Pratyeka/Pacceka Buddhas

not1not2

I thought I would compile some resources on the subject of Pratyeka/Pacceka Buddhas for everybody, myself included. Most of this post will simply be links and quotes, but I will attempt to make some further commentary at a later time. Anyway, here goes.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/samyutta/sn-22-058-tb0.html

http://www.tbsa.org/arahant.htm

Although Theravada Buddhism is known more widely than before nowadays, there are still some misunderstandings concerning it. There are still people who believe and say (or rather write) that Theravada is for Arahantship only. Before we talk about this subject, we must understand the meaning of the word arahant. According to Theravada Buddhist teachings, an arahant is a person who has reached the fourth and highest stage of enlightenment. All those who have reached this stage are called arahants, worthy ones. Worthy of what? Worthy of accepting gifts from devotees, because gifts made to those persons bring abundant results. According to this definition, all those who have reached this stage, both disciples and Buddhas (and Pacceka-Buddhas also), are called arahants. There are numerous places in the Pali Canon where the Buddha is referred to as arahant, see for instance the formula of homage which Buddhists say everyday: "Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa!"; observe also the statement in the Mahavagga of Vinaya Pitaka, "There are now six arahants in the world", i.e., the five first disciples and the Buddha. But arahant is also used to refer to the disciples only, and it is in this sense that the word arahant is used hereafter in this article.

According to Theravada teachings, there are three kinds of beings who have reached the fourth stage of enlightenment: Buddhas, Pacceka-Buddhas, and Arahants. Arahants are also called Savakas or Disciples; they are subdivided into Aggasavaka (the Best Disciples), Mahasavaka (the Great Disciples) and Pakatisavaka (the Ordinary Disciples). All of these beings are enlightened persons, but their quality of enlightenment differs from one another. The enlightenment of the Buddhas is the best, that of Pacceka-Buddhas is inferior to the enlightenment of the Buddhas, but is superior to the enlightenment of the Arahants, and the enlightenment of the Arahants is the lowest of them all. Buddhas can ‘save’ many beings, or rather they can help many beings ‘save’ themselves by giving them instructions, but Pacceka-Buddhas do not ‘save’ beings because they are solitary Buddhas and do not teach as a rule. The Arahants can and do ‘save’'beings, but not as many beings as Buddhas do. And the time required for the maturity of the qualities of these beings differ greatly. To become a Buddha, one has to fulfill the Paramis (necessary qualities for becoming a Buddha) for four, eight or sixteen Incalculables and 100,000 worlds cycles; but for a Pacceka-Buddha the time is only two Incalculables and 100,000 world cycles. Among the Disciples, for an Aggasavaka, the time required is one Incalculable and 100,000 world cycles, while for a Mahasavaka, it is only 100,000. But for the Pakatisavaka, it may be just one life, or a hundred lives, or a thousand lives, or more. It is important to note that once a person becomes an arahant, he will not become a Buddha in that life; and since there is no more rebirth for him, he will not become a Buddha in the future either.

http://www.webcom.com/imcuk/uchittin/baswl/BASWL11.html

Ragan ca dosan ca pahaya moham
Sandalayitvana[1] samyojanani
Asantasam jivitasamkhayamhi
Eko care khaggavisanakappo.

Leaving behind passion, hatred, and delusion,
having torn the fetters apart,
not trembling at (the time of) the complete destruction of life,[2]
one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.

Sutta-nipata, v. 74 [3]

This gatha (verse) was uttered by Arahats, including the Buddha, on four separate occasions. It was first uttered by the Solitary Buddha Matanga and was only heard by him. Then, following the tradition of previous Paccekasambuddhas (perfectly awakened solitary Buddhas), he spoke the verse again at the Nandamulaka mountain slope in the Himalayas. Later, during the lifetime of Buddha Gotama, when Venerable Ananda requested him, the Lord himself gave this verse. Finally, at the First Council (Sangayana), which was held three months after the Great Demise (Mahaparinibbana) of the Buddha, five hundred Arahats were present as Sangitikarakas (recensionists of the Buddha’s Teachings), and Ashin Ananda spoke this verse in answer to a question posed by the Pucchaka (questioner) and convener of the Council, Ashin Maha-Kassapa. It has been recited many times since then, notably at all the Councils up through the Sixth Buddhist Council (or Synod) in Myanmar. At those Councils, the verse was spoken in the presence of the Sangitikarakas.

