Buddhas of the Three Aeons
Buddhas of the Three Aeons (Main figures)
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(Top to bottom): Buddha Kashyapa, Buddha Shakyamuni, Maitreya and Dorje Shugden.
Deity: Buddha Shakyamuni (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: Sangye Shakya Tupa (Tibetan)
Buddha Shakyamuni is the current and historical Buddha who was born a prince in the region of Lumbini (in what is now Nepal). He left the palace, became a wandering mendicant and met several teachers who taught him meditation but still he was not able to gain freedom from samsara or cyclic existence which is marked by suffering. As he persevered with his ascetic practices, he realised the ‘Middle Way’. Inspired by this, he sat under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya and eventually attained enlightenment.
The Buddha gave his first teaching at Sarnath Park on the Four Noble Truths. From then on, the Buddha continued to teach 84,000 Dharmas compassionately until his Parinirvana at age 81. Due to his great kindness in turning the Wheel of Dharma, the Buddha’s great teachings fill 108 volumes that have become the basis of the collection known as the Kangyur (or the Spoken Words of the Buddha). The Buddha had numerous disciples, of which Shariputra and Mahamaudgalyayana were his chief disciples.
It is said Shakyamuni’s teachings will pervade our world system for 5,000 years after which only signs of Dharma will be seen but actual Dharma will not be practised. Shakyamuni established the order of the monks and nuns in which pure discipline (Vinaya) can be practised with the aim of bringing beings to higher states of rebirth and ultimately enlightenment. This tradition has spread all over Asia and now the West. This order, known as the Sangha community, embodies the teachings, practice and discipline as taught by Buddha Shakyamuni.
Deity: Buddha Kashyapa (Sanskrit)
Alternative name: Sangye Osung (Tibetan)
Kashyapa is the third of the five Buddhas of this kalpa or ‘Fortunate Aeon’. For this reason, he is also known as the Buddha of the past because he was the Buddha prior to Buddha Shakyamuni, who is known as the fourth. According to scriptural sources, he was born in India and his parents were the Brahmins Brahmadatta and Dhanavati, of the Kashyap Gotra.
He is known to have had a wife, Sunanda, who bore him a son named Vijitasena. Just like Buddha Shakyamuni, he renounced worldly life and became a mendicant in search of the truth. He practised austerities for only seven days. Just before attaining enlightenment, he accepted a meal of milk-rice from his wife and grass for his seat from a yavapalaka (grain-watcher) named Soma. The tree he sat under to meditate was a banyan tree and he gave teachings first at Isipatana to an assembly of monks who had renounced worldly life.
Kashyapa held an assembly of his disciples and among his most famous conversions was that of Naradeva, a Yaksha being. His heart disciples were the great monks Tissa and Bharadvaja and amongst the order of nuns, Anula and Uruvela. Buddha Kashyapa was constantly attended to by his disciple Sabbamitta. Furthermore, his most eminent patrons were Sumangala, Ghattikara, Vijitasena and Bhadda. According to the scriptures, Buddha Kashyapa entered Parinirvana in the city of Kashi in the Kasi Kingdom, which is today’s Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Deity: Maitreya (Sanskrit)
Alternative names: Jampa (Tibetan); Ajita (Sanskrit)
Maitreya’s name literally means ‘Great Love’ in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. He is currently a crowned Bodhisattva residing in Tushita pure realm, awaiting his time to take rebirth on earth to become the future Buddha. Once reborn, he will sit under a sacred tree and achieve complete and perfect Enlightenment like his predecessor, Buddha Shakyamuni. By that time, Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings will have disappeared and the world will be engulfed in a dark age, as it will be devoid of true Dharma.
Thereafter, Maitreya will go on to perform the 12 great deeds of a fully enlightened Buddha. One of the major deeds he is to perform is the turning of the Wheel of Dharma, which means that he will give teachings and re-establish the fortunate era of Buddhadharma. It is said in the scriptures that Maitreya will be the fifth Buddha to do this during this great aeon, while Buddha Shakyamuni was the fourth Buddha. According to prophecy, Maitreya will become Shakyamuni’s successor but unlike his predecessor, Buddha Maitreya will only teach the path of Sutra. This means that he will not give teachings on Tantra.
It is said that Maitreya also manifested as one of the Eight Great Bodhisattva Disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni. The great Indian master Asanga is said to have received visions of the Bodhisattva Maitreya and was transported to Tushita in order to receive teachings directly from him. The Indian master went on to pen down these incredible teachings into what is known as the “Five Treatises” by Maitreya. From these texts arose the Method lineage of the Lamrim (or the Stages on the Path to Enlightenment).
It is said that Lama Tsongkhapa and Atisha are currently residing in Tushita as part of the retinue of Maitreya. Hence, those who engage in Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga (Gaden Lhagyama) create the causes to be reborn in Tushita amongst the retinue of Maitreya. Some lamas like Domo Geshe Rinpoche purposely install large icons of Maitreya in monasteries and temples to create the causes for sentient beings to be reborn amongst the retinue of Maitreya.
Deity: Dorje Shugden (Tibetan)
Alternative name: Vajra Rudra (Sanskrit)
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. He took the form of a Dharma Protector in order to safeguard the Buddha’s teachings, especially the important teachings on the Middle Way View. Reminiscent of Manjushri’s form, Dorje Shugden carries a meandering sword and rides a snowlion that represents the fearlessness of a fully enlightened Buddha. Thus, he has great strength to overcome obstacles of the body, speech and mind, and create suitable conditions for our spiritual practice to flourish. Furthermore, he carries a jewel-spitting mongoose and a vajra hook to symbolise that he has the tremendous ability to bestow wealth and resources.
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Beautiful art thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni with Buddha Kashyapa, Maitreya and Dorje Shugden. This beautiful thangka of Buddhas of the Three Aeons has a meticulous structure. It has harmonious with fine lines and rich in colours. It gives us a magnificent fresh feelings, tell us a thousand words which contains compassionate, auspiciousness information , energy and also very strong blessing power by merely looking at it.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.