Tushita

Maitreya Bodhisattva in Tuá¹£ita. Palm-leaf manuscript. Nalanda, Bihar, India

Tuá¹£ita (Sanskrit) or Tusita (PÄli) is one of the six deva-worlds of the KÄmadhÄtu, located between the YÄma heaven and the NirmÄá¹‡arati heaven. Like the other heavens, Tuá¹£ita is said to be reachable through meditation. It is the heaven where the Bodhisattva Åšvetaketu (PÄli: Setaketu "White Banner") resided before being reborn on Earth as Gautama Buddha, the historical Buddha; it is, likewise, the heaven where the bodhisattva NÄtha ("Protector") currently resides, who will later be born as the next Buddha, Maitreya.

Descriptions

Like all heaven realms in Buddhism, the Tuá¹£ita Heaven is the residence of divine beings or devas. According to the Visakhuposatha Sutta of the PÄli Canon,^[1] time runs very differently from on Earth:

That which among men is four hundred years, Visakha, is one night and day of the Tusita devas, their month has thirty of those days, their year twelve of those months; the lifespan of the Tusita devas is four thousand of those heavenly years...

Mahayana View

In Mahayana Buddhist thought, the Tuá¹£ita Heaven is where all Bodhisattvas destined to reach full enlightenment in their next life dwell for a time. One such reference can be found in the Infinite Life Sutra, a Mahayana text:^[2]

Each of these bodhisattvas, following the virtues of the Mahasattva Samantabhadra, is endowed with the immeasurable practices and vows of the Bodhisattva Path, and firmly dwells in all the meritorious deeds. He freely travels in all the ten quarters and employs skillful means of emancipation. He enters the treasury of the Dharma of the Buddhas, and reaches the Other Shore. Throughout the innumerable worlds he attains Enlightenment. First, dwelling in the Tusita Heaven, he proclaims the true Dharma. Having left the heavenly palace, he descends into his mother's womb.

The Tuá¹£ita heaven is therefore closely associated with Maitreya, and many Buddhists vow to be reborn there so that they can hear the teachings of the Bodhisattva and ultimately be reborn with him when he becomes a Buddha. Other bodhisattvas dwell in this heaven realm from time to time.

References

â†‘ Visakhuposatha Sutta (AN 8.43)
â†‘ Inagaki Hisao, trans., Stewart, Harold, The Three Pure Land Sutras, 2nd ed., Berkeley, Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 2003, p. 3. ISBN 1-886439-18-4

Buddhism topics

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Foundations	Three Jewels Buddha Dharma Sangha Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Nirvana Middle Way

The Buddha	TathÄgata Birthday Four sights Physical characteristics Footprint Iconography in Laos and Thailand Films Miracles Family SuddhodÄna (father) MÄyÄ (mother) Mahapajapati GotamÄ« (aunt, adoptive mother) Yasodhara (wife) RÄhula (son) Ä€nanda (cousin) Devadatta (cousin) Places where the Buddha stayed Buddha in world religions

Key concepts	Dharma Three Marks of Existence Impermanence Dukkha Anatta PratÄ«tyasamutpÄda Skandha Karma Rebirth Saá¹ƒsÄra Saá¹…khÄra Kleshas Ignorance Craving Five hindrances Ten Fetters Indriya Enlightenment Parinirvana TathÄtÄ Dharmas Two truths doctrine ÅšÅ«nyatÄ Bodhicitta Bodhisattva Buddha-nature Mindstream

Cosmology	Ten spiritual realms Six realms Heaven Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Hell Three planes of existence

Practices	Refuge Buddhist devotion Puja Offerings Prostration Chanting Merit Paritta DÄna Nekkhamma ÅšÄ«la Five Precepts Bodhisattva vow PrÄtimoká¹£a Threefold Training ÅšÄ«la Samadhi PrajÃ±Ä Brahmavihara MettÄ Karuá¹‡Ä Mudita Upekkha PÄramitÄ BodhipakkhiyÄdhammÄ Seven Factors of Enlightenment Sati Dhamma vicaya PÄ«ti Passaddhi VÄ«rya Four Right Exertions Iddhipada Five Strengths Faith Mindfulness Satipatthana DhyÄna Bhavana Satya Sacca Meditation Mantras Kammaá¹á¹hÄna Recollection Smarana Anapanasati Samatha Vipassana movement Shikantaza Zazen KÅan Mandala Tonglen Tantra TertÃ¶n Terma

Nirvana	Bodhi Buddhahood Pratyekabuddha Bodhisattva Four stages of enlightenment SotÄpanna Sakadagami AnÄgÄmi Arhat

Monasticism	Bhikkhu Bhikkhuni ÅšrÄmaá¹‡era ÅšrÄmaá¹‡erÄ« Anagarika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master RÅshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Householder UpÄsaka and UpÄsikÄ ÅšrÄvaka The ten principal disciples Shaolin Monastery

Major figures	Gautama Buddha Kaundinya Assaji SÄriputta MahamoggallÄna Mulian Ä€nanda MahÄkassapa Anuruddha MahÄkaccana Nanda Subhuti Punna Upali Mahapajapati GotamÄ« Khema Uppalavanna Asita Channa Yasa Buddhaghosa Nagasena Bodhidharma Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu AtiÅ›a Padmasambhava Nichiren Ambedkar Songtsen Gampo Emperor Wen of Sui Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Karmapa Shamarpa Naropa Xuanzang

Texts	Tripiá¹aka Mahayana sutras PÄli Canon Chinese Buddhist canon Tibetan Buddhist canon

Branches	Theravada Mahayana Chan Buddhism Zen Seon Thiá»n Pure Land Tiantai Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogachara Navayana Vajrayana Tibetan Shingon Dzogchen Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying TheravÄda and MahÄyÄna

Countries	Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Myanmar Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Pakistan Philippines Russia Kalmykia Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Middle East Iran Western countries Argentina Australia Brazil France United Kingdom United States Venezuela

History	Timeline Ashoka Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution Greco-Buddhism Buddhism and the Roman world Buddhism in the West Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Persecution of Buddhists Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal Buddhist crisis Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Buddhist modernism Vipassana movement 969 Movement Women in Buddhism

Philosophy	Abhidharma Logic Buddhology Eschatology Reality God Secular Buddhism Humanism Eight Consciousnesses Engaged Buddhism Socialism Economics Atomism Evolution Ethics The unanswered questions

Culture	Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple of the Tooth Art Greco-Buddhist art Poetry Buddha statue Budai Symbolism Dharmachakra Flag Bhavacakra Swastika Thangka Prayer wheel Mala Mudra Mantra Om mani padme hum Funeral Music Holidays Vesak Uposatha Magha Puja Asalha Puja Rains retreat Kassaya Architecture Temple Vihara Wat Stupa Pagoda Candi Thai temple art and architecture Pilgrimage Lumbini Maya Devi Temple Bodh Gaya Sarnath Kushinagar Bodhi Tree Mahabodhi Temple Calendar Cuisine Vegetarianism

Miscellaneous	Lineage Maitreya AvalokiteÅ›vara Guanyin AmitÄbha BrahmÄ MÄra Dhammapada Vinaya Sutra Koliya Hinayana Sacred languages Pali Sanskrit Dharma talk Kalpa AbhijÃ±Ä á¹šddhi Siddhi

Buddhism and:	Science Psychology Hinduism Jainism Judaism East Asian religions Christianity Influences Comparison Theosophy Gnosticism Violence Western philosophy

Lists	Buddhas Twenty-eight Buddhas Bodhisattvas Buddhists Suttas Books Temples Candi

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