The 1000 Buddhas

[kalden yungdrung]

Tashi delek,

1000 seems to be a number for endless.

We all know some Buddha names and there would be many names.

Some related Questions:

- How many names do we know of those 1000 Buddhas?
- What would be the name of that Sutra, if mentioned somewhere?
- Do those Buddhas know eachother?
- Can we speak here of a "person" with "name"?
- Are the 12 vows of a Buddha based on the person?

Best wishes
KY

[Malcolm]

- How many names do we know of those 1000 Buddhas?

All of them.

- What would be the name of that Sutra, if mentioned somewhere?

Bhadrakalpika sūtra, volume forty-five in the Derge version of the Buddhist bka' 'gyur. This sutra was translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan in 8th century. It has been translated into English under the title "Fortunate Eon".

There is also a similar sutra in Bon but I do not know its name and it has not been translated.

N

N



- Do those Buddhas know eachother?
- Can we speak here of a "person" with "name"?
- Are the 12 vows of a Buddha based on the person?

Best wishes
KY[/color]

[Silent Forest]

1000 seems to be a number for endless.

We all know some Buddha names and there would be many names.

Some related Questions:

- How many names do we know of those 1000 Buddhas?
- What would be the name of that Sutra, if mentioned somewhere?
- Do those Buddhas know eachother?
- Can we speak here of a "person" with "name"?
- Are the 12 vows of a Buddha based on the person?

I didn´t study Buddhism, so I might be wrong, but my own interpretation is that the idea behind 1000 is that it stands for “countless”. One single person can clearly be identified. A few people still can be looked as a group. But by looking at a countless number of people you lose separation. This moves the focus from a dualistic view to the oneness. Taking the idea further it could be interpreted, that everybody “is Buddha” or that to reach enlightenment one doesn´t need anything new. One doesn´t even get anything. It´s already here, one just has to set it free (let go).

Since these are just my thoughts I´m also interested whether others also share my interpretation or if this all is complete nonsense

Regards,
Silent Forest

[ronnewmexico]

Silent Forest

I agree with your interpretation.

I'd guess the initial poster desires embelishment upon the topic, and will probably elaborate.

[Malcolm]

I didn´t study Buddhism, so I might be wrong

You are.

...but my own interpretation is that the idea behind 1000 is that it stands for “countless”.

In this eon there will be 1002 Buddhas, actually. Beginning with Krakkuchandra and ending Adhimukhta, all together there will be 1002 buddhas.

We are four buddhas down, 998 left to go. Then the universe will be destroyed.

N

[Adamantine]

I didn´t study Buddhism, so I might be wrong

You are.

...but my own interpretation is that the idea behind 1000 is that it stands for “countless”.

In this eon there will be 1002 Buddhas, actually. Beginning with Krakkuchandra and ending Adhimukhta, all together there will be 1002 buddhas.

We are four buddhas down, 998 left to go. Then the universe will be destroyed.

N

I understand this history/prophecy, but could you clarify how a Buddha is defined in this context? It seems that Nirmanakayas like Padmasambhava and Garab Dorje are not included in this count, (although many call Padmasambhava the 'second Buddha') nor the 84 mahasiddhas, Longchenpa, Dudjom Lingpa, etc. So far Krakuchchanda, Kanakamuni and Kashyapa, and then Shakyamuni we call Buddhas explicitly, because they revealed the relative methods to attain enlightenment when there was no prior Buddha's teachings left in this world-system? Is that the correct reason? And so each of the coming 998 will only appear once all traces of Shakyamuni's initial turning of the wheel have disappeared?

Could you outline the scale of time we are considering from now until the appearance of Adhimukhta? And which sutra can all of this info be found in?

[Malcolm]

I didn´t study Buddhism, so I might be wrong

You are.

...but my own interpretation is that the idea behind 1000 is that it stands for “countless”.

In this eon there will be 1002 Buddhas, actually. Beginning with Krakkuchandra and ending Adhimukhta, all together there will be 1002 buddhas.

