What Is Maitreya Bodhisattva? A Prayer for the Future Buddha
Maitreya Bodhisattva (Japanese: Miroku Bosatsu) is a being who has not yet attained Buddhahood in the current age but is prophesied to achieve enlightenment in the distant future and save all suffering beings. In Sanskrit, “Maitreya” derives from a word meaning “loving kindness.”
According to Buddhist scripture, 5.67 billion years after the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya will descend from Tushita Heaven, attain enlightenment beneath the Dragon Flower Tree (Ryuge-ju), and deliver three great sermons (Ryuge Sange) to save all remaining beings.
This immense timespan is not merely a mythological figure. It reflects Buddhism’s unique sense of time — holding simultaneously the profound impermanence of “perhaps we will not be saved in this lifetime” and the hope that “salvation will surely come someday.” The pensive pose statue (hankashiyui-zo), gently touching a cheek with fingertips in deep meditation, embodies that compassionate prayer transcending vast stretches of time.
The Origins of Maitreya Faith and Its Arrival in Japan
Maitreya faith was born in India, spreading through Central Asia to China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan. It arrived in Japan during the Asuka period (6th–7th centuries) and took deep root in the age of Prince Shotoku. Initially the faith centered on wishing to be reborn in Tushita Heaven — the celestial realm where Maitreya currently resides — to receive teachings directly from the Bodhisattva.