II: The Rare Appearance of a Buddha – 27
medial and weak, of the maturity of the perfections leading to emancipation
(
vimutti-paripācanīyā
). To elaborate: even at the time of receiving the prophecy,
Bodhisattas are of three types:
1. Bodhisattas who quickly grasp the teaching (
ugghaṭitaññū-bodhisatta
) are
those who have the capacity to become Arahats together with the six super
knowledges (
abhiññā
) and four kinds of analytical knowledges (
paṭisambhidā
).
They can attain that stage even before the end of the third line of a verse of four
lines delivered by a Buddha, if they wish to achieve the Awakening of a disciple
(
sāvaka-bodhi
) in that very existence. This is one of the eight factors for
receiving the prophecy.
The super knowledges (
abhiññā
) are: 1) Psychic powers (
iddhi-vidha
); 2)
the divine ear (
dibba-sota
); 3) penetration of others’ mind (
citta-pariyāya-
ñāṇa
or
ceto-pariyāya
); 4) the divine eye (
dibba-cakkhu
); 5)
rememberance of former existences (
pubbe-nivāsānussati
or
pubbe-
nivāsa
); and 6) extinction of the pollutants (
āsavakkhaya
). The first five,
being mundane, can be attained through intense mental concentration
(
samādhi
) whereas the last being supermundane can be attained only
through penetrating insight (
vipassanā
).
The analytical knowledges (
paṭisambhidā
) are: 1) Of meaning (
attha
); 2)
of causal relations (
dhamma
); 3) of language (
nirutti
); and 4) and having a
sharp intellect (
paṭibhāna
) which can define the above three analytical
knowledges.
2. Bodhisattas who grasp the teaching after a detailed explanation
(
vipañcitaññū-bodhisatta
) are those who have the capacity to become an Arahat
together with the six super knowledges and four kinds of analytical knowledge.
They can attain that stage before the end of the fourth line of a verse of four
lines delivered by a Buddha, if they wish to achieve the Awakening of a disciple
(
sāvaka-bodhi
) in that very existence.
[13]
3. Bodhisattas who need to be led (
neyya-bodhisatta
) are those who have the
capacity to become an Arahat together with the six super knowledges and four
kinds of analytical knowledge. They can attain that stage at the end of the whole
verse of four lines delivered by a Buddha, if they wish to achieve the Awakening
of a disciple (
sāvaka-bodhi
) in that very existence.
With Bodhisattas who quickly grasp the teaching (
ugghaṭitaññū-bodhisatta
), the
degree of maturity of the perfections leading to emancipation is so strong that