Pratyekabuddha

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A Pratyekabuddha (Sanskrit) or Paccekabuddha (Pāli), literally "a lone buddha" , "a buddha on their own" or "a private buddha", is one of three types of enlightened beings according to some schools of Buddhism. The other two types are the Śrāvakabuddhas and Samyaksambuddhas. They are said to achieve enlightenment on their own, without the use of teachers or guides, by contemplating the principle of dependent arising. They are said to arise only in ages where there is no Buddha and the Buddhist teachings, or dharma (Pāli: dhamma) are lost. Many may arise at a single time. Unlike Supreme Buddhas (see bodhi), their enlightenment is not foretold.

Some schools assert that pratyekabuddhas are not omniscient, while others say that they are the same (in realisation) as Bodhisattva Buddhas, but do not have the will to teach the entire Dharma. They do give moral teachings, but do not bring others to enlightenement. A pratyekabuddha leaves no saṅgha as a legacy to carry on the Dharma.

Pratyekabuddhas (e.g. Darīmukha J.378, Sonaka J.529,) appear as teachers of Buddhist doctrine in pre-Buddhist times in several of the Jātakas. The experiences and enlightenment-verses uttered by the Pratyekabuddhas are narrated in the Khaggavisāna-sutta of the Sutta Nipāta.

The yāna or vehicle by which pratyekabuddhas achieve enlightenment is called the pratyekayāna, the "on-one's-own vehicle".

In the Majjhima Nikāya of the Pāli Canon (Theravāda Buddhist scriptures) it says that offerings to Pratyekabuddhas are superior to offerings to Arhats and also that offerings to Tathāgatas are superior to offerings to Pratyekabuddhas. This may imply that Pratyekabuddhas are superior to arhats but inferior to Tathāgatas in realization.

According to some Buddhist texts, there were pratyekabuddhas on Earth until shortly before the Buddha's birth, but have been none since.

References

The Paccekabuddha: A Buddhist Ascetic. Ria Kloppenborg. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands: 1974.

Pacceka Buddha in Dictionary of Pali Proper Names

Pratyekabuddha

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See also