Primordial Buddhas

When using the word "Buddha" we generally mean Sakiyamuni Buddha, however the number of past and future Buddhas is, in principle, infinite.

The Pāli sources refer to "Sabbannu Buddhas" as fully enlightened omniscient Buddhas who instruct others. This should not be confused with "Paccheka Buddhas" who, although deeply enlightened, do not instruct Dharma. It is said that the present aeon, termed the "Bhadrakalpa", will have 1000 Buddhas, earlier aeons had few, if any Buddhas at all.

The historical Buddha, Sakiyamuni Buddha, is the 4th Buddha of the present "Bhadrakalpa" aeon.

The Buddhavaṃsa Atthakatha of the Pāli Khuddakanikāya gives the biographies of 21 Buddhas, other Theravāda sources cite 24, and the Mahāvastu includes a list of more than one-hundred Buddhas.

The table below gives the names of the various past Primordial Buddhas as well as ten future Buddhas.

Buddha Taṇhaṃkara (p)

Buddha Medhaṃkara (p)

Buddha Saraṇaṃkara (p)

Before Buddha Dīpankara

1.
Buddha Dīpankara (p)
Buddha Dīpankara (s)

2.
Buddha Koṇdañña (p)
Buddha Kauṇḍiya (s)

3.
Buddha Mangala (p)
Buddha Mangala (s)

4.
Buddha Sumana (p)
Buddha Sumana (s)

5.
Buddha Revata (p)
Buddha Raivata (s)

6.
Buddha Sobhita (p)
Buddha Śobhita (s)

7.
Buddha Anomadassa (p)
Buddha Anavamadarśin (s)

8.
Buddha Paduma (p)
Buddha Padma (s)

9.
Buddha Nārada (p)
Buddha Nārada (s)

10.
Buddha Padumuttara (p)
Buddha Padumottara (s)

11.
Buddha Sumedha (p)
Buddha Sumedha (s)

12.
Buddha Sujāta (p)
Buddha Sujāta (s)

13.
Buddha Piyadassi (p)
Buddha Priyadarśin (s)

14.
Buddha Aţţhadassi (p)
Buddha Arthadaśin (s)

15.
Buddha Dhammadassi (p)
Buddha Dharmadarśin (s)

16.
Buddha Siddhattha (p)
Buddha Siddhārtha (s)

17.
Buddha Tissa (p)
Buddha Tiṣya (s)

18.
Buddha Phussa (p)
Buddha Puṣya (s)

90 Aeons ago:
19.
Buddha Vipassi (p)
Buddha Vipaśyin (s)

31 Aeons ago:
20.
Buddha Sikhī (p)
Buddha Śikhin (s)

21.
Buddha Vessabhu (p)
Buddha Viśvabhuj (s)

Buddhas of the present Bhadrakalpa Aeon:

22. - 1.
Buddha Kakusandha (p)
Buddha Krakucchanda (s)
of Khemavatī

23. - 2.
Buddha Koṇāgamana (p)
Buddha Kanakamuni (s)
of Sobhavatī

24. - 3.
Buddha Kassapa (p)
Buddha Kāśyapa (s)
of Vārāṇasī

25. - 4.
Buddha Siddhattha Gotama (Sakiyamuni) (p)
Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Śākyamuni) (s)
of Kapilivatthu

Future Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa Aeon according Singhalese Sources:

5.
Buddha Metteyya (p)
Buddha Maitreya (s)

6.
Buddha Uttama (p)

7.
Buddha Rama (p)

8.
Buddha Pasenadai Kosala (p)

9.
Buddha Abhibhu (p)

10.
Buddha Dighasoni (p)

11.
Buddha Sankaccha (p)

12.
Buddha Subha (p)

13.
Buddha Todeya (p)

14.
Buddha Nalagiri Palaleyya (p)

Theravāda Directory

triratna.info sitemap: