Maitreya (Sanskrit); Metteyya (Pali); Maithree (Sinhala); or Jampa (Tibetan) is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth; achieve complete enlightenment; and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures; Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Sakyamuni Buddha.

The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya references a time when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Jambudvipa. It is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravada; Mahayana; Vajrayana); and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Earth. Pictures From History