esoteric Buddhism) which includes [[Tibetan Buddhism|Indo-Tibetan Buddhism]], [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism]], [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]], and [[Buddhism in Nepal|Nepalese Buddhism]], one finds some of the same Mahayana Buddhas along with other strictly tantric Buddha figures that are unique to Vajrayana.
==== Five Tathāgatas ====
There are [[Five Tathagatas|five primary Buddhas]] known as the "Five Tathagathas": Vairocana, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitābha, and Amoghasiddhi. Each is associated with a different consort, direction, aggregate (or, aspect of the personality), emotion, element, color, symbol, and mount.<ref>Nathaniel DeWitt Garson; Penetrating the Secret Essence Tantra: Context and Philosophy in the Mahayoga System of rNying-ma Tantra, page 43</ref>
The Five Tathagatas and some of their associated elements are:
{| class="wikitable"
!Buddha (Skt)
!Main bodhisattva
![[Pure land|Buddha-field]]
![[Bīja|Seed syllable]]
!Color
![[Mahābhūta|Element]]
!Family and Symbol
!Poison ([[Kleshas (Buddhism)|kleśa]])
|-
|'''[[Vairocana]]'''
|[[Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva)|Samantabhadra]]
|central pure land [[Akanistha Ghanavyuha]]
|[[Vam]]
|White
|Space
|Buddha family, Wheel
|[[Moha (Buddhism)|delusion]]
|-
|'''[[Akshobhya]]'''
|[[Vajrapani]]
|eastern pure land [[Abhirati]]
|Hum
|Blue
|Water
|[[Vajra]]
|[[Īrṣyā|envy, jealousy]]
|-
|'''[[Amitābha]]'''
|[[Avalokiteśvara]]
|western pure land [[Sukhavati]]
|Hrih
|Red
|Fire
|Lotus (Padma)
|[[Taṇhā|craving]]
|-
|'''[[Ratnasambhava|Ratnasaṃbhava]]'''
|[[Ratnapani]]
|southern pure land [[Shrimat]]
|Tram
|Gold/Yellow
|Earth
|Jewel (Ratna)
|[[Māna|pride, greed]]
|-
|'''[[Amoghasiddhi]]'''
|[[Viśvapāni]]
|northern pure land {{interlanguage link|Prakuta|es|Prakuta}}
|Ah
|Green
|Air
|[[Viśvavajra|Double vajra]]
|[[Dvesha (Buddhism)|aggression, aversion]]
|}
[[File:Vajrayogini_from_Thangka.jpg|right|thumb|Painting of Vajrayoginī (Dorjé Neljorma), a female Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism.]]
==== Adibuddha ====
There is also the Vajrayana idea of the [[Adi-Buddha]], the "first Buddha" to attain Buddhahood. Variously named as [[Vajradhara]], [[Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva)|Samantabhadra]] and Vairocana, the first Buddha is also associated with the concept of [[Dharmakaya]].
==== Female Buddhas ====
Buddhist Tantra also includes several female Buddhas, such as [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tara]], the most popular female Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism, who comes in many forms and colors. In several tantric sources, each of the main five Buddhas is paired with a vidyarajñi (wisdom queen) or [[Prajñā (Buddhism)|prajña]] consort. They are:<ref>Vessantara (2014), ''Female Deities in Buddhism.'' Windhorse Publications.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Buddhist Mantras - Mantras of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other archetypal figures, plus miscellaneous mantras and chants |url=http://www.visiblemantra.org/mantra.html |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=www.visiblemantra.org}}</ref>
* Ākāśadhātvīśvarī ("The Sovereign Lady of the Sphere of Infinite Space"), the prajñā of Vairocana
* Locanā, the prajñā of Akṣobhya
* Māmakī ("Mine-maker"), the prajñā of Ratnasambhava
* Paṇḍāravāsinī ("White Robed One"), the prajñā of Amitabha
* [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tārā]] ('Star"), sometimes associated with Amoghasiddhi, sometimes Amitabha