http://www.angelfire.com/indie/anna_jones1/arhat.html

Additionally, there are two kinds of Pratyekabuddhas. The first is referred to as "Solitarily Enlightened." The second is referred to as "Awakened by Causes and Conditions." To be "Awakened by Causes and Conditions" is as related above. As for being "Solitarily Enlightened," this refers to a person who completes the way in the present life, achieving a spontaneous Enlightenment not (necessarily) involving hearing teachings from anyone else. This is what is meant by the "Solitarily Enlightened" Pratyekabuddha.

The "Solitarily Enlightened" Pratyekabuddha is of two types:

The first is one who originally was one on the path of study and who was then reborn among people. There was no Buddha in the world at this time and the (true) Buddhadharma had already become extinct (or nearly so). This Sotapanna had already fulfilled seven subsequent rebirths, should not have been bound to take an eighth rebirth, and then spontaneously succeeded in realizing the Way. This person is not properly referred to as a Buddha or as an Arhat, but is instead referred to as a "lesser" Pratyekabuddha. In fact, he is no different from an Arhat. In some cases there are those who are not even comparable to the great Arhats such as Sariputra.

The second is the "great" Pratyekabuddha. The great Pratyekabuddha creates merit and increases his wisdom across the course of a hundred kalpas and gains a number of the thirty-two marks. He may possess thirty-one marks or perhaps thirty, twenty-nine, or even on down to just one of the marks. Compared to the Four Types of Arhats, the acuteness of his wisdom is superior with respect to the general characteristics and specific characteristics of profound Dharmas. He is able to enter into and long cultivate the absorptions. He constantly takes pleasure in dwelling alone. One who has characteristics such as these is referred to as a "great" Pratyekabuddha. It is characteristics such as these which constitute the difference.

"He has no desire for fame. To become anything of a public figure would be deeply distasteful to him; and so it may be that he is satisfied to lead his chosen life and be no more than just himself. He is too modest to set himself up as an example to others; but it may be he thinks that a few uncertain souls, drawn to him like moths to a candle, will be brought in time to share his own glowing belief that ultimate satisfaction can only be found in the life of the spirit, and that by himself following with selflessness and renunciation the path of perfection he will serve as well as if he wrote books or addressed multitudes."

http://www.angelfire.com/indie/anna_jones1/arhat.html#N15 (Four Types of Arhats)

http://www.experiencefestival.com/pratyekabuddha

Cause-awakened one:
(Jpn.: engaku; Skt.: pratyekabuddha)

Also, self-awakened one. One who perceives the twelve-linked chain of causation, or the truth of causal relationship. Cause-awakened one also means those who, in an age when there is no Buddha, realize on their own the truth of impermanence by observing natural phenomena. Because their awakening is self-gained, cause-awakened ones are also called self-awakened ones. Together with voice-hearers, they constitute the persons of the two vehicles. Unlike bodhisattvas, they seek their own emancipation without thought of preaching for and instructing others.

The Sanskrit term pratyekabuddha means "independently enlightened one" or "individually enlightened one." In the early Chinese translations of Buddhist scriptures, it was rendered cause-awakened one, which implies one enlightened through perceiving causal relation ship. The Treatise on the Meaning of the Mahayana, written by Hui-y?an (523-592), describes pratyekabuddha as one who perceives the twelve-linked chain of causation or who awakens to the truth by observing natural phenomena such as the scattering of blossoms or the falling of leaves. Later the term was rendered as self-awakened one.

In The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) distinguishes these two types of pratyekabud-dha-cause-awakened ones and self-awakened ones. Mahayana, which upholds practice to benefit others, referred to the vehicle of pratyekabuddha, or the teaching that leads one to the state of pratyekabuddha, as Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle), because it concerns only one's own salvation. The realm of cause-awakened ones is also viewed as a condition of life, in which one perceives the transience of life in the six paths and strives to free oneself from the six paths by seeking eternal truth through one's own effort. This realm or state constitutes the eighth of the Ten Worlds.

Hope this helps.

_/\_
metta