We are four buddhas down, 998 left to go. Then the universe will be destroyed.

N

I understand this history/prophecy, but could you clarify how a Buddha is defined in this context? It seems that Nirmanakayas like Padmasambhava and Garab Dorje are not included in this count, (although many call Padmasambhava the 'second Buddha') nor the 84 mahasiddhas, Longchenpa, Dudjom Lingpa, etc. So far Krakuchchanda, Kanakamuni and Kashyapa, and then Shakyamuni we call Buddhas explicitly, because they revealed the relative methods to attain enlightenment when there was no prior Buddha's teachings left in this world-system? Is that the correct reason? And so each of the coming 998 will only appear once all traces of Shakyamuni's initial turning of the wheel have disappeared?

Could you outline the scale of time we are considering from now until the appearance of Adhimukhta? And which sutra can all of this info be found in?

They are supreme nirmanakāyas as opposed to varigated nirmankāyas. They each appear after the shasana of the previous supreme nirmankāya has more or less disappeared.

[Silent Forest]

We are four buddhas down, 998 left to go. Then the universe will be destroyed.

This seems to imply several consequences which I don´t quite understand:

• Having the universe destroyed would mean, that the cycle of birth and rebirth would come to an end? Does this mean that all beings are enlightened at this point?
• The fact that there are predefined 998 to come and if I understood right predefined in which timeframe they are supposed to come would imply that it doesn´t matter what people do or how they behave and everything is predefined?

[ronnewmexico]

There are literal interpretations of things, and interpretations which are not so literal.

EVen by literal interpretations such things may be interpreted in differing ways than as described.
In that way of things, a cycle ends and another begins.... there being no real ending of things. One universe ending and another begining. Another thousand or thousand and two and all the rest perhaps.
So we are left where we began, a definate not implied in which things are ordained or perscribed.

In a not so literal fashion we are all having buddha nature, and have the capacity to become buddhas...eventually. That is affirmed consistantly in Buddhism.

[Malcolm]

We are four buddhas down, 998 left to go. Then the universe will be destroyed.

This seems to imply several consequences which I don´t quite understand:

• Having the universe destroyed would mean, that the cycle of birth and rebirth would come to an end? Does this mean that all beings are enlightened at this point?
• The fact that there are predefined 998 to come and if I understood right predefined in which timeframe they are supposed to come would imply that it doesn´t matter what people do or how they behave and everything is predefined?

Well, most of the physical universe will be destroyed. There will remain a few "god" realms where sentient beings hang around until the container universe reforms.

The 1002 buddhas are discussed in a specific mahayana sutra attributed to Shakyamuni. But this does not mean that all of reality is predetermined.

It just means that according to this sutra Buddha made a prediction about the 998 buddhas to follow him. The next one, Maitreya, is expected to appear when the life span of human beings again increases to the span of 8,000 years (after it decreases to an average of ten years, etc.).

These kinds of cosmic epicycles are very characteristics of Indian religious thinking in general, and not particular to Buddhism.

N

[Inge]

I remember reading in some of the talks of Venerable Hsuan Hua, (see for instance http://cttbusa.org/shurangama5/shurangama5_10.asp), that in the the current era of decline, the average life-span of humans decrease by one year every century, and the average height of humans decrease by one inch every century. This will continue until the average life-span is 10 years, and the average height is 10 inches. At that time people will have sexual desire from the time of birth, and they will also be able to kill from the moment they are born. Then the average life-span and height will increase by one unit every century until the life-span is 84000 years, and the height of humans is 84000 inches. Then decrease again at the same rate, and when the life-span is 80000 years, and the height is 80000 inches, (at that time humans will have white blood) Maitreya will descend from Tushita to manifest Buddhahood. He will teach all those connected with him in a single day and night.

If this is correct, then the time until we reach bottom should be (66 (approx. current life-span)-10)x100 = 5600 years, then the period until the peak of 84000 would be (84000-10)x100 = 8399000 years, and then the period until Maitreya comes would be (84000-80000)x100 = 400000 years. So then it should be approximately 8804600 years until Maitreya appears.

