Are these two texts considered canonical in Classical Theravada?
The Dasabodhisattuppattikathā is not part of the Pali canon. How reliable it is I don’t know as I haven’t read it.
Hello, thank you for answering. What about the Anagatavamsa?
The Anagatavamsa also not part of canon, composed about 700 years ago, and again I haven’t read it, so not sure how reliable it is.
You can read it here
This is also interesting
1 Like
These two works (Anāgatavaṃsa and Dasabodhisattuppattikathā) are not considered Canonical within the CT. I will attempt to provide comprehensive information without elaborating too much.
Anāgatavaṃsa in Pāli, “Chronicle of Future Events”; it’s a vaṃsa, this medieval Pali work in verse detailing the advent of Metteyya Buddha in the distant future of this auspicious eon. The text, which exists in different versions, describes in about 150 verses the events that will occur once the future Buddha Metteyya is born.
Dasabodhisattuppattikathā (DBK) is a text that discusses ten future Buddhas during their lives as Bodhisattvas. It is a peculiar work of late literature, arising at a time when the influence of Mahāyāna was strong, with its emphasis on the practice of the pāramitās by the Bodhisattva for the benefit of all beings. It is considered contradictory to both the Canon and the commentaries, as the Canon refers to one future Buddha which is Metteyya (who is currently a Bodhisattva residing in Tusita heaven).
1 Like
Please pay attention to this part:
I am referring to “Bodhisatta” and not “Bodhisattva” regarding Metteyya (the keyboard keeps changing it, and I noticed that today). Although from a purely linguistic perspective, the two words are simply two versions of the same word, like many other Buddhist terms that exist in both Pali and Sanskrit forms, but the doctrinal meaning differs. for that “Bodhisatta” is often used in (the Pāli tradition/Theravāda), while “Bodhisattva” is used in (the Sanskrit tradition/Mahāyāna). I wanted to clarify this.
Is it mentioned explicitly in the suttas that the bodhisatta is currently residing in Tusita heaven? Is it possible that he is a human right now, fulfilling perfections?
I’m not sure which sutta explicitly mentions this as a “direct reference,” but this is a Dhammatā means a general rule, general practice, regular phenomenon, usual habit… It is the pattern of Bodhisattas descending from the Tusita heaven, shared by all Buddhas. This was explained by the Lord Buddha in (DN 14), where the Buddha elaborates on the rule and states that it applies to all Bodhisattas to make their final descent from a deva realm (Tusita here), As was the case with Vipassī Buddha.
The Tathāgata understands these things… by his own penetration of the principles of Dhamma; and devas, too, have told him. Well, monks, do you wish to hear still more about past lives?’ ‘Lord, it is time for that! Well-Farer, it is time for that! If the Lord were to give a proper discourse on past lives, the monks would listen and remember it.’ ‘Well then, monks, listen, pay close attention, and I will speak.’ ‘Yes, Lord’, the monks replied, and the Lord said:
'Monks, ninety-one aeons ago the Lord, the Arahant, the fully-enlightened Buddha Vipassī arose in the world. He was born of Khattiya race, and arose in a Khattiya family. He was of the Kondañña clan. The span of his life was eighty thousand years. He gained his full enlightenment at the foot of a trumpet-flower tree. He had the pair of noble disciples Khanda and Tissa as his chief followers. He had three assem- blies of disciples: one of six million eight hundred thousand, one of a hundred thousand, and one of eighty thousand monks, all Arahants. His chief personal attendant was the monk Asoka. His father was King Bandhuma, his mother was Queen Bandhumati. The king’s capital was Bandhumati.
And so, monks, the Bodhisatta Vipassī descended from the Tusita heaven, mindful and clearly aware, into his mother’s womb. This, monks, is the rule.