There are also feminine counterparts to the Adi-Buddha figure, and both are often depicted in union ([[Yab-Yum|yab-yum]]). As such, in the Nyingma school for example, the Adi-buddha Samantabhadra is paired with a vidya called [[Samantabhadri]], and in Sarma schools, Vajradhara is paired with a supreme female Buddha as well ([[Prajñāpāramitā Devī|Prajñaparamita]], Vajradhatu Ishvari, or Vajrayogini).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Buddhist deity Vajradhara in union with his consort Prajnaparamita {{!}} probably Chinese or Tibetan |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/460573 |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |language=en}}</ref><ref>Lama Yeshe. ''Becoming Vajrasattva: The Tantric Path of Purification,'' p. 28. Simon and Schuster, 2004.</ref>
==== Fierce Buddhas ====
In the [[Tantras (Buddhism)|Buddhist tantras]], there are various [[fierce deities]] which are tantric forms of the Buddhas. These may be fierce (Tibetan: ''trowo'', Sanskrit: ''krodha'') Buddha forms or semi-fierce, and may appear in sexual union with a female Buddha or as a "solitary hero". The ''[[Heruka]]'' ([[Standard Tibetan|Tb]]. ''khrag 'thung'', lit. "blood drinker") are enlightened masculine beings who adopt fierce forms to help beings. They include [[Yamantaka|Yamāntaka]], [[Cakrasaṃvara Tantra|Cakrasaṃvara]], [[Hevajra]], [[Mahakala|Mahākāla]], and [[Kīla (Buddhism)|Vajrakīlaya]]. ''[[Dakini]]'' ([[Standard Tibetan|Tb]]. ''khandroma'', "sky-goer") are their feminine counterparts, sometimes depicted with a heruka and sometimes as independent deities. The most prevalent wrathful ''[[dakini]]'' are [[Vajrayogini]], [[Vajravārāhī]], [[Nairatmya|Nairātmyā]], and [[Kurukullā]].
During the tantric period, [[Buddhist mythology]] overlapped with [[Hindu mythology]]. Akshobhya, for example, acquires a fierce Tantric form that is reminiscent of the fierce form of the Hindu god [[Mahakala|Mahākāla]]; in this form he became known by the Buddhist names Heruka, Hevajra, or Samvara. He is known in [[Japan]] in this guise as ''Fudō'' ("Imperturbable"). The Hindu god [[Bhairava]], a fierce bull-headed divinity, was adopted by Tantric Buddhists as ''Vajrabhairava''. Also called ''[[Yamantaka|Yamāntaka]]'' ("Slayer of Death") and identified as the fierce expression of the gentle [[Manjushri|Mañjuśrī]], he was accorded quasi-Buddha rank.
==== Others ====
Some historical figures are also seen as Buddhas, such as the Buddhist philosopher [[Nagarjuna]], Tibetan historical figures like [[Padmasambhava]], [[Je Tsongkhapa|Tsongkhapa]] and [[Kūkai|Kukai]].
==Depictions of the Buddhas in art==
{{main|Buddha in art}}
[[File:Buddha Statues in Pindaya Caves.jpg|thumb|Various types of [[Buddharupa|Buddha statues]] at [[Pindaya Caves|Pindaya caves]], [[Myanmar]]]]
[[File:20191113 Longhua Temple large Buddha statues-2.jpg|thumb|Buddha statues at [[Longhua Temple]]]]
Buddhas are frequently represented in the form of statues and paintings. Commonly seen postures include:
* The Seated Buddha in the [[Lotus position]]
* Buddha seated on a throne
* The Reclining Buddha (usually depicts his final nirvana)
* The Standing Buddha
* A walking Buddha with one step forward
* The emaciated Buddha, which shows Siddhartha Gautama during his extreme ascetic practice of starvation.
* The baby Buddha (usually pointing upwards).
In Theravada Buddhism, the Buddha is always depicted as a monastic shown with hair and he is always shown wearing the simple monk's robe (called a [[Kasaya (clothing)|kāṣāya]]). In Mahayana Buddhism, a Buddha is often also depicted with monastic robes, however some Buddhas are also depicted with different forms of clothing, such as princely or kingly attire, which can include crowns and jewels.
It is common to depict the Buddha accompanied by other figures. In Theravada, it is common to have him flanked by his two main disciples, [[Maudgalyayana|Moggallana]] and [[Śāriputra|Sariputta]]. In Mahayana Buddhism, it is more common to have him surrounded by bodhisattvas, like [[Manjushri]], [[Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva)|Samantabhadra]] and [[Avalokiteśvara|Avalokiteshvara]].
The Buddha may also be depicted with various accessories, such as a victory banner ([[dhvaja]]), a lotus seat, and a begging bowl.
