Buddha-Maitreya

Buddha Maitreya is a bodhisattva living in the Tushita heaven and who will descend to earth to teach anew the dharma when the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha have completely decayed. Recognized by all Mahayana schools, he is the only bodhisattva acknowledged in the Theravada tradition. The Chinese monk Budai or Pu-tai (Japanese Hotei) also called the. laughing Buddha came to be regarded as an incarnation of Maitreya because of his benevolent nature. He is not to be confused with Buddha Shakyamuni the historical Buddha and founder of Buddhism who is the fourth Buddha of the present kalpa (era) and will be followed by the future fifth Buddha, Maitreya (Milefo in Chinese) in about three thousand years.