10 Bodhisattvas

1. 10 Bodhisattvas

10 Bodhisattvas refer to 10 future Buddhas during their lives as Bodhisattvas. They have also been referred to as successors of Gautama Buddha.

2. In Dasabodhisattuppattikathā

Dasabodhisattuppattikathā (10 Bodhisattva Birth Stories or Lives of the 10 Bodhisattvas) is a Pāḷi Buddhist text that deals with 10 future Buddhas during their lives as Bodhisattvas.

It is a strange small work of late Pāḷi literature and the only example of a book devoted entirely to extolling the Bodhisattvas who will be Buddhas in future ages.

Each story is about a virtuous person near the end of his or her cycle of rebirths.

Each character has lived a meritorious life and dies through some self-inflicted act, often gruesome, which serves as an offering to the universal Buddha.

Each will be reborn one final time and attain full Buddhahood.

3. In Sotattakī

In the Sotattakī Scripture, one of the exclusive texts to the Pāḷi Canon, Ānanda asked Gotama Buddha about the people who were practising to achieve the Buddhahood.

Gotama Buddha answered that there will be 10 future Buddhas.

The Bodhisattvas are introduced as:

which can be translated as:

The 10 people who will gain enlightenment in the future are:

The noble Maitreya Buddha, King Uttararāma, King Pasenadi Kosala, Abhibhū, Dīghasoṇī, Caṅkī (Candanī), Subha, a Brahmin named Todeyya, an elephant named Nāḷāgiri and the king of elephants Pālileyya.

They will become the Future Buddhas in such order

4. The 10 Bodhisattvas

Maitreya

According to the Anāgatavaṁsa, Maitreya Buddha was a monk disciple named Ajita.

One day, Gotamī offered a golden robe to Gotama and his disciples. As no disciple accepted it, Ajita accepted the offering.

The monk crowd were not satisfied as they felt that the robe was dedicated to the Buddha.

In order to prove that Ajita is his successor, Gotama Buddha hid his emerald alms bowl and told his disciples to help retrieve it. Only Ajita was able to retrieve his bowl.

After getting his alms bowl back, Gotama Buddha explained to his disciples that Ajita would become the next future Buddha. He also had told the future biography of Maitreya as Śāriputra requested for it.

After getting the omen, Ajita donated Gotamī's robe as the ceiling of the monastery.

Maitreya is currently residing at the Tuṣita realm.

Uttararāma

In the time of the Kassapa Buddha, King Uttararāma was a young man named Nārada.

When he saw the Buddha he thought it worthwhile to give his life for the Buddha. And he burnt himself, like a torch.

Then the Buddha Kassapa foretold that Nārada would be the future Buddha.

After Maitreya Buddha died, there will be 100 000 Suñña-Kalpas. After the 100 000 Suñña-Kalpas, there will be a Maṇḍa-Kalpa.

In the Maṇḍa-Kalpa, he will become Rāma Buddha (Rāma-Saṁbuddha Buddha).

Pasenadi

King Pasenadi of Kosala was an Upāsaka of Gotama Buddha. He usually invited him and his disciples to his palace for meals and also went to Buddha's Place to listen to his Dharma.

In the time of Koṇāgamana Buddha, he was a young man named Śuddhā. He guarded lotuses in a lake. He sold 2 flowers every day.

Having appreciated his work, he foretold him that he would be the future Buddha.

He also had protected him against the heat of the sun with 2 pieces of cloth. After his death he was reborn in one of the desire realm.

In the future, he will become a future Buddha named Dhammaraja Buddha in the same kalpa as Rāma Saṁbuddha Buddha.

Abhibhū

Abhibhū Buddha will be born in the next Sārā-kalpa which will be formed a few Suñña-Kalpas later.

After Abhibhū Buddha dies, there will be another 100 000 Suñña -Kalpas.

Dīghasoṇī

In the newly formed Kalpa, Dīghasoṇī Asura (Rāhu Asura), a Deva, will become a Buddha.

Caṅkī

Caṅkī (Candanī), a Brāhmin, will become a successor of Dīghasoṇī.

Subha

According to the Majjhima Nikāya of the Pāḷi Canon, Subha was the son of Todeyya.

When Gotama Buddha visited Subha's house, his pet dog barked continuously. As soon as he revealed the past of the dog, it ran away in fear.

When Subha knew about the matter, he went to the Buddha to disprove his statements.

However, he only told him to ask his pet about the possessions he buried in the past life. As they could find the hidden possessions, Subha began to respect him and to do donations for his father.

Another time, Subha asked the Buddha 7 sets of questions about the difference between humans. Having got satisfactory answers, he decided to become a devoted Buddhist and to practise Pāramitā.

Todeyya

Todeyya was a rich Brahmin. Despite the wealth, he didn't manage to donate his possessions and hid them instead.

Because of his obsession, he became a pet dog of Subha in the afterlife.

Nāḷāgiri

Nāḷāgiri was the elephant that was used by Devadatta to murder Gotama Buddha:

It was fed 16 pots of alcohol and ordered to fight the Buddha. When it was rushing towards him, he gently soothed the drunk elephant. He then began to preach some Dharma.

After preaching, the elephant was tamed and paid respect to Buddha, then gradually walked away.

Gotama Buddha did not give him the omen but had told him to do the Five Precepts. It also had got another name, Danapāla.

Pālileyya

Gotama Buddha once left alone to the Pālileyaka village due to the conflict between his disciples. The villagers built a monastery for him at the Rakkhita forest which was near their village.

Meanwhile, an elephant named Pālileyya left his family because he felt cramped. He thought that living alone would be a solution.

Then, he met the Buddha at his monastery. The Buddha told him about the benefits of solitude.

Pālileyya looked after the Buddha. He usually guarded while he was sleeping. He gave a lot of fresh fruits to him and followed him to the village during alms.

He had taken care of him for a Vassa (3 months). After 3 months, Gotama Buddha had to leave him. He told him that he was not ready to practise for Enlightenment.

Pālileyya died of grief. In the afterlife he became a Deva named Pālileyya in the Tāvatiṃsa Realm.