Seven Generations of Buddhas (EĀ 48.4)

Essays
1

A while back, someone asked me about a theory that the lineage of seven buddhas was actually a Buddhist corollary to the true brahmin having seven generations of brahmin parents. I think it may have been @Vaddha, but there are probably others who will find my much delayed answer of interest, so I decided to post it as a little essay.

It turns out that EĀ 48.4 does provide us with some evidence that this may have been the case. It’s a early parallel of DĀ 1/DN 14 that consists of the first half of the fully developed Mahāvadāna Sūtra. When the end of the description of the seven buddhas is reached, it concludes with Ānanda asking questions. The main question is: Why did the Buddha recount only seven buddhas when there are countless buddhas in the past and future?

The Buddha answers:

The Tathāgata has taught the origins and incidentals of these seven buddhas because those origins and incidentals have their dependent arising. The buddhas of the past numbering like the sands of the Gaṅgā River also taught the origins and incidentals of seven buddhas. When Maitreya appears in the world, he will also describe the origins and incidentals of seven buddhas. If Arhat and Tathāgata Simha should arise, he will also describe the origins and incidentals of seven buddhas. When the Buddha Anuloma appears in the world, he will describe the origins and incidentals of seven buddhas. When the Buddha Pradyota arises in the world, he will describe the origins and incidentals of seven buddhas. When the Buddha Vimala appears in the world, he will describe the origins and incidentals of Kāśyapa. When the Buddha Ratnaprabha appears in the world, he will also describe the origins and incidentals of Śākyamuni.

“Simha, *Anuloma, *Pradyota,

Vimala, and *Ratnaprabha

Will all succeed Maitreya,

And they will achieve the Buddha path.

Maitreya will describe the Buddha Śikhin,

Simha will describe the Buddha Viśvabhu,

Anuloma will describe Krakucchandha,

Pradyota will describe Kanakamuni,

And Vimala will describe Kāśyapa,

All teaching their ancient circumstances.

When Ratnaprabha is completely awakened,

He will also describe my name.

The past Completely Awakened Ones

And those who will come in the future,

They will describe seven buddhas,

And their ancient origins and incidentals.”

Which we might visualize in this way:

Screenshot 2025-10-18 225704
Screenshot 2025-10-18 225704520×617 37.9 KB

Each buddha sees himself as the seventh of seven generations of buddhas. I would say that that this doesn’t have to directly relate to Brahmanism. Many cultures consider a certain number of ancestors to be important, and six generations in the past comes up in some Native American narratives, for instance. The seven generations of brahmins is an example of this way of recounting the past lineage of one’s people since the brahmins were originally a tribe rather than a class of people.

10 Likes
2

Bhante S. Dhammika is of opinion that it’s borrowed from the 7 fordmakers of Jainism. But he’s on a tour in Sri Lanka and is without his books. He’ll comment on this when he is back in Australia. Assuming that he remembers, of course.

5 Likes
3

These don’t have to be mutually exclusionary; in fact, prima facie they would appear to be mutually reinforcing.

2 Likes
4

The various names of buddhas or cosmic buddhas (also bodhisattvas) present in the suttas/sutras are obviously the expressions of personal desires or wishes regarding the Buddha, thus artificial creations.

5

Doesn’t is stand to reason that any tradition which believes in A) An awakened leader and B) Infinite past lives would conclude that in the past there is an infinite lineage of ancient teachers? Probably the early Buddhists, Jains and Ājīvikas all taught they had a lineage of teachers. Furthermore, they could all be correct, if we accept Saṃsāra. In the past someone taught something like Jainism, someone taught something like Buddhadhamma and someone taught something like Ājīvika. The difference is in which lineage of teachers did they actually see the truth.

This is how I see things, because I accept kamma & rebirth, and so it’s not a problem for me that different traditions claims such lineages. It’s what you would expect, if you accept the premise of multiple lives. Of course, if you don’t accept such things and approach it from a secular point of view, then said lines of teachers are just made up for the purpose of spreading the religion, with each borrowing from the other over time.

1 Like
6

Isn’t that the case with most personal names? English naming culture that uses names from other languages that we don’t immediately understand is unusual AFAIK. Other cultures name people using their native tongue. The name “Thomas” for instance means “twin” in Aramaic, but an English speaker is unlikely to realize this. It’s just a name of one of Jesus’s apostles, if they realize even that much.

1 Like
7

True. My name, Craig, means “rock” or “cliff” in Welsh or Gaelic, referring to someone who lived near a rocky outcrop or cliff. Nice to not have a biblical name, which I can relate to being a hermit :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

4 Likes
8

In itself, that’s true - but a problem specific to Buddhism is that a Samyukbuddha is supposed to not have a teacher. Then, how is it that a Buddha can both know about past Buddhas intimately, but also have never studied under them? And if he has studied under them, how does it still make sense to say he didn’t have a teacher?

Of course, the tradition holds this conflict by saying not having a teacher in this life. Then, why is that a relevant distinction?

There’s certain mental gymnastics one can perform to reconcile these differences, but it seems to me the prudent way is to view these things with a healthy grain of salt, roughly accepting that there were certainly teachers in the past who were wise and freed; while remaining sceptical on the literal reading of various details pertaining to their stories. :slight_smile:

I haven’t had much time to update my thread on the reading notes of Venerable Analayo’s Prajnaparamita study, and he tackles how the Theravadin tradition of Buddha’s studies with past Buddhas has evolved in a historical critical lens. Very interesting analyses there.

9

That depends on the content of one’s past life memory, or what one is looking at, no? From my reading, it’s principally about remembering past lives, then seeing that’s about kamma, then seeing dependent origination. Only then do you awaken. Before that, would you take note of what a past Buddha was saying, in detail and depth?

1 Like