The Buddha, but which one?

First let me apologize, I need to learn all the alt codes, so until then all Pali or Sanskrit words, do not have any accent marks.

Many westerners do not know there has been more than one Buddha.  In the Jataka Atthakatha, we find a list of 25 Buddhas.

1. Dipankara

2. Kondanna

3. Mangala

4. Sumana

5. Revata

6. Sobhita

7. Anomdassi

8. Paduma

9. Narada

10. Uttara

11. Sumedha

12. Sujata

13. Piyadassi

14. Atthadassi

15. Dhammadassi

16. Siddhatha also spelled Sidhartha

17. Tissa

18. Phussa

19. Vipassi

20. Sikhi

21. Vessabhu

22. Kakusandha

23. Kongamana also spelled Kanakamuni

24. Kassapa also spelled Kasyapa

25. Gotama also spelled Gautama

There is also the future Buddha known as Metteya in Pali, or Maitreya in Sanskrit.

Also some traditions have 3 Buddhas who preceded Dipankara: Tanhankara, Medankara and Sarankara.

So you now think, great I only have about 30 Buddha’s to learn about, well that depends on the tradition you follow. The Lalitavistara gives another 54. The Mahavastu has over 100 more. Some of the Singhalese schhols list 9 future Buddhas in addition to Metteya.

Now that I have you totally confused, confounded, and perplexed, I did this to remind you that Buddha means fully enlightened one, and that we all have the nature within us to achieve Buddhahood. The Buddha himself told us there were many before him, and many more would follow. This is to remind all of us that The Buddha, just as all those that preceded him, and those that follow him were men, not Gods. Also a reminder that when we say the Buddha, we refer to the historical Buddha: Gautama Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama Buddha.

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