===Special characteristics of a Buddha's body===
[[File:Buddha Victoria & Albert.jpg|thumb|A Buddha's head, showing an uṣṇīṣa at the top of the head and an ūrṇā between the eyes]]
Most depictions of a Buddha contain a certain number of "marks" ([[Lakshana|lakṣaṇa]]), which are considered the signs of his nobility and his enlightenment. The exactly design and style of these features vary regionally but most often they are elements of list of thirty-two [[physical characteristics of the Buddha]] called "the signs of a great man" (Skt. mahāpuruṣa lakṣaṇa).
Some of the most obvious features which can be found in many [[Buddha in art|buddha statues]] include:
* The ''[[Ushnisha|uṣṇīṣa]],'' a protuberance on the top of the head which symbolizes superb wisdom.
* The [[Urna|''ūrṇā'']], or ūrṇākośa, a spiral tuft of hair or [[Bindi (decoration)|circular dot]] between the eyebrows.
* Dharma wheels on the soles of his feet and on his hands
* Other [[Ashtamangala|auspicious symbols]] on his body (such as lotuses, [[swastika]]s, [[endless knot]]s, etc.)
* Long earlobes, symbolizing denoting superb perception
* Unnaturally long arms and long thin fingers
* Golden skin
===Hand-gestures===
The poses and hand-gestures of these statues, known respectively as [[asana]]s and [[mudra]]s, are significant to their overall meaning. The popularity of any particular mudra or asana tends to be region-specific, such as the ''[[Vajra]]'' (or ''Chi Ken-in'') mudra, which is popular in [[Japan]] and [[Korean Buddhist sculpture|Korea]] but rarely seen in [[India]]. Others are more common; for example, the ''Varada'' (Wish-Granting) mudra is common among standing statues of the Buddha, particularly when coupled with the ''Abhaya'' (Fearlessness and Protection) mudra.
==See also==
* [[Bodhisattva]]
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[List of bodhisattvas]]
* [[List of named Buddhas]]
* [[
* [[Ten Bodhisattas]]
* [[Thirty-five Confession Buddhas]]
==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist
|refs =
<ref name="Barua2008">{{cite book |last = Barua |first = A. |title = Dīgha-Nikāya: romanize Pāli text with English translation |edition = 1st |volume = 2 |page = 6 |publisher = New Bharatiya Book Corporation |___location = Delhi, India |year = 2008 |isbn=978-81-8315-096-5 }}</ref>
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<!-- note used in content, but the full citation is in the references section below
<ref name="Buswell106">[[#refBuswell2014|Buswell (2014)]], ''Bhadrakalpa'', p. 106.</ref>
<ref name="Buswell776">[[#refBuswell2014|Buswell (2014)]], ''Saptatathāgata'', p. 776.</ref> -->
<ref name="Cunningham1880">{{cite book |last = Cunningham |first = A. |author-link = Alexander Cunningham |title = Report of Tours in the Gangetic Provinces from Badaon to Bihar, in 1875–76 and 1877–78 |chapter = XVIII: Tandwa |pages = 70–8 |publisher = Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing |___location = Calcutta, India |year=1880 |chapter-url = https://archive.org/stream/reporttoursinga00cunngoog#page/n80/mode/1up}}</ref>
<ref name="Davids1878">{{cite book |last1 = Davids |first1 = T.W.R. |last2 = Davids |first2 = R. |author1-link = Thomas William Rhys Davids |title = Buddhist birth-stories; Jataka tales. The commentarial introduction entitled Nidana-Katha; the story of the lineage |chapter = The successive bodhisats in the times of the previous Buddhas |pages=115–44 |publisher=George Routledge & Sons |___location=London |year=1878 |chapter-url = https://archive.org/stream/buddhistbirth00daviuoft#page/n132/mode/1up }}</ref>
<ref name="Ghosh1987">{{cite journal |last=Ghosh |first=B. |title=Buddha Dīpankara: twentyfourth predecessor of Gautama |journal=Bulletin of Tibetology |volume=11 (new series) |issue=2 |pages=33–8 |year=1987 |issn=0525-1516 |url=http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/bot/pdf/bot_1987_02_03.pdf |access-date=2020-09-13 |archive-date=2021-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227041138/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/bot/pdf/bot_1987_02_03.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Horner1975>{{cite book |editor-last=Horner |editor-first = I. B. |editor-link=Isaline Blew Horner |title=The minor anthologies of the Pali canon. Volume III: Buddhavaṁsa (Chronicle of Buddhas) and Cariyāpiṭaka (Basket of Conduct) |publisher=[[Pali Text Society]]|___location=London|year=1975|isbn=0-86013-072-X}}</ref>
