Sikhī Buddha

Sikhī Buddha
Sanskrit	Śikhīn Buddha
Pāli	Sikhī Buddha
Burmese	သိခီဘုရား
Japanese	Shiki Butsu
Information
Venerated by	Theravāda Mahāyāna Vajrayāna
Attributes	Buddha of Knowledge
Preceded by	Vipassī Buddha
Succeeded by	Vessabhū Buddha
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According to the Buddhavamsa and Buddhist mythology, Sikhī (Pāli) is the twenty-third of twenty-eight Buddhas.^[1] The penultimate Buddha of the Alamkarakalpa (Adorned Eon), Sikhī was preceded by Vipassī Buddha and succeeded by Vessabhū Buddha.^[2]

Etymology

He was called Sikhī because his unhisa (turban) looked like a sikha (flame).^[3]

Biography

According to the Buddhavamsa as well as traditional Buddhist legend, Sikhī lived 31 kalpas — many millions of years — before the present time.^[4][5] He was born in Aruṇavatī, which is located in the Dhule district of Maharashtra, in present-day India.^[6] His family was of the Kshatriya varna, which constituted the ruling and military elite of the Vedic period. His father was Aruṇa the warrior-chief, and his mother was Pabhāvatī.^[5] His wife was Sabbakama, and he had a son named Atula.^[6]

Sikhī lived in the palaces of Sucanda, Giri and Vāhana for 7,000 Days until he renounced his worldly life, riding out of the palace on an elephant.^[6] He practiced asceticism for eight months^[3] before attaining enlightenment under a pundarika tree.^[5] Just prior to achieving buddhahood, he accepted a bowl of milk rice from the daughter of Piyadassī (a sethi from the town of Sudassana Nigama),^[7] and sat on a grass seat prepared by Anomadassi, an Ājīvika ascetic.^[3]

Sources differ as to how long Sikhī lived. He was reported to have died in Dussarama (or Assarama), somewhere near the Silavati River, at the age of either 37,000^[5] or 70,000 Days.^[3][6]

Physical characteristics

SikhÄ« was 37 cubits tall, which is roughly equal to 56 feet (17 m). His body radiated light for a distance of three leagues, which is roughly equal to 9 miles (14 km).^[5]

Teachings

Sikhī preached his first sermon in Migachira Park^[3] to 100,000 disciples, his second sermon to 80,000 disciples, and his third sermon to 70,000 disciples.^[5][6]

He demonstrated his twin miracle at a place near Suriyavati under a champaka tree. Abhibhu and Sambhava were his chief monk disciples; and Akhila (or Makhila) and Paduma were his principal female disciples. His chief attendant was Khemankara. Sirivaddha and Chanda (or Nanda) were his chief male patrons; and Chitta and Sugutta were the chief among the women.^[3]

See also

• Buddhist cosmology
• Glossary of Buddhism
• Longevity myths

Notes

1. Morris, R, ed. (1882). "XXI: Sikhi the twentieth Buddha". The Buddhavamsa. London: Pali Text Society. pp. 54–5.
2. Buddhist Text Translation Society (2007). "The Sixth Patriarchs Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra". The Collected Lectures of Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua. Ukiah, California: Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
3. Varma, CB (2002). "98: Sikhī Buddha". The Illustrated Jataka & Other Stories of the Buddha. New Delhi, India: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
4. Beal, S (1875). "Chapter III: Exciting to religious sentiment". The romantic legend of Sâkya Buddha: from the Chinese-Sanscrit. London: Trubner & Company, Ludgate Hill. pp. 10–17.
5. 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.
6. Horner, IB (1975). "The twentieth chronicle: that of the Lord Sikhin". The Minor Anthologies Of The Pali Canon: Part III: Chronicle Of Buddhas (Buddhavamsa) and Basket Of Conduct (Cariyapitaka). Oxford: Pali Text Society. pp. 77–80. ISBN 086013072X.
7. Malalasekera, GP (2007). Dictionary of Pāli proper names. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited. p. 207. ISBN 978-81-208-3020-2.