Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

I am undecided as to whether or not I should follow a path to Sammasambuddhahood or Paccekabuddhahood or Arhatship because I'm not sure which choice would benefit the most number of beings. Is this information at all found within the Tipitaka?

Hello ccharles,

This might be of interest:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... ttvas.html

With metta,
Chris

ccharles, what is the difference between those paths?
I'm not asking about the goals of the paths.
I'm asking about the paths themselves.
How will your day to day practice differ on one path vs another?

ccharles wrote:I am undecided as to whether or not I should follow a path to Sammasambuddhahood or Paccekabuddhahood or Arhatship because I'm not sure which choice would benefit the most number of beings. Is this information at all found within the Tipitaka?

Uh can you say I want to be Samasambuddha !!

Or even say I want to be an Arahant !! Or even say I want to be a Sotapanna !!

Is this a serious question ?

You do realize this is like a man walking into the Vatican and asking what do I have to do for me to be considered second coming of Christ.

arijitmitter wrote:

ccharles wrote:I am undecided as to whether or not I should follow a path to Sammasambuddhahood or Paccekabuddhahood or Arhatship because I'm not sure which choice would benefit the most number of beings. Is this information at all found within the Tipitaka?

Uh can you say I want to be Samasambuddha !!

Or even say I want to be an Arahant !! Or even say I want to be a Sotapanna !!

arijitmitter wrote:You do realize this is like a man walking into the Vatican and asking what do I have to do for me to be considered second coming of Christ.

Not sure what you mean by all this.

arijitmitter wrote:Is this a serious question ?

Yes, I'd like to know if it is described anywhere in the Tipitaka if one of these choices benefits the most number of beings.

ccharles wrote: Yes, I'd like to know if it is described anywhere in the Tipitaka if one of these choices benefits the most number of beings.

It's clear that a Buddha benefits the largest number:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#iti-084

The teacher, the great sage,
Is the first in the world;
Following him is the disciple
Whose composure is perfected;
And then the learner training on the path,
One who has learned much and is virtuous.

Mike

ccharles wrote:I am undecided as to whether or not I should follow a path to Sammasambuddhahood or Paccekabuddhahood or Arhatship because I'm not sure which choice would benefit the most number of beings. Is this information at all found within the Tipitaka?

Hi ccharles

The way to benefit the most number of beings is to stop wanting to be anything at all.

ccharles wrote:I am undecided as to whether or not I should follow a path to Sammasambuddhahood or Paccekabuddhahood or Arhatship because I'm not sure which choice would benefit the most number of beings. Is this information at all found within the Tipitaka?

It's already too late for paccekabuddhahood, since you're exposed to the idea of liberation from the Buddha's dispensation and are therefore stuck with arahants, as he taught, or bodhisattvas, as he didn't teach.

The choice seems forced: either strive for arahant-ization, or play someone else's games.

ccharles wrote:I'm not sure which choice would benefit the most number of beings.

Sammasambuddhahood, Paccekabuddhahood, Arhatship, Tipitaka... It seems perhaps you do not know what these words mean. Where did you come across them?

ccharles wrote:

arijitmitter wrote:

ccharles wrote: Not sure what you mean by all this.

One cannot enter into Buddhism ( or any religion ) targeting a specific stage of spiritual development. You follow the Dhamma and the path of Dhamma takes you where you must go. It is said it took the Goutama Buddha 300,000 aeons and 4 great aeons to become Sammasambuddha. At least let us say it took him many births.

Can a Catholic begin life saying err what is it better to become .. a Saint, Angel, Arch Angel. He lives his life as Christ asked of him and rest follows.

I believe the next Sammasambuddha is Buddha Mettaya / Maitreya and I am sure none of us here are him.

Résumé

A Buddha’s path’s a lengthy lag,
Paccekabodhi’s a lonely drag;
Rōshis are stuck in ritualistic ruts,
And myōkōnin are gullible nuts.
The mahāsiddha is a noisome corybant,
So you might as well settle for being an arahant.


(with apologies to Dorothy Parker)

Thanks for leading me to the poems of Dorothy Parker, and giving me an early morning chuckle