The History of Buddhist Thought c21.13

c21.13

This is the extent to which we find the Buddha doctrine developed by the Theravādins in their Scriptures. There was some further development, which is found in the commentaries, but this, as will be seen, was probably due to external influences. The insignificance of the bodhisatta doctrine for the Theravādins may be gathered from the fact that it is practically absent from the Abhidhamma. Even in the Puggalapaññatti, which gives a classification of different types of individuals, it is not mentioned. In this work there is some development of the Buddha doctrine, for a Buddha is said to be omniscient, and another kind of Buddha is also described, the paccekabuddha (pratyekabuddha), “independent or separate Buddha.” He is said to differ from the complete Buddha (sammāsambuddha) in not being omniscient and in not having mastery of the fruits of complete buddhahood.⁴ Unlike the arhat, he has attained enlightenment independently and without the help of a Buddha’s teaching, but he is not able to preach it like a complete Buddha. This conception of a private Buddha winning the truth merely for himself remained one of the Theravāda doctrines, and is also found in other schools, but it never had any historical importance. Legends of such beings are frequent in the commentaries and later literature. ✓