Paccekabuddhas ... can't teach? or don't teach?

[anthbrown84]

How i imagine it when i struggle to understand this, is imagine a Buddha born into a world like that the vikings inhabited. Where they only believe in thor, and bloodshed, and revel in unwholesomeness.

The packeka Buddha both wouldn't want to, and also not be able to teach these people.

Just my imaginative understanding :@)

Anthony

[cookiemonster]

I think the distinction is whether they CAN teach and not whether they DO teach.

Knowledge of a subject does not guarantee that one can adequately teach the subject.....unexcelled teaching depends on knowledge of a subject AND knowledge of the student AND knowledge of pedagogic technique. A thatagatha has all of these kinds of knowledge while pachinko buddhas evidently do not.
chownah

Yet many Arahants supposedly teach like Ven. Sariputta, and - if I recall correctly - somewhere in the canon is taught that one Pacceka-Buddhas is worth more (more advanced/developed?) than 100 ordinary Arahants, just as one Samma-Sam-Buddha is worth more than 100 Pacceka-Buddhas ... or something along those lines ...

What you say is very interesting. I hope that someone can bring the canonical reference you mention so that we can compare what you have said with exactly what the canon contains.
chownah

"... As great as was the alms offering that the brahmin Velama gave, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single person possessed of right view. As great as the brahmin Velama's alms offering was, and though one would feed a hundred persons possessed of right view, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single once-returner. As great as the brahmin Velama's alms offering was, and though one would feed a hundred once-returners, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single nonreturner. As great as the brahmin Velama's alms offering was, and though one would feed a hundred nonreturners, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single arahant. As great as the brahmin Velama's alms offering
was, and though one would feed a hundred arahants, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single paccekabuddha. As great as the brahmin Velama's alms offering was, and though one would feed a hundred paccekabuddhas, it would be even more fruitful if one would feed a single Perfectly Enlightened Buddha ..." (AN 9:20, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation)