Maitreyanatha, Maitreynātha, Maitreya-natha: 5 definitions
Introduction:
Maitreyanatha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Maitreyanātha (मैत्रेयनाथ) refers to one of the “Forty-two Peaceful Deities” (Tibetan: zhi ba'i lha zhe gnyis) according to various sources such as the Guhyagarbha Tantra and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.—They feature in Tantric teachings and practices which focus on purifying elements of the body and mind. These deities [e.g., Maitreyanātha] form part part of the the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities who manifest to a deceased person following the dissolution of the body and consciousness whilst they are in the intermediate state (bardo) between death and rebirth.
Maitreyanātha (or simply Maitreya) is known in Tibetan as: Jampé Gönpo [byams pa'i mgon po]. He is part of the “Eight Great Bodhisattvas”.
Maitreyanātha (मैत्रेयनाथ) is another name for Maitrīpāda (11th century)—a prominent Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha associated with the Mahāmudrā transmission of Tantric Buddhism. His teachers were Śavaripa and Naropa. His students include Atiśa, Marpa, Vajrapāṇi, Karopa, Natekara (also known as Sahajavajra), Devākaracandra (also known as Śūnyatāsamādhi), and Rāmapāla. His hermitage was in the Mithila region (also known as Tirhut), somewhere in northern Bihar and neighboring parts of southern Nepal.—Note: Maitrīpāda is also known as Maitreyanātha, Advayavajra, and, to Tibetans, Maitrīpa.
Maitreyanātha (मैत्रेयनाथ) is another name for Advayavajra not to be confused with similairly-named Advayavajra who is the author of the Gūḍhapadā commentary of the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti.—This Advayavajra is very likely not the same as the famous Advayavajra or Maitreyanātha (some good reasons against this identification are listed in Isaacson and Sferra 2014, 74–75).
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
General definition (in Buddhism)
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. Some scholars believe this "Maitreya" to be a historical person in India. The traditions themselves have held that it is referring to the bodhisattva Maitreya.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Maitreyanātha (in Sanskrit) can be associated with the following Chinese terms:
1) 彌勒 [mí lēi]: “Maitreya” [name of a Bodhisattva]; Alternatively: “Ajita”; “Maitreyanātha” [Sanskrit personal name].
2) 慈尊 [cí zūn]: “Maitreya” [Sanskrit personal name].
Note: maitreyanātha can be alternatively written as: maitreya-nātha.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Natha, Maitreya.
Full-text: Advayavajra, Ci zun, Maitreya, Advayavakra, Advayacakra, Di lac, Bodhisattvacaryanirdesha, Maitripa, Mi lei, Jampe Gonpo, Byams pa'i mgon po, Adinava, Pratipaksha, Maitripada.
Relevant text
Search found 15 books and stories containing Maitreyanatha, Maitreynātha, Maitreya-natha, Maitreya-nātha, Maitreyanātha; (plurals include: Maitreyanathas, Maitreynāthas, nathas, nāthas, Maitreyanāthas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Buddha-nature (as Depicted in the Lankavatara-sutra) (by Nguyen Dac Sy)
2. Hindu Philosophical Systems (f) Vedānta < [Chapter 3 - The Laṅkāvatārasūtra and Hindu Philosophy]
Introduction (Hīnayāna and Hindu philosophy) < [Chapter 3 - The Laṅkāvatārasūtra and Hindu Philosophy]
2.2. The Buddha-nature and Yogācāra < [Chapter 1 - Evolution of the Buddha-nature Concept]
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5. Theory of Consciousness-only in Mahayana < [Chapter 3 - Theravada and Mahayana (comparison and contrast)]
Prajnaparamita in Buddhist < [November-December 1931]
Advayavajra-samgraha (Sanskrit text and English introduction) (by Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri)
Part 1 - Introduction (to the Advayavajra-samgraha) < [Introduction]
Bodhisattvacharyavatara (by Andreas Kretschmar)
Bibliography Of Sūtras, Tantras And śāstras
Śāntideva’s Bodhisattva-caryāvatāra - English Text
Text Section 40 < [Khenpo Chöga’s Oral Explanations]
Glimpses of History of Sanskrit Literature (by Satya Vrat Shastri)
Chapter 29.1 - Introduction to Buddhism and its philosophy < [Section 4 - Classical Sanskrit literature]
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