The Buddha And "a" Buddha

[Netfan]

I need a little clarification, please: I know when people refer to "The Buddha" it's in reference to Siddhartha Gautama Sakyamuni, who became the Enlightened One. Are there other "Buddhas"? Is anyone who becomes Enlightened a Buddha? Does this vary according to different Buddhist beliefs and sects?

Thanks....

[garro]

My understanding that anybody who rediscovers the path to enlightenment, after it has been lost, is a Buddha. The path is always there but like like everything else it is subject to decay and many believe that it eventually dies out, until it is once again brought to us by a Buddha. The Abidhamma is a book in the Tipitaka which deals with all things metaphysical. In it there are claims that the universe dies and a new universe arises - as I understand it. Of course all of this is very hard to prove and this knowledge apparently can come with enlightenment.

[chutai]

I know when people refer to "The Buddha" it's in reference to Siddhartha Gautama Sakyamuni, who became the Enlightened One. Are there other "Buddhas"?

As a Mahayanist I'd say that there are ,have been and will be innumerable Buddhas throughout eternity. But only one founder of Buddhism.

Is anyone who becomes Enlightened a Buddha?

Buddha means the enlightened one. So anyone achieves that state shares in the same universal Buddhahood as the historical Buddha.

Does this vary according to different Buddhist beliefs and sects?

The difference between Mahayana and Theravada on this subject, as I've already intimated, is that the Mahayana emphasis is on the timeless nature of the Buddha as the indwelling truth and enlightenment of reality. The historical Buddha Sakyamuni is merely one of innumerable manifestations of the eternal Buddha. Whereas Theravada teaches that the Buddha is first and foremost the historical person Siddhartha Gautama, who achieved enlightenment.

I hope that this helps.

Edited June 11, 2008 by chutai

[canuckamuck]

So before Siddhartha Gautama Sakyamuni, there was no enlightenment?

[chutai]

So before Siddhartha Gautama Sakyamuni, there was no enlightenment?

Enlightenment has never not existed.

[canuckamuck]

Just nobody home for awhile, is that it?

[camerata]

Are there other "Buddhas"? Is anyone who becomes Enlightened a Buddha? Does this vary according to different Buddhist beliefs and sects?

Thanks....

Yes, it's different in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. In Mahayana, in addition to the historical Buddha, there are several others who attained "Buddhahood" and exist at the current time, such as Amitabah, Bhaisajya, Mahavairocana, etc. In Theravada and Mahayana, there were other Buddhas before Sakyamuni. In Theravada, a Buddha is one who attains enlightenment through his own efforts and subsequently teaches others. When his physical body dies, he ceases to exist, and the teachings (the Dhamma) are gradually lost. At some point after the Dhamma is lost, another Buddha arises. Only one exists at any point in time and Sakyamuni was the most recent.

[chutai]

In Mahayana, in addition to the historical Buddha, there are several others who attained "Buddhahood" and exist at the current time, such as Amitabah, Bhaisajya, Mahavairocana, etc.

But in Mahayana it's infinintely more than the Dhyani Buddhas that you mention (which could include Amida and Medicine Master, Maitreya in the future world, Dipamkara Buddha in the past world, Amitabha Buddha in the West paradise, Medicine Buddha in the East Bhaisajya-guru-vaidurya-prabhasa and Xianjie Thousand Buddhas at the present stage in the present world, etc.).

The idea that Buddhas, or the potential for enlightenment they represent, pervade the universe and are eternally present. In the “Expedient Means” (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra (LS), Sakyamuni emerges from his samadhi meditation and begins his LS sermon. In this chapter, Sakyamuni reveals that all Buddhas appear in the world and expound their teachings for one fundamental purpose—to enable all living beings to become Buddhas.

Again in Chapter Eight we find Sakyamuni preaching

"In the presence of ninety million Buddhas of the past too he protected, upheld, aided and proclaimed the correct Law of the Buddhas."

Although he mentions "ninety million Buddhas of the past" there can be no doubt that those same Buddhas also exist in the eternal present. As well were present in the revealing of the "Treasure Tower" and are still present in the "Ceremony in the Air" of which all practitioners of the "Devotion to the Lotus Flower of The Wonderful Law" (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) partake in their daily practice.

