The Buddha is an exceptional being.
There are 8 world systems that follows a cycle. In which civilisations emerge, evolve to their peak then decline, and another arises. For instance, beings of the first world system lived for 80 000 years. They created a golden civilisation, with many enlightened beings and moral values. The beings of the next world system had a life span of 8000 years and so on. We’re the second last with a life span of 100. In the last system, life spans will be10 years and the Buddha Maitreya will appear. The cycle resets again to 80 000 years.
The emergence of the Buddha
At the beginning of each world system, a time of darkness devoid of concise and effective teachings of liberation arises. A Buddha then emerges to rediscover the Dhamma. To be the first person to recover these lost teachings, this person must perfect the jhana meditation including the immaterial attainments. From there to unlock all humanity’s psychic potential such as divine eyes, divine ears, be one and many, transcended the elements to walk on water or fly and to read minds.. Also, recollect countless of kamma, able to see other’s kamma. Most importantly, to break through to insight and attain knowledge of the 4 noble truths.
To set the teachings rolling, this person must have the ability, energy and charisma to teach. In short only one Buddha per world system; ours is Gautama Buddha who lived 2600 years ago.
The path of a Bodhisattva
Imagine, in one lifetime what qualities of the heart such as kindness, compassion, altruistic joy, stillness of meditation and clarity of mind have we manage to shift a little a bit? Then there’s the development of all the psychic powers, and gradually progressing through jhanas and expansion of consciousness in formlessness jhanas. Finally, all culminating into that last life to rediscover the Dhamma!
To be motivated through countless of lives of sufferings and still aim for perfection, one would be a very remarkable being indeed. Even with all the cultivations, Gautama still spent 5 years practicing extreme asceticism. He boasted whatever practice was around that time, he was the best. For example, he was the best at fasting to the point of near death; to the point he can touch his spine from the front. With meditation, he was the best, surpassing his two masters, reaching as high as 6th and 8th jhana; infinite consciousness and neither feeing or perception.
Finally on that night, he broke through and attained Nibbana with all the knowledge such as the 4 Noble Truths, the 8 Folds Path, Dependent Origination; necessary to set the teachings rolling, but he hesitated.
The Buddha’s hesitation
With his psychic power he scans the mind of people at that time and see how thick with delusion and desires and how hard it would be to break through. He contemplated how easy and peaceful it would be to just dwell in his emptiness but a heavenly being persuaded him to teach. He reasoned how the world has been waiting for someone to set the Dhamma rolling and there are a few who are ripe and ready “with little dust in their eyes”. The Buddha agreed and his 5 yogi friends were his first group of disciples.
A Sketch of the Buddha’s life:
A Sketch of the Buddha’s Life: Readings from the Pali Canon (accesstoinsight.org)
The path of an Arahant
Now, those that use Gautama Buddha’s teachings to attain Nibbana is called Arahants who are very different in that the Buddha taught many pathways to nibbana. Some can teach, while others live out their live in solitude. Some have incredible psychic powers, while others have wisdom as their power. The Buddha said wisdom surpassed all powers because it can guide others out of sufferings and into happiness.
Both the Buddha and Arahant have completely extinguished their sense of self, like a flame gone out. The bonds that bind them to existence have been severed, never to be reattached. This means, they will not be reborn, nor do they don’t exist anywhere in any realm, dimension or parallel universe. This means you can’t pray to them or receive blessings or teachings from them.
Bodhisattva
About 500 years after the Buddha’s death, another sect branched off and is now known as Mahayana Buddhism. They invented a few key principles: to aspire to save all beings and to attain Buddhahood. The gravity of these wows goes against completely what Gautama Buddha taught. This person would have to live eons of lives to perfect, their psychic powers, meditation and knowledges just as Gautama did. For Bodhisattvas to become Arahant or Buddha, they must relinquish these wows, because these rooted in delusion.
Why?
There are many planes of existence with many realms and dimensions, constantly coming into being, evolve and died. Impermanent is one of the characteristics of the nature of existence. To think we can save everyone in existence is kind of conceited and arrogance, let alone ignorance of the nature of non-self.
In short, the Buddha and Arahants have attained Nibbana, while Bodhisattvas are beings who continue to live and evolve until they attain Nibana and is the Buddha or Arahant. Buddha, Arahants, Bodhisattvas and all of us striving to improve ourselves; we are all beacons of hope and light.
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