Why Does Buddhism Say 'The Future Will Be Better'? The Story of Maitreya Holds the Answer

A Bodhisattva Who's "In No Rush to Become Buddha"

There's a very special bodhisattva in Buddhism.

In terms of seniority, he began practicing around the same time as Shakyamuni Buddha. In terms of ability, he's long been qualified for Buddhahood. Yet he's in no hurry to attain it.

He waits in heaven. He's been waiting for an unimaginably long time, and will continue waiting for an unimaginably long time more.

His name is Maitreya. In the Buddhist worldview, he is the "Future Buddha"—the next one to descend to the human realm and attain Buddhahood.

"Maitreya" is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word Maitreya, which means "the Loving One" or "the Benevolent One." Why this name? Because throughout countless eons of practice, he has cultivated one thing above all: loving-kindness.

What is loving-kindness? Simply put, it's the wish for all beings to be happy. Not the kind of love that says "I like you, so I'm nice to you," but a warmth without discrimination or conditions—equally embracing all life.

When this loving-kindness is perfected, it becomes Maitreya Bodhisattva's very essence. His entire being is the embodiment of "loving-kindness."

So—why isn't he rushing to become Buddha?

Waiting Is Also Compassion

According to the sutras, Maitreya Bodhisattva currently resides in the inner court of "Tusita Heaven." Tusita is one of the heavenly realms, and the inner court is Maitreya's teaching ground. There he expounds the Dharma to countless celestial beings while waiting for the right conditions to descend to the human world.

How long will he wait? The scriptures say approximately 5.67 billion years.

This number makes the human brain freeze. 5.6 billion years? Isn't that basically "forever"?

But Buddhism has a different sense of time. For a bodhisattva, this is merely a snap of the fingers. What matters isn't "how long to wait" but rather "why wait".

The answer: he's waiting for the perfect moment.

When Maitreya Buddha descends, the human world will be like this: no war, no famine, no plague, average human lifespan of 84,000 years, flat and pleasant terrain, ideal climate. In such an environment, he will attain enlightenment under the Dragon Flower Tree, hold three great assemblies, and liberate countless beings.

It's not that he can't become Buddha now. He's choosing to wait until conditions are optimal, so his teachings can benefit the maximum number of beings.

Think about it. If you had the power to help a hundred people, but you knew that waiting a bit longer would let you help ten thousand—would you act now, or patiently wait for the better moment?

Maitreya Bodhisattva chose to wait. His lack of haste is a form of great wisdom.

That Laughing, Jolly Monk

When most people think of Maitreya Buddha, they picture a big-bellied, laughing monk sitting at temple entrances.

Where does this image come from?

Actually, it's based on a real Chinese monk from the Five Dynasties period (10th century) called "Budai"—the Cloth Bag Monk. His original name was Qici, and he was from Fenghua in Zhejiang Province. He always carried a large cloth sack, wandered around collecting alms, smiled at everyone he met, and said strange things. People thought he was a crazy monk, but sometimes his words came true in uncanny ways.

Legend has it that on his deathbed, Budai left behind a verse: "Maitreya, true Maitreya, manifesting in billions of forms, constantly appearing to people of the time, yet the people of the time do not recognize him."

Then he departed. Only then did people realize—this disheveled, eccentric monk had been an incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva all along.

From then on, Chinese images of Maitreya Buddha took on Budai's appearance. His great belly can contain all things, even those the world finds hard to tolerate. His ever-smiling mouth laughs at all that is laughable in the world.

This image is completely different from the traditional Indian Maitreya Bodhisattva, but the spirit it conveys is the same: compassion, acceptance, joy.

It's hard to feel distant from a jolly, laughing monk. That's Budai's genius—he brought Maitreya Bodhisattva into countless homes using the most approachable form possible.

Will the Future Really Be Better?

We live in an anxious age.

Turn on the news: war, pandemic, economic recession, climate crisis. Open social media: arguments, polarization, insults, misinformation. The world seems to be getting worse, people's hearts colder.

In this environment, it's hard not to be pessimistic.

Buddhist tradition says we're now in the "Dharma-ending age"—Shakyamuni Buddha's true Dharma is gradually declining, beings' capacities are weakening, and spiritual attainment is becoming harder.

Sounds even more pessimistic, right?

But Maitreya Bodhisattva's existence offers another perspective.

He tells us: There is hope in the future.

No matter how bad things are now, how chaotic, how seemingly hopeless—all of this is temporary. 5.6 billion years from now—or in the cosmic timescale of Buddhism, not that far in the future—Maitreya Buddha will come. The human world will become beautiful. Beings will be liberated.

This promise was spoken by the Buddha himself and recorded in the scriptures. It's not wishful thinking, not a comforting lie, but a certain future.

Of course, 5.6 billion years is too distant for us personally—we won't live to see it. But simply knowing that "someone is waiting, hope lies ahead"—that itself has meaning.

Like knowing in the long night that dawn will definitely come. That certainty can carry you through the darkest hours.

What Can We Do?

Waiting for Maitreya Buddha doesn't mean doing nothing now.

Quite the opposite—Maitreya Bodhisattva's story offers us an insight: practice while waiting.

During all this time Maitreya Bodhisattva waits in Tusita Heaven, he isn't idle. He teaches the Dharma to celestial beings, accumulates merit, makes preparations. His waiting is a full waiting, not empty time-killing.

We can do the same.

No matter how chaotic the outside world, we can focus on what we can do:

Read a meaningful book. Show a little more patience to those around us. Reduce unnecessary complaints and arguments. Do our own work well in our own domain.

If Maitreya Bodhisattva's core is "loving-kindness," we can learn to cultivate loving-kindness too—starting with being gentle to ourselves, then gradually extending it to family, friends, strangers, and even those who irritate us.

This isn't about "accumulating merit" or "seeking rebirth" somewhere. It's because—when your heart is filled with compassion, you yourself become happier. Anxiety decreases, pettiness decreases, and bad news affects you less.

This is what Maitreya Bodhisattva teaches us: Compassion isn't just for others' benefit—it benefits you first.

Why He's Always Smiling

Why was Budai always laughing?

Not because he was simple-minded. Not because he didn't know the suffering of the world. Quite the opposite—he knew everything. He had seen poverty, illness, death, the ugliness of human hearts.

And still he smiled.

Because he knew something we don't: All of this will pass.

The future will be better. Maitreya Buddha will come. Beings will ultimately be liberated.

When you stand in such a vast perspective, the suffering before your eyes no longer seems so terrifying. It's real, but it's also temporary.

Budai's smile is the composure that comes from "seeing through." Not ignoring suffering, but knowing what lies beyond it.

If we too could hold this perspective—even just a little—life might feel a bit lighter.

Not because problems disappear, but because we know: problems will eventually pass, and hope is always ahead.