The first chapter of Digha Agma states that there are seven historial Buddhas. They are Vipaysin, Sikhin, Visvabhu, Krakuccchanda, Kanakamuni, Kasyapa and Sakyamuni.
the first of the seven Buddhas, is Vipaysin meaning Transcendental Observation or Universal Understanding.
According to legends, Vipaysin Buddha arose on earth some 1.164 billion years ago. During his ministry, he held three grand convocations for preaching the dharma.
The First convocation had 160, 000 disciples, the second one with 100,000 and the third had 80,000 attending. In the midst were two great disciples of Vipaysin Buddha, Qian Tu and Deya.
There was once a poor man who goes to collect firewood in the remote mountains everyday. He managed to support Vipaysin Budha and the disciples with the little money he earned from selling the firewood. This action so greatly touched Vipaysin Buddha that after 91 kalpas ( 1 kalpa = 336,000,000 years) when the poor man was reborn againm, he was endowed with a pair of "golden hands". As soon as two pieces of gold had been spent by him, another two would instantly appear in his palms.
