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Maitreya Buddha’s Birthday Dharma Assembly.(City Campus)
January 29
Maitreya Buddha’s Birthday Dharma Assembly
- Date: January 29, 2025 (Wednesday)
- Location: Mahayana Temple
133 Canal Street, New York, NY 10002
Join us as we celebrate Maitreya Buddha’s Birthday with a special Dharma Assembly. The day will feature chanting, teachings, and blessings to foster kindness and joy in our lives.
We warmly welcome everyone to participate in this auspicious event.
For more details, please contact us at info@mahayana.us or visit our website regularly for updates.
The Birthday of Maitreya Buddha Falls on the First Day of the Lunar New Year
Introduction to Maitreya Buddha
Maitreya, known as Maitreya in Sanskrit and Metteyya in Pali, is translated as “The Benevolent One.” In India, Maitreya Bodhisattva has long been venerated as a significant spiritual figure. Texts such as the Ekottarika Āgama (Chapter 45) and the Bhadrakalpika Sutra (Chapter 7) identify Maitreya as the first Buddha to appear in the future. Similarly, the Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣa Śāstra (Chapter 27) also narrates the prophecy of Maitreya attaining Buddhahood.
According to The Biographies of Eminent Monks (法盛传), 480 years after the Buddha’s parinirvana, the Arhat Ānanda ascended to the Tusita Heaven, painted an image of Maitreya, and brought it to the northeastern region of Ucchaṅga (尤长国), where a large sandalwood statue of Maitreya was sculpted.
The Tradition of Maitreya Worship in China
The veneration of Maitreya in China began during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and gradually gained popularity. After the Tang Dynasty, due to the translation and spread of the Amitābha Sūtra, the aspiration for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Amitābha became increasingly widespread. Nevertheless, the devotion to Maitreya did not fade and continued to influence Chinese Buddhism into the modern era.
In Chinese Buddhism, Maitreya worship is divided into two main traditions:
- The Upper Birth Tradition
This tradition venerates Maitreya Bodhisattva in his current form as a teacher in the Tusita Heaven, with practitioners aspiring to be reborn there.- Key Figures and Practices:
- Dao’an: As recorded in the Biographies of Eminent Monks (Volume 5), the Qin ruler Fu Jian sent emissaries to Central Asia to bring back jeweled Maitreya images, which Dao’an displayed during his Dharma assemblies.
- Dai Yong: According to the Jewel Forest of the Dharma Garden (Volume 16), Dai Yong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty built a Maitreya statue based on a dream and enshrined it in Longhua Monastery.
- Fa Xiang: In 432 CE, during the Liu Song period, he constructed the Maitreya Monastery (Mile Jing She).
- Other advocates include Daojiao, Sengye, Huiyan, Xuanzang, and Kuiji.
- Key Figures and Practices:
- The Lower Birth Tradition
This tradition focuses on the prophecy of Maitreya descending to this world in the future, where he will preach the Dharma beneath the Dragon Flower Tree during the “Three Assemblies of the Dragon Flower.” Practitioners aspire to participate in these gatherings.- Notable Texts and Contributions:
- The Vow of the Dragon Flower (龙华誓愿文), authored by Emperor Ming of Liu Song (465–471 CE).
- The Record of the Dragon Flower Assembly (龙华会记) by Prince Wenxuan of Qi.
- The Vow of the Dragon Flower by Master Hui Si of Nanyue.
- Historical Accounts:
- During the Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian forged the Mahāmegha Sūtra, claiming to be Maitreya reborn.
- In the Five Dynasties period, the monk Budai (布袋和尚) was considered an incarnation of Maitreya. Budai’s passing was marked by his famous verse:
“Maitreya, true Maitreya,
Manifesting countless forms;
Constantly revealing himself to people,
Yet they fail to recognize him.”
- Notable Texts and Contributions:
The Birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva
In Chinese Buddhism, the first day of the Lunar New Year is celebrated as the birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva. This tradition originates from the association of Budai’s birthday with this date, as he was believed to be an incarnation of Maitreya. Consequently, many monasteries hold Dharma assemblies on this day to honor Maitreya Bodhisattva, promoting the values of benevolence, compassion, and joy.