Maitreya

Maitreya a Buddhistic divinity, according to the Buddhists was a disciple of the Buddha Sakyamuni, and a Bodhisattwa, or a mall of pre-eminent virtue and sanctity. He is classed among the gods called Tushitas, or "the happy," and has generally the, epithet Ajlia, or unconquered. The Buddhists believe that he will become incarnate, and succeed Gotama (q.v.) as their future Buddha. In Tibetan he is called Jampa. A faithful representation of this Buddha, surrounded by the (Tibetan) goddesses Dolma, the Mantas or Buddhas of medicine, two ancient priests, and various saints, will be found in the atlas of Emil Schlagintweit's Buddhism in Tibet (London and Leipzig, 1863), where an interesting sketch is given (p. 207 sq.) of the characteristic types of Buddha images, and of the measurements of Buddha statues made by his brothers in India and Tibet. See also Hardy, Annual of Buddhism (Index, s.v. Maitri).