List of the named Buddhas

Buddhist men at the Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, paying homage to the 28 Buddhas described in Chapter 27 of the Buddhavamsa

Sumedha, the youth who would in the distant future become Gautama Buddha, receiving his niyatha vivarana (prediction of future Buddhahood) from the Dīpankara Buddha

In countries where Theravāda Buddhism is practiced by the majority of people (Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand), it is customary for Buddhists to hold elaborate festivals, especially during the fair weather season, paying homage to the 28 Buddhas described in the Buddhavamsa. The Buddhavamsa is a text which describes the life of Gautama Buddha and the 27 Buddhas who preceded him.^[1] The Buddhavamsa is part of the Khuddaka Nikāya, which in turn is part of the Sutta Piṭaka. The Sutta Piṭaka is one of three main sections of the Pāli Canon of Theravāda Buddhism.

The first three of these Buddhas—Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara, and Saraṇaṅkara—lived before the time of Dīpankara Buddha. The fourth Buddha, Dīpankara, is especially important, as he was the Buddha who gave niyatha vivarana (prediction of future Buddhahood) to the Tibetan-Burmo youth who would in the distant future become the bodhisattva Gautama Buddha.^[2] After Dīpankara, 23 more noble people (ariya-puggala) would attain enlightenment before Gautama, the historical Buddha.

Many Buddhists also pay homage to the future (and 29th) Buddha, Maitreya. According to Buddhist scripture, Maitreya will be a successor of Gautama who will appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure Dharma. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Jambudvipa (the terrestrial realm, where ordinary human beings live).

Maitreya Buddha from the 2nd century Gandharan Art Period

The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity

According to Buddhist tradition, each kalpa has 1,000 Buddhas.^[3] The previous kalpa was the vyuhakalpa (Glorious aeon), and the present kalpa is called the bhadrakalpa (Auspicious aeon).^[4] The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity (Saptatathāgata) are seven Buddhas which bridge the vyuhakalpa and the bhadrakalpa:^[5]

1. Vipassī (the 998th Buddha of the vyuhakalpa)
2. Sikhī (the 999th Buddha of the vyuhakalpa)
3. Vessabhū (the 1000th and final Buddha of the vyuhakalpa)
4. Kakusandha (the first Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)
5. Koṇāgamana (the second Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)
6. Kassapa (the third Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)
7. Gautama (the fourth and present Buddha of the bhadrakalpa)

Following the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity will be Maitreya, the fifth and future Buddha of the bhadrakalpa.

The 29 named Buddhas

	Pāli name[6][7][8]	Caste[7][8]	Birthplace[7][8]	Parents[7][8]	Bodhirukka (tree of enlightenment)[7][8][9]	Incarnation of Gautama[8]
1	Taṇhaṅkara			King Sunandha, and Queen Sunandhaa	Rukkaththana
2	Medhaṅkara			Sudheva, and Yasodhara	Kaela
3	Saraṇaṅkara			Sumangala, and Yasawathi	Pulila
4	Dīpankara	Brahmin[10]	Rammawatinagara	Sudheva, and Sumedhaya	Pipphala	Sumedha (also Sumati or Megha Mānava, a rich Brahman)[11]
5	Koṇḍañña	Kshatriya[10]	Rammawatinagara	Sunanda, and Sujata	Salakalyana	Vijitawi (a Chakravarti in Chandawatinagara of Majjhimadesa)
6	Maṅgala	Brahmin[10]	Uttaranagara (Majhimmadesa)	Uttara, and Uttara	a naga	Suruchi (in Siribrahmano)
7	Sumana	Kshatriya[10]	Mekhalanagara	Sudassana and Sirima	a naga	King Atulo, a Naga
8	Revata[12]	Brahmin[10]	Sudhannawatinagara	Vipala and Vipula	a naga	A Veda-versed Brahman
9	Sobhita	Kshatriya[10]	Sudhammanagara	Sudhammanagara (father) and Sudhammanagara (mother)	a naga	Sujata, a Brahman (in Rammavati)
10	Anomadassi	Brahmin[10]	Chandawatinagara	Yasava and Yasodara	ajjuna	A Yaksha king
11	Paduma[13]	Kshatriya[10]	Champayanagara	Asama, and Asama	salala	A lion
12	Nārada		Dhammawatinagara	King Sudheva and Anopama	sonaka	a tapaso in Himalayas
13	Padumuttara[14]	Kshatriya	Hansawatinagara	Anurula, and Sujata	salala	Jatilo an ascetic
14	Sumedha	Kshatriya	Sudasananagara	Sumedha (father), and Sumedha (mother)	nipa	Native of Uttaro
15	Sujāta		Sumangalanagara	Uggata, and Pabbavati	welu	a chakravarti
16	Piyadassi[15]		Sudannanagara	Sudata, and Subaddha	kakudha	Kassapa, a Brahmin (at Siriwattanagara)
17	Atthadassi	Kshatriya	Sonanagara	Sagara and Sudassana	champa	Susino, a Brahman
18	Dhammadassī	Kshatriya	Surananagara	Suranamaha, and Sunanada	bimbajala	Indra, the leader of the gods (devas)
19	Siddharttha		Vibharanagara	Udeni, and Suphasa	kanihani	Mangal, a Brahman
20	Tissa		Khemanagara	Janasando, and Paduma	assana	King Sujata of Yasawatinagara
21	Phussa[16]	Kshatriya	Kāśi	Jayasena, and Siremaya	amalaka	Vijitavi
22	Vipassī	Kshatriya	Bandhuvatinagara	Vipassi (father), and Vipassi (mother)	patali	King Atula
23	Sikhī	Kshatriya	Arunavattinagara	Arunavatti, and Paphavatti	pundariko	Arindamo (at Paribhuttanagara)
24	Vessabhū	Kshatriya	Anupamanagara	Suppalittha, and Yashavati	sala	Sadassana (in Sarabhavatinagara)
25	Kakusandha	Brahmin	Khemavatinagara	Agidatta the purohitta Brahman of King Khema, and Visakha	airisa	King Khema[17]
26	Koṇāgamana	Brahmin[18]	Sobhavatinagara	Yannadatta the Brahman, and Uttara	udumbara	King Pabbata of a mountainous area in Mithila
27	Kassapa[19]	Brahmin	Baranasinagara	Brahmadatta a Brahman, and Dhanavati	nigroda	Jotipala (at Vappulla)
28	Gautama	Kshatriya	Lumbini	King Suddhodana, and Maya	peepal a.k.a. fig (Ficus religiosa)	Siddartha Gautama, a Kshatriya
29	Maitreya	foretold as a future Buddha	Buddha of the future	Buddha of the future

