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[Alexandr Korol]

“Maitreya (“The One Who Is Love”) is a bodhisattva and the Buddha of the future, who will appear at the end of the current kalpa, descending from the Tusita Heaven, where he is believed to reside at present. In East Asian Buddhism, he is one of the most popular bodhisattvas and is associated with a future era of prosperity and bliss. The cult of Maitreya developed most prominently in Korea and was also significantly widespread at various times in China, Myanmar, and other Buddhist countries. Maitreya is the only bodhisattva venerated by all schools of Buddhism, and the only one venerated by the oldest school, Theravāda.
Maitreya is associated with Maitreyanātha, who lived in the first half of the 4th century. Scholars believe he was the historical teacher of Asaṅga. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, it is believed that Maitreyanātha was Maitreya himself, who transmitted five texts to Asaṅga in the Tusita Heaven.”