Pacceka Buddha untranslated

Pacceka Buddha, Pacceka Buddhas. The name given to one who is enlightened by and for himself – i.e., one who has attained to supreme and perfect insight, but who dies without proclaiming the truth to the world – hence the equivalent “Silent Buddha” sometimes found in translations. Pacceka Buddhas practise their pāramī for at least two thousand asaṅkheyya kappas. They are born in any of the three kulas: Brāhmaṇa, Khattiya, or gahapati only in a vivaṭṭamānakappa, during which Buddhas are also born, but they never meet a Buddha face to face. They cannot instruct others; their realization of the Dhamma is “like a dream seen by a deaf mute.” They attain to all the iddhi, samāpatti and paṭisambhidā of the Buddhas, but are second to the Buddhas in their spiritual development. They do ordain others; their admonition is only in reference to good and proper conduct (abhisamācārikasikkhā).

Sometimes it is stated that a Pacceka Buddha’s knowledge and comprehension of ways and means is less than that of a Bodhisatta (e.g., at Ja.iv.341). They hold their uposatha in the Ratanamālaka, at the foot of the Mañjūsarukkha in Gandhamādana. It is possible to become a Pacceka Buddha while yet a layman, but, in this case, the marks of a layman immediately disappear. Three caves in the Nandamūlapabbhāra – Suvaṇṇaguhā, Maṇiguhā and Rajataguhā – are the dwelling places of Pacceka Buddhas. Round the Ratanamālaka, q.v. (or Sabbaratanamālaka), seats are always ready to receive the Pacceka Buddhas. When a Pacceka Buddha appears in the world, he immediately seeks the Ratanamālaka, and there takes his appointed seat. Then all the other Pacceka Buddhas in the world assemble there to meet him, and, in reply to a question by the chief of them, he relates the circumstances which led to his enlightenment. Similarly, all the Pacceka Buddhas assemble at the same spot when one of them is about to die. The dying one takes leave of the others, and, after his death, they cremate his body and his relics disappear. These details are given in Snp­a.i.47, 51, 58, 63; Khp­a.178, 199; Ap­a.i.125; see also Gandhamādana.

But, according to another account, they die on the mountain called Mahā Papāta (q.v.). There does not seem to be any limit to the number of Pacceka Buddhas who could appear simultaneously. In one instance, five hundred are mentioned as so doing, all sons of Padumavatī (q.v.), at the head of whom was Mahā Paduma. In the Isigilisutta (MN.iii.68ff) appears a long list of Pacceka Buddhas who dwelt on the Isigili Mountain (q.v.), and after whom the mountain was named.

According to Buddhaghosa (MN­a.ii.889ff), the names in this list belonged to the five hundred sons of Padumavatī, but the number of the names is far less than five hundred. This discrepancy is explained by saying that as many as twelve bore the same name. Other names are found scattered over different texts, such as the Jātaka Commentary, e.g., Darīmukha (Ja.iii.240), Soṇaka (v.249); see also Dhammapada Commentary Dhp-a.iv.120, etc.

The name occurring most frequently in the texts is that of Tagarasikhī (q.v.). Mention is also made of the Pacceka Buddhas going among men for alms and spending the rainy season in dwellings provided by men, e.g., Dhp­a.ii.112f.; iii.91, 368; iv.200. Their patthanā (Snp­a.51). Their wisdom is less than that of a Bodhisatta (Ja.iv.341).

Among the teachings preserved of the Pacceka Buddhas, the most important is the Khaggavisāṇasutta (q.v.). For the definition of a Pacceka Buddha see Puggalapaññatti (p.14; cf. p.70). There he is described as one who understands the Truth by his own efforts, but does not obtain omniscience nor mastery over the fruits (phalesu vasībhāvaṁ). See also Mātaṅga (2).