'It is the rule, monks, that when a Bodhisatta descends from the Tusita heaven into his mother’s womb, there appears in this world with its devas, māras and Brahmās, its ascetics and Brahmins, princes and people an immeasurable, splendid light surpassing the glory of the most powerful devas. And whatever dark spaces lie beyond the world’s end, chaotic, blind and black, such that they are not even reached by the mighty rays of sun and moon, are yet illumined by this im- measurable splendid light surpassing the glory of the most powerful devas. And those beings that have been reborn there recognise each other by this light and know: “Other beings, too, have been born here!” And this ten-thousandfold world-system trembles and quakes and is convulsed. And this immeasurable light shines forth. That is the rule.
(DN 14; trans. Maurice Walshe, The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya, pp. 202-203)
And as the Buddha indicated with the appearance of Metteyya in (DN 26).
And the Blessed One named Metteyya will arise in the world-perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed just as I have arisen today. He will realize with his own insight this world-with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans- and make it known to others, just as I do today. He will teach the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he will reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure, just as I do today.
(DN 26; trans. Bhikkhu Sujato, Long Discourses: A Faithful Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya, vol. 3, p. 57)
Therefore, this means that he is now residing in the Tusita heaven. In addition to this:
at the present time, the future Buddha is living in the Tusita deva world (Mhv.xxxii.73).
No, Currently, we are still in the period of Gotama Buddha’s dispensation (sāsana), he will appear when all the teachings of the Buddha completely disappear, to the extent that there will not remain a single person on Earth who recites any Sutta, and when not a single person remembers the words “Buddha,” “Dhamma,” or “Sangha.” (There is also several other conditions). then Metteyya will descend from Tusita heaven, be born in Ketumatī (present-day Varanasi), to the brahmin family of Subrahma (father) and Brahmavati (mother). He will attain enlightenment under a Nāga tree.
1 Like
This was what I wanted to know, thank you. I had that question because if I remember correctly, all bodhisattas have a life similar to vassantara before their final life in tusita heaven. I just wasn’t sure if the current bodhisatta has already had that final vassantara life yet.
When bodhisattas are still fulfilling perfections, they can actually still be reborn in the human realm even during the time of another Buddha. An example of this is Jotipala(I’m not sure if this is the correct spelling). He was a bodhisatta during the time of the Buddha Kassapa. Jotipala learned the Dhamma from the Buddha Kassapa.
You’re welcome, If I recall correctly, all Bodhisattas in their penultimate life before entering Tusita heaven demonstrate supreme generosity, similar to Vessantara. This is considered one of the final demonstrations of complete dāna pāramī before the Tusita birth. It is fulfilling the Bodhisatta’s path.
Since the texts confirm Metteyya is currently in Tusita heaven, we should understand that he has already completed his “Vessantara-like” life of supreme generosity in a previous existence.
The most Venerable Mingun Sayādaw mentions the significance of dāna pāramīs in his greatest work as:
Thus, he had travelled through the difficult journey of saṃsāra, continuously engaged in developing and fulfiling the pāramīs with fiery zeal till the time when, as King Vessantara, he gave away his Queen Maddī in charity, as the final act of merit which would enable him to attain Buddhahood. Thereafter, he spent his life in the Tusitā deva-world, enjoying the celestial pleasures and awaiting the time when he would become a Buddha.
(Mahābuddhavaṃsa—The Great Chronicle of Buddhas Vol 2.1, second edition, Chapter 7, p. 219)
Yes, I know that, but as long as the texts indicate that Metteyya is in Tusita, this means that the Bodhisatta has already completed all the necessary pāramīs (perfections) and received the definitive prophecy/guarantee (niyata vivarana) from a living Buddha.
This differs from the case of Jotipāla (correct spelling), who was still in the process of fulfilling his perfections during the time of Buddha Kassapa. When a Bodhisatta has completed all perfections and received the definitive prophecy, they no longer take birth during the dispensation of another Buddha. Instead, they await in the Tusita heaven until the conditions are right for their final birth as a Buddha.
1 Like
Thank you for your answer. I hope I can also do supreme generosity one day.
1 Like