by Joseph J. F. Chen (Author)
Maitreya Buddha in I-kuan Tao is a comprehensive account of how the Early Buddhist concept of Bodhisattva Maitreya, residing in Tusita heaven abiding time to descend to earth to become the next Buddha, developed and evolved to be the second most important deity of I-kuan Tao. It has been purposely written to answer questions raised by my reader and audiences on the importance of Maitreya Buddha in I-kuan Tao. It traces how Maitreya Buddha gained this most prestigious position through over two millennia of history in Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions, utilizing the major literary works and objects of Buddhist Art of India, Sri Lanka, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Tibet, Ladakh, Nepal, Indonesia, and Thailand. The book ends with a brief summary of the beliefs and principles of I-kuan Tao.