Maitreya, the Future Buddha

Originallypublishedin1988,thisbookisamultidisciplinaryandcross-culturalstudyofthelegendthathasevolvedaroundthefigureofMaitreya,whichfollowersoftheBuddhaSiddhārthaGautamahadagreedwouldbethefutureBuddha,andthesubstantialinfluenceofthislegendonBuddhistculture.ArisingoutofaninternationalconferenceheldatPrincetonUniversity,thiscollectionoftwelveessaysbyspecialistsintextualstudies,arthistoryandculturalanthropologyexaminestheoriginsoftheMaitreyatraditioninSouthAsiaaswellasavarietyofculturallyspecificexpressionsofthetraditionasitdevelopedinChina,Korea,VietnamandJapan.TheessaysexplorethevariousexpectationsBuddhistpractitionershavehadofMaitreyaandexaminetheiconographicandritualisticsymbolsassociatedwiththismessianicandmillenarianfigure.Severalessaysalsoexaminethecontroversyregardingcircumstancesunderwhichthefigurehassometimestakenonapocalypticandeschatologicalcharacteristics.