Since ancient times, Nirodha-samāpatti has been one of the hot topics discussed within the monastic community. However, few study is carried out on the status of eminent monks who are said to have entered into such meditation state in contemporary scholarship. Especially, the research on the relationship between the Nirodha-samāpatti of eminent monks and the Descendance of Maitreya is even more scarce. This article aims to examining such meditators in history, and through the critical studying, analysis, and interpretation of relevant historical materials, revealing the fact that many eminent monks adopted this special way of meditation actually for the purpose of waiting for the descendance of Maitreya so that they could achieve the goal of enlightenment. Largely due to the high sensitivity of the meditators to the Maitreya believing, they adopted a secret and undisclosed approach. By doing so, the phenomena that the eminent monks entered Nirodha-samāpatti in waiting for the descendance of Maitreya became unknown for a long time.
