Who, according to the Buddhists, is believed to be the next incarnation of Gautam Buddha?
(A) Atreya
(B) Maitreya
(C) Nagarjuna
(D) Kalki
Answer: (B) Maitreya is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva. Maitreya is a bodhisattva who, in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment and teach the pure Dharma. According to the scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Sakyamuni Buddha.
