Maitreya, "Jampa"

Red: vital force, radiance of love and compassion, desire turned into wisdom.

In tibetan cosmology, universes appear, stay in an upholding stage, then be burnt, and leave the place to an empty space. These cycles during which universes follow each other, called "Kalpa", are infinite in both duration and number, and so they cannot be referred to within the history in its common understanding.

During a period of stability of an universe, if a Buddha comes forward and gives a teaching, the Kalpa is a "luminous era". According to tibetan people, this applies to the current time, marked by the life of Buddha Shakyamuni. 

Maitreya (« Jampa » in tibetan) will succeed to Shakyamuni, becoming the fifth of one thousand Buddha said to appear during the present Kalpa. The rise of a Buddha means that teachings of His predecessor have completely disappeared, what leads to a renewal of the doctrine, or even a new doctrine.

Many Kalpas before the present one, Maitreya already was. Monk, deeply involved on his spiritual path, he was considered as « Bodhisattva ». His concern for the well-being of others is reflected by the name he was given, which means « He who loves ». He reaches the Enlightenment, then honors and serves Shakyamuni while the latter was ruling Tushita skies ("Ganden" in tibetan). Once Shakyamuni is being manifested on earth, Maitreya succeeds to Him on the celestial Throne of Tushita, in the expectation of His own manifestation as fifth Buddha. Shakyamuni used to belong to a royal caste, Maitreya will be from the sacerdotal caste. 

The way Maitreya is represented has a unique, exclusive character: His posture, being seated in the "european way" is called « Bhadrasana », which is the expression of goodness. This also recalls Maitreya's role, ruling the skies on the Throne of Tushita, ready to be manifested on Earth to assist human being, leading them on the spiritual path of the enlightenment.