THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
10
(
micchÈdhimokkha
).
In order to appreciate more profoundly the rare phenomenon of a Buddha's appearance in
the world, it is important to know briefly (at the beginning) the following (matter)
concerning a Bodhisatta and a Buddha:
(1) Bodhisatta: A Being destined to attain Enlightenment, i.e. a future Buddha.
(2) Bodhisatta-kicca: Daily duties of a future Buddha.
(3) Buddha: A Supreme Being who has fulfilled the duties of a future Buddha and has
consequently attained Enlightenment.
(4) Buddha-kicca: Daily duties of a Buddha.
1. Bodhisatta
The Fourfold Insight Knowledge of the Path (
Magga-ÒÈÓa
)
6
with or without
accompaniment of Omniscience (
SabbaÒÒuta-ÒÈÓa
)
7
is called Enlightenment (
Bodhi
).
Enlightenment is of three kinds:
(1) SammÈ-Sambodhi: Enlightenment consisting of the Fourfold Insight-Knowledge of the
Path with the accompaniment of Omniscience. The Fourfold Insight-Knowledge of the
Path is understanding of the Four Noble Truths
8
by oneself without a teacher's help,
and it has distinctive power of removing mental defilements as well as habitual
tendencies (
vÈsanÈ
) of past existences; Omniscience is understanding of all principles
worthy of understanding.
(2) Pacceka-Bodhi: Enlightenment consisting of the Fourfold Insight-Knowledge of the
Path which is understanding of the Four Noble Truths by oneself without a teacher's
help.
(3) SÈvaka-Bodhi: Enlightenment consisting of the Fourfold Insight-Knowledge of the
Path which is understanding of the Four Noble Truths only with the help of a teacher.
(1) Noble persons who have a strong wholesome desire to realise
sammÈ-sambodhi
are
called SammÈ-Sambodhisattas, ‚future Perfect Buddhas
9
,‛ (2) Noble Persons who have a
strong wholesome desire to realise
pacceka-bodhi
are called Pacceka-Bodhisattas, ‚future
Private Buddhas,‛ and (3) Noble Persons who have a strong wholesome desire to realise
sÈvaka-bodhi
are called SÈvaka-Bodhisattas, ‚future Disciples of a Buddha.‛
Three Types of Future Buddhas
10
Of these three kinds of Noble Persons (1) SammÈ-Sambodhisattas or future Perfect
Buddhas are grouped into three types: (a) PaÒÒÈdhika future Buddhas, (b) SaddhÈdhika
future Buddhas, and (d) ViriyÈdhika future Buddhas.
6. The Path leading to the extinction of suffering, which forms the last of the Four Noble Truths is
eightfold (See below, n.3). The Eightfold Path consists of (1) right understanding (
sammÈ-diÔÔhi
),
(2) right thinking (
sammÈ-sa~kappa
). (3) right speech (
sammÈ-vÈcÈ
), (4) right bodily action
(
sammÈ-kammanta
), (5) right livelihood (
sammÈ-ÈjÊva
). (6) right effort (
sammÈ-vÈyÈma
), (7) right
mindfulness (
sammÈ-sati
), and (8) right concentration (
sammÈ-samÈdhi
). The first two form
wisdom (
paÒÒÈ
), the second three, morality (
sÊla
) and the last three, concentration (
samÈdhi
).
VbhA 416.
7.
SabbaÒÒuta-
ÒÈÓa
is the compound of
sabbaÒÒuta
and
ÒÈÓa
. The first word
sabbaÒÒuta
itself
means Omniscience. The word occurs in Nett 204; DA 1.99; VbhA 197. One who is endowed with
SabbaÒÒuta
or
SabbaÒÒuta-ÒÈÓa
is
SabbaÒÒ|
', the Omniscient One. ‚The Buddha is omniscient,
not in the sense that he
knows
everything, but that he could know anything should he so desire.‛
DPPN under Buddha.
8. They are the Truth of Suffering (
dukkha
), of the Origin of Suffering (
dukkha-sarnudaya
), of the
Extinction of Suffering (
dukkha-nirodha
), and of the Path leading to the Extinction of Suffering
(
dukkha-nirodha-gÈminÊ paÔipadÈ
) .
9. ‚Future Perfect Buddhas‛ means ‚Future Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones.‛
10. ‚Future Buddhas‛ from now on means ‚Future Perfect Buddhas‛ or ‚Future Perfectly Self-
Enlightened Ones‛ unless otherwise stated.