Tushita

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Tuṣita (Sanskrit) or Tusita (Pāli) is one of the six deva-worlds of the Kāmadhātu, located between the Yāma heaven and the Nirmāṇarati heaven. Like the other heavens, Tuṣita is said to be reachable through meditation. It is the heaven where the Bodhisattva Śvetaketu (Pāli: Setaketu, "White Banner") resided before being reborn on Earth as Gautama, the historical Buddha; it is, likewise, the heaven where the Bodhisattva Nātha ("Protector") currently resides, who will later be born as the next Buddha, Maitreya.

The mothers of all Bodhisattvas die seven days after the last birth of the Buddha-to-be and are reborn in Tuṣita, as did Queen Maya.

[edit] Mahayana View

The Tuṣita heaven is therefore closely associated with Maitreya, and many Buddhists vow to be reborn there so that they can hear the teachings of the Bodhisattva and ultimately be reborn with him when he becomes a Buddha. It has been compared to the Pure Land of Amitābha, but has definite differences: Tuṣita is only one of many heavens within a single world-system, while the Pure Land is a whole world system; Tuṣita is part of the same world-system as our Earth, and so is relatively close, while the Pure Land is very distant. On the other hand, the Bodhisattva vows of Amitābha are much more comprehensive than those of Maitreya.