Legend of Maitreya & Karma-Yoga

The legend of Maitreya is about a man who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach Dharma to the people living in the age of ignorance. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya refers to a time in the future when the Dharma will have been forgotten by most of the world.

According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a Bodhisattva — a successor to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha.

What is the true meaning of the term Bodhisattva?

For that we will have to first understand the term karma.

The Shatapatha Brahmana (700 BCE) explains the meaning of the ‘Karma’ —

‘While our bodies may die, the soul is eternal, and it continues its journey through many lifetimes. The soul creates a system of actions and reactions (Karma), throughout these lives, forming a cycle of rebirth. And the totality of our actions and their reactions in this and previous lives, determine our future.

Thus — a man is born to the world he has made.

Bodhisattva is the man or woman who is born in the world and the form that is successively evolving because of his/her good Karmas.

The term Bodhisattva means an “enlightened being” in Sanskrit.

In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is any person who is on the path towards Buddhahood. The one who has resolved to walk on the spiritual path to attain enlightenment. This resolution is made in a particular lifetime, and after that, it may take hundreds or thousands of years and countless rebirths to achieve the goal.

The Buddha himself went through many previous births in both human and animal forms. He appeared as a king, a poor man, a god, an elephant — but, in whatever form, he exhibited some virtue and attained good Karma that kept accumulating over these lives — enriching his soul and taking him one step nearer to his goal.

Bodhisattva is the one who has generated ‘Bodhicitta,’ a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all living beings. He or she is the savior! And according to Mahayana school bodhisattva path is held to be universal, and for everyone.

It means that anyone with a resolve, compassion, and faith can be a Bodhisattva.

Even you and me!

And who knows that one day one of us will appear in this world as Maitreya!

The legend of Bodhisattva Maitreya reaffirms that…

“Your work is your responsibility, not its results.

Never let the fruits of your actions be your motive.

Do not give in to inaction.

Set firmly in yourself, do your work, not attached to anything.

Remain even-minded in success and failures.

When we have done this in many of our lives and accumulated enough good Karma, then eventually, one life will come (like Buddha and Mahavira) when our inherent nature will automatically put us on the path of liberation and enlightenment. And then nothing will remain except the truth!

Till then, without worrying about good or bad, one should seek to live a virtuous life through right thought, right speech, and right action and attain purity of heart and mind. In other words, become a Bodhisattva!