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Maitreya Buddha

Buddha Maitreya [Tib.: "Byams pa"] is the Buddha of the future, the one to follow up the historical Buddha Sakyamuni. He waits in the Tushita heaven for the moment he is to appear on earth as the Buddha of the fifth world cycle. At present he is considered as one of the dhyani-Bodhisattvas, the creators of the universe. In the future he will be like Sakyamuni, a mortal manusi Buddha who lives on earth for a while in order to teach mankind the doctrine. Maitreya, 'the loving one', is widely worshipped in the Himalayan regions.

One of the characteristics of Buddha Maitreya is his seated posture [bhadrasana]. This posture of benevolence, with both legs pendant, resting on a small support looks like the European sitting posture. He holds both his hands in front of his heart in dharmacakra mudra, the gesture of turning and preaching the wheel of the Buddhist law.

Maitreya is depicted with an urna [third eye] on his forehead, elongated earlobes and an ushnisa on top of his thick curly head.