In Theravada, a Buddha is one who attains enlightenment through his own efforts and subsequently teaches others.

There is essentially no difference between Theravada and Mahayana in the sense of achieving enlightenment by ones own efforts, even although the provisional Mahayana schools postpone enlightenment until all beings are enlightened.

In Chapter 25 of the LS

"But those born of the Victorious One are self-produced,

Seated spotless in the center of lotus-flowers."

The more striking difference to many concerning Mahayana and the LS in particular is the radical emphasis on devotion and faith, noting that the path to Buddhahood is not restricted to those who practiced monastic auterities but to those who worship the Buddha (or Buddhas) in a number of ways. Here is where the Mahayana decisively splits away from the Theravada school, in which faith is scarcely mentioned and is often regarded with suspicion.

The three pillars of Mahayana are Faith, Practice and study.There are many analogies given concerning the absence of one or more of these pillars. But concerning Faith, it could be said that without which it is like an aeroplane trying to fly without it's engine but with only the wings that are Faith and Practice.

[camerata]

There is essentially no difference between Theravada and Mahayana in the sense of achieving enlightenment by ones own efforts, even although the provisional Mahayana schools postpone enlightenment until all beings are enlightened.

How do you define "enlightenment" in the classical Mahayana tradition? The terms "enlightenment" and "nirvana" do not seem all that clear to me in Mahayana. According to the quote I posted here last year (on the difference between the two traditions), the Mahayana bodhisattva path involves turning away from nirvana (the fourth and final level of enlightenment in Theravada) and continuing on over the aeons to "buddhahood." Nirvana is postponed until all beings have been enlightened. So it seems to me that the various buddhas are considered enlightened because they have attained buddahood, but all must wait until every being has been saved before they can attain nirvana.

The reason I stressed "by one's own efforts" is that in Theravada a buddha is an arahant (fully enlightened one) but an arahant is not necessarily a buddha. The difference is that an arahant is only termed a buddha if he had no access to the teachings and attained nirvana entirely through his own efforts. Theravada recognizes another type of buddha, called a "private buddha," who reaches nirvana through his own efforts but does not teach or make known his attainment. It's a bit hard to prove their existence, though.

What do you mean by "provisional" Mahayana schools?

[Netfan]

Wow, what I needed and more. Thanks for your insights. No need to stop, though......

[camerata]

Here's the earlier post I mentioned:

Here's a pretty solid explanation of the difference between the Theravadin Arahant or "disciple" (sravaka) path and the Mahayana Bodhisattva path, from The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin.

According to Theravada, the four paths and attainments are those of the stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner and arahant. These are the four levels of the Noble Ones.

According to Mahayana, there are five paths: of equipment, of application, of seeing, of cultivation, and of the adept. The path of seeing is equivalent to stream-enterer and is the first of the 10 levels of the Bodhisattva path. Once the path of seeing is reached, the bodhisattva has to develop six perfections, the path of cultivation. At the sixth level, the bodhisattva has reached the stage where he could attain arahantship if he chose to, but instead he continues developing the final four perfections, the path of the adept, up to buddhahood. During this final path he is born in the realms of devas or Brahma and already has many of the powers of a buddha (such as the ability to "manifest created bodies").

"The bodhisattva spends many aeons in samsara perfecting spiritual qualities, and, in the process, working for the benefit of sentient beings; eventually he becomes a fully awakened buddha, but only when the teaching of the previous buddha has disappeared from the world.

For the Mahayana buddhahood this final attainment occurs in the Akanittha (Sanskrit: Akanistha) realm, the highest of the Pure Abodes."

[Herbs]

I need a little clarification, please: I know when people refer to "The Buddha" it's in reference to Siddhartha Gautama Sakyamuni, who became the Enlightened One. Are there other "Buddhas"? Is anyone who becomes Enlightened a Buddha? Does this vary according to different Buddhist beliefs and sects?

Thanks....

In the earlier parts of the Pali canon, 6 previous Buddhas are mentioned. In the later Theravada tradition 24 previous Buddhas are mentioned. You will often found there depicted in Thai temples.

On the issue of Buddhahood ann Arahantship, of course both have achieved Nirvana - but there are some differences between the two (I'm 2 lazy to think about these differences:)

For example in the Pali Canon it is stated that a women can become an Arahant, but a woman cannot become a Buddha....