In particular, a Hellenistic cupids and garland design, a representation of the Buddha and Maitreya within decorated arches, a Buddhist narrative frieze, and a head of Garuda.
Maitreya-nātha (ca. 270-350 CE) is a name whose use was pioneered by Buddhist scholars Erich Frauwallner, Giuseppe Tucci, and Hakuju Ui to distinguish one of the three founders of the Yogācāra school of Buddhist philosophy, along with Asaṅga and Vasubandhu.
Li took the place of his birth name, Eui-kyeong for his literary activity to the Korean name "Mi-rok" of the Bodhisattva Maitreya.
Japanese for "Maitreya Buddha": as prophesied by the Buddha before entering nirvana.
Maitreya |
It may be noted that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad himself wrote in his famous book, "Jesus in India" that the Maitreya Buddha was in fact Jesus Christ, who according to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, travelled to India, Kashmir and Tibet (predominantly Buddhist regions at the time) to preach to the local Jews who had migrated there and converted to religions other than that of Judaism (Buddhism, Hinduism etc.).
These wisdom sutras were taken by Maitreya and Asaṅga as the starting point for their encyclopaedic work, the Ornament of clear realizations (Abhisamayālaṃkāra) in which they emphasised the hidden meanings of the sutras.
Artworks in the temple include statues of the Maitreya Buddha in his Bodhisattva form and in his Cloth Bag Monk incarnation, statues of the 18 arhats and 20 Guardians of Buddhist Law, as well as statues of the 500 Luohans.
Within the Kondo and Hondo (the Main Hall and Buddha Hall) of Mii-dera, there are at least six statues of the Buddha, sacred personal possessions of various Emperors, including Emperor Tenji, which are hidden away and shown only on rare, special occasions, as well as one large statue of the Miroku, or Maitreya, Buddha in the center of the Hall.
Share International says that Maitreya appeared before a Christian gathering of 6,000 people on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya on 11 June 1988.
Also of great importance are the "Five Treatises of Maitreya." These texts are said to have been related to Asanga by the Buddha Maitreya, and comprise the heart of the Yogacara (or Cittamatra, "Mind-Only") school of philosophy in which all Tibetan Buddhist scholars are well-versed.