Thanks for your reply!
Could you point @Muhammad to the SuttaCentral Voice search’s results for the term metteyya ?
1 Like
I also highlight that there are a number of textual references which indicate the Buddha was very down to earth and acknowledged that the only certainty around the teaching and discipline is that it would deteriorate and fade with time.
It is actually that very disappearance of the teaching and discipline of a previous Buddha that makes room for another Buddha to arise in the world. And this is different to the understanding that another Buddha comes to purify things.
The four noble truths and spiritual path these point to are independent of human beings. Buddhas are those who awaken to these things after they have been lost for a good while.
And even among Buddhas, not all are equally successful in terms of establishing a teaching and discipline that lasts many generations.
In the book that records the analysis of the monastic rules we find the below. Note that as far as I am aware this is found in all existing alternative versions of this book, from both Northern and Southern Buddhist traditions.
"(…) Sāriputta approached the Master. He bowed down to him, sat down to one side, and said, “Just now, Venerable Sir, while I was in seclusion, I thought, ‘For which Buddhas did the dispensation not last long, and for which ones did it last long?’”
“Sāriputta, the dispensation established by Master Vipassī, Master Sikhī, and Master Vessabhū didn’t last long. But the dispensation established by Master Kakusandha, Master Konāgamana, and Master Kassapa did last long.”
“And what’s the reason why the dispensation established by Master Vipassī, Master Sikhī, and Master Vessabhū didn’t last long?”
“Master Vipassī, Master Sikhī, and Master Vessabhū were disinclined to give detailed teachings to their disciples.
They gave few discourses in prose and in prose and verse, few expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and analyses; and they didn’t lay down training rules or recite a monastic code.
After the disappearance of those Buddhas, after the disappearance of the disciples awakened under them, those who were the last disciples—of various names, clans, and social standing, who had gone forth from various families—allowed that dispensation to disappear rapidly.
It’s just like flowers not tied with a thread to a wooden plank: they’re scattered about, whirled about, and destroyed by the wind.
Why’s that?
Because they’re not held together by a thread.
Just so, after the disappearance of those Buddhas, after the disappearance of the disciples awakened under them, those who were the last disciples allowed that dispensation to disappear rapidly.But those Masters were untiring in exhorting their disciples after reading their minds. At one time, Sāriputta, while staying in a certain frightening forest grove, Master Vessabhū, the Perfected and the fully Awakened One, instructed an Order of a thousand monks, reading their minds and saying, ‘Think like this, not like this; pay attention like this, not like this; abandon this; having attained this, abide in it.’
When those thousand monks had been instructed by Master Vessabhū, their minds were freed from the corruptions without grasping.
But when anyone with sensual desire entered that frightening forest grove, usually their hair would stand on end.
This is the reason why the dispensation established by Master Vipassī, Master Sikhī, and Master Vessabhū did not last long.”“What then is the reason why the dispensation established by Master Kakusandha, Master Konāgamana, and Master Kassapa lasted long?”
“Master Kakusandha, Master Konāgamana, and Master Kassapa were diligent in giving detailed teachings to their disciples.
They gave many discourses in prose and in prose and verse, many expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and analyses; and they laid down training rules and recited a monastic code.
After the disappearance of those Buddhas, after the disappearance of the disciples awakened under them, those who were the last disciples—of various names, clans, and social standing, who had gone forth from various families—made that dispensation last for a long time.
It’s just like flowers tied with a thread to a wooden plank: they are not scattered about, whirled about, or destroyed by the wind.
Why is that?
Because they are held together by a thread.
Just so, after the disappearance of those Buddhas, after the disappearance of the disciples awakened under them, those who were the last disciples made that dispensation last for a long time.
This is the reason why the dispensation established by Master Kakusandha, Master Konāgamana, and Master Kassapa lasted long.
So, from the above we see that the Buddha understood that to make sure the teaching and discipline he brought back to the world would survive for many generations, all that was needed was to lay down training rules and recited a monastic code.
This supports the understanding that his model of religion is not one dependent or requiring leadership to prosper.
All it needs is the structure and governance brought by laying down training rules and periodical recitation of a monastic code.
https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-bu-vb-pj1/en/brahmali
1 Like
I will try to, Sir.
I will reply the results. for if there is anything that is not mentioned by me, you can update it.
It’s under https://voice.suttacentral.net.
SuttaCentral search is comprehensive. Voice search is not comprehensive, but for the purposes I use it it is mostly more useful.
For example, searching for “foremost” in SuttaCentral returns 167 results. The ones you are looking for in the AN Ones come only after a looot of scrolling. In Voice there are 41 results for “foremost”. This is not comprehensive, but more useful.
SuttaCentral search searches everything that is on SuttaCentral. Voice search only searches segmented texts—which at the moment are Bhante Sujato’s English translations and the corresponding Pali root texts.
3 Likes
Actually, I am asking @sabbamitta to introduce you to SuttaCentral Voice and its powerful search engine!
This is what I got by search for metteyya there.
I don’t think the first occurrence is about the future Buddha Metteyya but indeed about a character named Tissa Metteyya.
So it seems the only mention to the future Buddha Metteyya is the one found in DN26.
2 Likes
You have to know how to spell it. I tried “metteya” and got nothing! 
2 Likes
I’ve set up a dedicated SuttaCentral search using google. 
using that I get 143 results for “metteyya”!
An interesting result…
At the time of Metteyya Buddha’s appearance on earth Jambudīpa will be pervaded by mankind even as a jungle is by reeds and rushes. There will be eighty-four thousand cities with Ketumatī at the head.
6 Likes
Yes, AN6.61 refers to a section in the Sutta Nipata where there is a person named Metteyya asking questions.
If you click the little arrows in the search results list you can see the passage that has the search term you entered:
(Please excuse the UI speaking German.)
According to this info, can we consider the possibility that Metteyya wil come at a very distant time in future and Can’t come at this time? (Considering that the Buddha’s teachings and discipline are here, hadn’t disappeared yet?)
Then, why will Buddha bother to tell people about Metteyya, if Metteyya will come only at the time when the texts that mentions him had long disappeared and not available from the first place, and the living people who will be at his time will not identify him as “metteyya buddha who shakyamuni buddha talked about”, not waiting for him.
while the people who had been told about him by the Buddha, and the other generations told by this people are gone. because Buddha’s Dhamma is not available at that time.
Considering that the previous quoted text is an authentic EBT. Buddha certainly meant the “training rules and monastic code” given by him, without addition or deletion. the original, not the various ones differing by letters, words, full-rule among various traditions and schools. of course, by having a sangha training with these training rules and reciting these monastic code, we have a sangha the same as buddha’s original sangha. with the same Dhamma, the same Vinaya, same teachings. where is this sangha? who is the lead in it? how did he got these “training rules and recitations” being able to confirm they are same as the original ones taught by buddha?
Thanks sir.
for now, for a beginning, i can say “Buddha Metteyya” is mentioned once in the pali canon. -until new evidence appear-.
Thanks, sir. Faujidoc1.
You gave another reference.
Yes, another fully awakened and perfected one only arises once the Dhamma has been lost.
I understand that people may still have a vague memory or understanding of there being a Buddha once in the distant future.
But for sure the knowledge, understanding and memory of the four Noble truths and the eightfold path, together with all other principles leading to awakening would have been lost by then.
Hence the role of the new Buddha to bring back these things to the world.
I don’t understand your other questions. Maybe you could try breaking down your sentences in a way that you present your doubts clearly?
3 Likes
Yes, that’s right. He appears once. Elsewhere we have the general idea that there have been Buddha in the past and will be in the future, but no details are given.
It’s tempting to think of the idea of Metteyya as a later addition, and that may be the case, but I am not sure. Normally the Buddha avoided giving detailed predictions of the future. He might say, “if you do this, that will happen”, but with DN 26 it sounds like a full-on prophecy.
Nevertheless, the story is a fascinating one! You can search on this form for some previous discussions.
3 Likes
I think early Indian Buddhism did not really have a leader in terms of religious political power after the death of the Buddha.
The first two Sangha councils were convened by leading monks to determine the Buddha’s teachings under the headings of Sutra/Sutta or Dharma/Dhamma (teaching) and Vinaya (rules of the Sangha). Only these two councils are recognised in common by all early Buddhist schools. This period, about 100 years, was from the death of the Buddha up to the first schism of the Sangha into two main branches, the Mahasanghika and Sthavira (not the Theravada). The leading monks during the first two Sangha councils did not really have the religious political power to lead the Sangha, and thus leading to further schism in early Indian Buddhism.
The Buddha did not appoint his successor as a leader of his Sangha.
Did the Buddha make a mistake in not appointing a successor?
2 Likes
A statement indicating that the Buddha won’t appoint a successor is found, I believe, in the Vinaya, regarding the occasion when Devadatta asked the Buddha to retire and leave him in charge of the Sangha. The Buddha replied to the effect that he wouldn’t leave the Sangha even in the hands of Sariputta and Moggallana, much less to him, Devadatta, who should be rejected like vomit.
Can anyone find this account?
Edit: Found it here - using the new search engine provided by @faujidoc1!
Devadatta repeatedly asked the Blessed One to retire and “hand over the Order of monks to me. It is I who will lead the Order of monks,” to which the Buddha was saying “Enough, Devadatta, please do not lead the Order of monks.”
After Devadatta’s 3rd request, the Buddha added that he would not "hand over the Order of monks even to Sāriputta and Moggallāna. How then could I to you, a wretched one to be vomited like spittle?”
5 Likes
Also, the Blessed One is recorded as specifically refuting the idea in DN 16. Pardon me if this has been mentioned already.
The section begins here.
The relevant quote about not appointing a successor is several paragraphs down. (My phone is malfunctioning at the moment, not allowing me to copy & post it for your convenience.)
5 Likes
sir, Ven. Sujato.
What I meant as a mahayanist later addition is the concept of “Purifying the Dhamma and reviving of the forgotten parts of it by Maitreya Buddha” In regard to what Gabriel_L had said. I didn’t meant that Maitreya Buddha is a later added concept.
this is coming from his knowledge of the various possibilities that may arise from various actions of people.
It seems to be the case. Ven. Sujato.
I was asking regarding if there is two concepts, a future character Maitreya (who is not a Buddha) and Maitreya Buddha (who is a Buddha) that may had been mixed with each other, seen as one. But regrading that there is only this mention in the EBTs, I can say that my question had been answered. Thanks, Ven. Sujato and Sir Gabriel_L.
1 Like
Thanks, Ven. It answers a lot of questions.
1 Like
Oh okay, indeed, yes that is a later development. There is a very interesting chapter on this in Lamotte’s Indian Buddhism.
4 Likes