Also if this way of calculating is correct, at the time when Shakyamuni lived, if this was 2400 years ago, the average life span should be 66 + 24 = 90 years, but I have read some places that the average life-span at the time of Shakaymuni was 100 years, but then once I read it was supposed to have been between 70 and 80. If the life-span at the time of Buddha was 100 years, and the current life span is 66 years, and it did indeed decrease by one year every century, then shouldn't Buddha have lived 3400 years ago? Do you know which of all this that is correct?

Is the time of the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha known? Is the age and height of humans of that time known?

Do any of you know about text translated into English that describes such things in detail? Is it from the"The Fortunate Eon" the best source for this?

[ronnewmexico]

Well as a aside perhaps..I think average life span may be misleading. A graveyard I used to visit years ago had peoples from the US revolutionary time period there. IN that specific, the peoples either died in the first three years of life(looking at the gravestone markers) or they lived to be around 100.
But so many children were dead there I suspect the average life span was 60 or so.

So such a thing can be misleading. I think most calculations leave out newborn deaths but after that, the ages are averaged in.
The less health care there is nowadays generally the more children die from disease and such things.
Hundreds of years ago death by evidence of that graveyard was very very common for young children. I expect that was not a unusual finding.
The old age of those who lived beyond 4 or so surprised me.Could be just a genetic issue amongst those particular peoples but I doubt it.
If you calculate average age by just considering those over 21, that may be misleading as well. Especially if about a third of your children die young.

So average age can be misleading. Average adult age of death as well misleading.

Life expectancy..that would be a issue more akin to adult age of death average.

[username]

The very high unrealistic numbers in ancient India are metaphors. The number of buddhas of this fortunate eon when they do appear is more accurate, from 1000 upto 1004 mentioned, where Shakyamuni was the fourth. Future ones will be attaining buddhahood in Bhodgaya too and reverse each kaliyuga though the Earth diminishes in power in time and with events like eclipses. Their outer activity will not be limited to this planet as Shakyamuni wasn't secretly limited either. Are there other groups of buddhas in other vast parts of the cosmos or other universes? Probably. In deepening kaliyuga we do our best in new ways to progress on the path as options become limited if reborn here and secondarily help others and society in innovative imaginative ways too.

It is said the 1003 to be buddhas were princes gathered in a past pure world to learn from their master (1004th & final Buddha) who was the original Nuden Dorje and currently known as Dudjom Rinpoche. They took an oath under him and for order drew lots. Amitabha's emanation currently known as Padmasambhava will come to finish their teachings. Combined, they are the thousand arms of Avalokiteshvara who is Amitabha's reflection too. Humans will be tampered with and their lifespan and height will decrease. Maitreya will be born here from Tushita and will grow taller than others and when asked what is his secret, he will reply: 'love'.

[kalden yungdrung]

Namdrol wrote:
In this eon there will be 1002 Buddhas, actually. Beginning with Krakkuchandra and ending Adhimukhta, all together there will be 1002 buddhas.

We are four buddhas down, 998 left to go. Then the universe will be destroyed.

Tashi delek,

I see that Samsara is not emptied or cannot be emptied. In case it would be true then 1000 Buddhas is here correct mentioned as endless.

Or as in your reply that then a certain "ärea" in the space would be emptied and so the related 1002 Buddhas who did serve that "space".

I did remember one time , when i was a Hare Krishna fan, that Krishna stole a cow from Brahman and did hide it in another Brahma world. The meaning is that the Brahmans would not know eachother.

I see it also endless as that, the worlds within Samsara and i guess so that this is the working base from the Buddhas.

All in all difficult for me to accept 1002 Buddhas as a definite number.


Best wishes
KY

[johan]

In the Bhadrakalpikasutra (300 A.D) which was translated into Chinese the names of these 1000 Buddha's are mentioned. "Qianfo" is the Chinese word for 1000 Buddha's.