Pratyekabuddha: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 18:02, 23 December 2018

Pratyekabuddhas (Skt.; Tib. རང་སངས་རྒྱས་, rang sangyé, Wyl. rang sangs rgyas), or 'solitary realisers', are followers of the basic vehicle, and more specifically of the pratyekabuddha yana, who attain the level of a pratyekabuddha arhat by themselves, in solitude.

According to some early schools of Buddhism, and the Mahayana, pratyekabuddhas first hear the teachings of the Buddha, then study and reflect upon the twelve links of interdependent origination, and accumulate merit for a hundred kalpas. They pray to be reborn in a world to which no buddha has come, and they attain realization without relying on a teacher. They usually teach visually rather than verbally; for example, by displaying miracles such as transforming the upper part of their bodies into fire, and the lower part into water.

'Intermediate Buddhas'

They are sometimes referred to as 'intermediate buddhas' and their enlightenment is considered to be a higher form of realization than that of shravakas for two reasons: their accumulation of merit, and their accumulation of wisdom.

The shravakas accumulate merit for up to sixteen lifetimes, whereas pratyekabuddhas accumulate merit for a hundred kalpas. In their accumulation of wisdom, shravakas only realise one type of selflessness—the selflessness of the individual—whereas pratyekabuddhas also realise half of the selflessness of phenomena. For the same reasons, the pratyekabuddhas' realization is considered inferior to the full enlightenment of those following the bodhisattva path. A bodhisattva accumulates merit for three countless aeons and fully realises both types of selflessness.

Types of Pratyekabuddha

There are two kinds of solitary realisers:

those with duller faculties who live in communities, like parrots, (Skt. vargacārin)^[1] and
those with sharper faculties who live alone, like rhinoceroses (Skt. khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa).

Alternative Translations

hermit buddhas (Gyurme Dorje)
self-realized ones (Geshe Thupten Jinpa)

Notes

↑ They are called ‘parrot-like’ because they remain together in groups, unlike the ‘rhinoceros-like’ pratyekabuddha arhats who stay by themselves.

[1] They are called ‘parrot-like’ because they remain together in groups, unlike the ‘rhinoceros-like’ pratyekabuddha arhats who stay by themselves.

[1]

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-The '''pratyekabuddha''', or 'solitary realiser' (''rang sangyé'' [Tib.]), is another state of enlightenment, different from the [[arhat]] of the [[shravaka]] vehicle and the [[buddha]]s. Pratyekabuddhas have like the shravaka arhats destroyed the root of [[samsara]].
+'''Pratyekabuddhas''' (Skt.; Tib. རང་སངས་རྒྱས་, ''rang sangyé'', [[Wyl.]] ''rang sangs rgyas''), or 'solitary realisers', are followers of the [[basic vehicle]], and more specifically of the [[pratyekabuddha yana]], who attain the level of a pratyekabuddha [[arhat]] by themselves, in solitude.
-There are two kinds of solitary realisers: those who live
+According to some early schools of Buddhism, and the [[Mahayana]], pratyekabuddhas first hear the teachings of the [[Buddha]], then study and reflect upon the [[twelve links of interdependent origination]], and accumulate [[merit]] for a hundred [[kalpa]]s. They pray to be reborn in a world to which no buddha has come, and they attain realization without relying on a teacher. They usually teach visually rather than verbally; for example, by displaying miracles such as transforming the upper part of their bodies into fire, and the lower part into water.
-in communities, like parrots, and those who live alone, like rhinoceroses. They first hear the teachings of the Buddha. They study and reflect upon the [[twelve links of interdependent origination]], and they accumulate merit for a hundred [[kalpa]]s. They pray to be reborn at a time and in a place when there is no buddha, and they become self-realised at that time. They usually teach visually rather than verbally. For example, they display miracles such as when the upper part of their body becomes fire, and the lower part becomes water.
-They are considered a higher form of enlightenment than the shravakas for two reasons: their accumulation of merit, and their accumulation of wisdom. The fastest shravakas usually accumulate merit for three lifetimes, whereas pratyekabuddhas accumulate merit for a hundred kalpas. In their accumulation of wisdom, shravakas only realise one type of selflessness – the selflessness of the ego – whereas pratyekabuddhas also realise half of the selflessness of phenomena. For the same reasons, pratyekabuddhas are considered less enlightened than someone who followed the [[bodhisattva]] path. A bodhisattva accumulates merit for three countless aeons and fully realises both types of selflessness.
+==='Intermediate Buddhas'===
+They are sometimes referred to as 'intermediate buddhas' and their enlightenment is considered to be a higher form of realization than that of [[shravaka]]s for two reasons: their accumulation of [[merit]], and their accumulation of [[wisdom]].
-[[Category: Key terms]]
+The shravakas accumulate merit for up to sixteen lifetimes, whereas pratyekabuddhas accumulate merit for a hundred kalpas. In their accumulation of wisdom, shravakas only realise one type of [[selflessness]]—the [[selflessness of the individual]]—whereas pratyekabuddhas also realise half of the [[selflessness of phenomena]]. For the same reasons, the pratyekabuddhas' realization is considered inferior to the full enlightenment of those following the [[bodhisattva]] path. A bodhisattva accumulates merit for three countless aeons and fully realises both types of selflessness.
+==Types of Pratyekabuddha==
+There are two kinds of solitary realisers:
+*those with duller faculties who live in communities, like parrots, (Skt. ''vargacārin'')<ref>They are called ‘parrot-like’ because they remain together in groups, unlike the ‘rhinoceros-like’ pratyekabuddha arhats who stay by themselves.</ref> and
+*those with sharper faculties who live alone, like rhinoceroses (Skt. ''khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa'').
+==Alternative Translations==
+*hermit buddhas (Gyurme Dorje)
+*self-realized ones ([[Geshe Thupten Jinpa]])
+==Notes==
+<small><references/></small>
+[[Category:Key Terms]]
+[[Category:Buddhas and Deities]]
+[[Category:Paths and Stages]]
+[[Category:Basic Yana]]