Maitreya is a transcendent bodhisattva
named as the universal Buddha of a future time. The name is taken from
the Sanskrit maitri (in Pali, metta), which means “loving kindness.” In Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya is the embodiment of all-encompassing love.

Maitreya is depicted in Buddhist art in many ways. “Classical”
portrayals often show him seated, as in a chair, with his feet on the
ground. He is also portrayed standing. As a bodhisattva he dresses as
royalty; as a Buddha, he dresses as a monk. He is said to reside in the
Tushita heaven, which is part of the Deva Realm of the Kamadhatu (Desire Realm, which is the world depicted in the Bhavachakra).

In China, Maitreya is identified as the “laughing Buddha,” Pu-tai, who is the fat, jolly portrayal of Buddha that emerged from 10th-century Chinese folklore.

Origins of Maitreya

Maitreya makes his first appearance in Buddhist scriptures in the Cakkavatti Sutta of the Pali Tipitika (Digha Nikaya 26). In this sutta, the Buddha spoke of a future time in which the dharma
is entirely forgotten. Eventually, “Another Buddha–Metteyya
(Maitreya)–will gain Awakening, his monastic Sangha numbering in the
thousands,” the Buddha said.

This is the only time the historical Buddha is recorded as mentioning
Maitreya. From this simple comment arose one of the most important
figures of Buddhist iconography.

In the early first millennium CE, Mahayana Buddhism developed Maitreya
further, giving him a history and specific attributes. The Indian
scholar Asanga (ca. 4th century CE), a co-founder of the Yogacara school of Buddhism, is particularly associated with Maitreya Teachings.

Note that some scholars think attributes assigned to Maitreya were borrowed from Mithra, the Persian god of light and truth.

Maitreya’s Story

The Cakkavatti Sutta speaks of a distant time in which all skillfulness
in dharma practice is lost and mankind will war with itself. A few
people will take shelter in the wilderness, and when all others are
slaughtered these few will emerge and seek to live virtuously. Then
Maitreya will be born among them.

After this, various Mahayana traditions weave a story that closely
resembles the life of the historical Buddha. Maitreya will leave the
Tushita heaven and be born in the human realm as a prince. As an adult,
he will leave his wives and palaces and seek enlightenment; he will sit
in meditation until he is fully awakened. He will teach the dharma
exactly as other Buddhas have taught it.

Before getting too caught up in anticipation, it’s important to understand that in most schools of Buddhism linear time
is an illusion. This makes speaking of a literal future a bit
problematic since “future” is an illusion. From this perspective, it
would be a huge mistake to think of Maitreya as a messianic figure who
will come in the future to save mankind.

Maitreya has rich metaphorical significance in several Mahayana sutras. For example, Nichiren interpreted Maitreya’s role in the Lotus Sutra to be a metaphor for stewardship of the dharma.

Cults of Maitreya

One of the central teachings of the Buddha is that there is no one “out
there” who will save us; we liberate ourselves by our own efforts. But
the human craving for someone to come along, fix our messes and make us
happy is powerfully strong. Over the centuries many have made Maitreya
into a messianic figure who will change the world. Here are just a few
examples:

A 6th-century Chinese monk named Faqing proclaimed himself to be the new
Buddha, Maitreya, and drew many followers. Unfortunately, Faqing
appears to have been a psychopath, persuading his followers to become
bodhisattvas by killing people.

A 19th-century spiritualist movement called Theosophy promoted the idea
that Maitreya, a world redeemer, would soon come to lead mankind out of
darkness. His failure to appear was a major setback for the movement.

The late L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, claimed to be an
incarnation of Maitreya (using the Sanskrit spelling, Mettayya). Hubbard
even managed to patch together some bogus scripture to “prove” it.

An organization called Share International teaches that Maitreya, the
World Teacher, has been living in London since the 1970s and will
gradually make himself known. In 2010 Share’s founder, Benjamin Creme,
announced that Maitreya had been interviewed on American television and
had been seen by millions. Creme failed to reveal what channel hosted
the interview, however.

People picking up on Creme’s claim have decided Maitreya is the antichrist. Views differ as to whether this is a good or bad thing.

It must be emphasized that even if Maitreya is to appear in a literal
future, this is not supposed to happen until the dharma is completely
lost. And then Maitreya will teach the dharma exactly as it has been
taught before. Since the dharma is available in the world today, there’s
no literal reason for Maitreya to appear. There’s nothing he can give
us that we don’t have already.