<ref name=Huntington>{{cite web |title = Life of the Buddha: Dīpankara's Prediction of Enlightenment |publisher = The Huntington Archive - The Ohio State University |url = http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/studypages/internal/dl/SouthAsia/Buddhist/pgs/u5/DL0208m.htm |access-date=2012-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808032753/http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/studypages/internal/dl/SouthAsia/Buddhist/pgs/u5/DL0208m.htm |archive-date=2014-08-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name=jatakaonline>[http://www.jatakaonline.com/jataka-tales/00110-prophecies-of-kakusandha-buddha-konagamana-buddha-and-kassapa-buddha Prophecies of Kakusandha Buddha, Konagamana Buddha and Kassapa Buddha] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713091317/http://www.jatakaonline.com/jataka-tales/00110-prophecies-of-kakusandha-buddha-konagamana-buddha-and-kassapa-buddha |date=2011-07-13 }}</ref>
<ref name=Malalasekera131>[[#refMalalasekera2007|Malalasekera (2007)]], ''Paduma'', p. 131</ref>
<ref name=Malalasekera136>[[#refMalalasekera2007|Malalasekera (2007)]], ''Padumuttara'', pp. 136–7</ref>
<ref name=Malalasekera207>[[#refMalalasekera2007|Malalasekera (2007)]], ''Piyadassi'', p. 207</ref>
<ref name=Malalasekera257>[[#refMalalasekera2007|Malalasekera (2007)]], ''Phussa'', p. 257</ref>
<ref name=Malalasekera294>[[#refMalalasekera2007|Malalasekera (2007)]], ''Buddha'', pp. 294–305</ref>
<ref name=Malalasekera319>[[#refMalalasekera2007|Malalasekera (2007)]], ''Bodhirukka'', p. 319</ref>
<ref name=Malalasekera754>[[#refMalalasekera2007|Malalasekera (2007)]], ''Revata'', pp. 754–5</ref>
<ref name=Morris1882>{{cite book |editor-last=Morris |editor-first=R. |editor-link=Richard Morris (philology) |title = The Buddhavamsa |chapter = XXVII: List of the Buddhas |pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283044/page/n85 66]–7 |publisher = Pali Text Society |___location = London |year=1882 |url = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283044 }}</ref>
}}
=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last = Beal |first = S. |author-link = Samuel Beal |title = The romantic legend of Sâkya Buddha: from the Chinese-Sanscrit |publisher = Trubner & Company, Ludgate Hill |___location = London, England |year = 1875 |url = https://archive.org/stream/cu31924023164209#page/n5/mode/2up |ref = refBeal1875 }}
* {{cite book |last = Malalasekera |first = G.P. |author-link = Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera |title = Dictionary of Pāli proper names |publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited |___location = Delhi, India |year=2007 |isbn=978-81-208-3020-2 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8Au_lIP1ZnQC |ref = refMalalasekera2007 }}
* {{Citation |editor-last = Buswell |editor-first = Robert |year = 2004 |title = Encyclopedia of Buddhism |publisher = MacMillan reference USA }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Buswell |first1 = R.E. Jr. |last2 = Lopez |first2 = D.S. Jr. |title = The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism |edition = 1st |pages = 106, 776 |publisher = Princeton University Press |___location = Princeton, New Jersey |year = 2014 |isbn=978-0-691-15786-3 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DXN2AAAAQBAJ&q=Buddhas+of+the+present+kalpa&pg=PA106 |ref = refBuswell2014 }}
* {{Citation |title = Brill's encyclopedia of Buddhism Vol Two |last1 = Silk |first1 = Jonathan A. |last2 = von Hinüber |first2 = Oskar |last3 = Eltschinger |first3 = Vincent |last4 = Bowring |first4 = Richard |last5 = Radich |first5 = Michael |year = 2019 |isbn=978-90-04-29937-5 |___location = [[Leiden]], [[South Holland]] |publisher = [[Brill Publishers|Brill]] |oclc = 909251257 }}
{{refend}}
==External links==
{{Sister project links|Buddha|n=no}}
* [http://www.buddhanet.net/index.html BuddhaNet]
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