See also

• 35 Buddhas
• Bhadrakalpikasutra
• Five Dhyani Buddhas
• Glossary of Buddhism
• List of bodhisattvas
• List of Buddha claimants
• List of Buddhas
• Praises to the Twenty-One Taras

Notes

1. Morris, R, ed. (1882). "XXVII: List of the Buddhas". The Buddhavamsa. London: Pali Text Society. pp. 66–7.
2. "Life of the Buddha: Dīpankara's Prediction of Enlightenment". The Huntington Archive - The Ohio State University. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
3. "Chapter 36: The Buddhas in the three periods of time". Buddhism in a Nutshell Archives. Hong Kong: Buddhistdoor International. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
4. Buswell Jr., RE; Lopez Jr., DS (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (1st ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
5. Buswell Jr., RE; Lopez Jr., DS (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (1st ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 776. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
6. Malalasekera (2007), Buddha, pp. 294-305
7. Davids, TWR; Davids, R (1878). "The successive bodhisats in the times of the previous Buddhas". Buddhist birth-stories; Jataka tales. The commentarial introduction entitled Nidana-Katha; the story of the lineage. London: George Routledge & Sons. pp. 115–44.
8. Horner, IB, ed. (1975). The minor anthologies of the Pali canon. Volume III: Buddhavaṁsa (Chronicle of Buddhas) and Cariyāpiṭaka (Basket of Conduct). London: Pali Text Society. ISBN 0-86013-072-X.
9. Malalasekera (2007), Bodhirukka, p. 319
10. Beal (1875), Beal S, Chapter III: Exciting to religious sentiment, pp. 10-17
11. Ghosh, B (1987). "Buddha Dīpankara: twentyfourth predecessor of Gautama" (PDF). Bulletin of Tibetology. 11 (new series) (2): 33–8. ISSN 0525-1516.
12. Malalasekera (2007), Revata, pp. 754-5
13. Malalasekera (2007), Paduma, p. 131
14. Malalasekera (2007), Padumuttara, pp. 136-7
15. Malalasekera (2007), Piyadassi, p. 207
16. Malalasekera (2007), Phussa, p. 257
17. Prophecies of Kakusandha Buddha, Konagamana Buddha and Kassapa Buddha
18. Barua, A (2008). Dīgha-Nikāya: romanize Pāli text with English translation 2 (1st ed.). Delhi, India: New Bharatiya Book Corporation. p. 6. ISBN 81-8315-096-9.
19. Cunningham, A (1880). "XVIII: Tandwa". Report of Tours in the Gangetic Provinces from Badaon to Bihar, in 1875-76 and 1877-78. Calcutta, India: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. pp. 70–8.

References

• Beal, S (1875). The romantic legend of Sâkya Buddha: from the Chinese-Sanscrit. London: Trubner & Company, Ludgate Hill.
• Malalasekera, GP (2007). Dictionary of Pāli proper names. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited. ISBN 978-81-208-3020-2.
• Buswell Jr., RE; Lopez Jr., DS (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (1st ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.

Further reading

• Law, BC, ed. (1938). "The lineage of the Buddhas". The Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon: Buddhavaṃsa, the lineage of the Buddhas, and Cariyā-Piṭaka or the collection of ways of conduct (1st ed.). London: Milford.
• Takin, MV, ed. (1969). "The lineage of the Buddhas". The Genealogy of the Buddhas (1st ed.). Bombay: Bombay University Publications.
• Vicittasarabivamsa, U (1992). "Chapter IX: The chronicle of twenty-four Buddhas". In Ko Lay, U; Tin Lwin, U. The great chronicle of Buddhas, Volume One, Part Two (PDF) (1st ed.). Yangon, Myanmar: Ti=Ni Publishing Center. pp. 130–321.

External links

The chronicle of twenty-four Buddhas, by Mingun Sayadaw, edited and translated by Professor U Ko Lay and U Tin Lwin, Yangon, Myanmar. Includes only chapters 1, 22, 23, and 24.