.jpg "Hermit Sumeda was determined to become Buddha")
And so Sumeda was living the life of a hermit when one day, the Dipankara Buddha came to the city of Ramma. The people of the city were cleaning the road for the Buddha to walk, and Hermit Sumeda joined in to volunteer. Near him was a young lady, named Sumeitta, waiting for the Buddha. She was holding eight stems of lotus. She handed five of them to Hermit Sumeda. He had not quite finished his work of cleaning the road when the Buddha came. As an act of respect, Sumeda laid himself on the road for the Buddha to walk on his body so that the Buddha’s feet might not be soiled with mud. He held up his hands with the five lotus-stems in them and worshiped the Buddha. He then said in this mind: “May I become a Buddha in a future time.” Thus Sumeda silently affirmed his resolve to become a Buddha.
The Dipankra Buddha saw Sumeda and Sumeitta, and said: “Hermit Sumeda, you will in the future become a Buddha by the name of Gotama. When that time comes, Sumeitta will assist you in your quest.”
Concepts and terminology:
Dipankara Buddha (De-pan-ka-ra Buddha) : In Buddhism, it is believed that there have been many Buddhas that have existed in the past before the advent of the Gotama Buddha, who is the one that is currently worshiped by the world’s Buddhists. Dipankara Buddha is one of these previous Buddhas. Link: Wikipedia