The Development of the Concept of Buddha’s Knowledge in the Pāḷi Cannons

Introduction

The Development of the Buddha concept has developed in other Buddhist schools with the rising of the Mahāsaṅghika and Lokuttaravāda school; Theravāda itself was itself bound to develop this concept out of its resistance from others. It is sure that the Buddha himself was not interested anymore with this kind of concept since his purpose of teaching is just to teach to other without himself showing his greatness. In the Buddhist literature there are many arguments for instance in Cūḷavyūhasutta the argument as ‘you are right and I am wrong’. Buddha’s opinion on this kind of argument is useless and said the ascetic person does not involve in this kind of argument. The Buddha despite of no interest on showing his greatness, the good name of the Buddha crossed even beyond other religious teachers and followers. Buddha’s disciples and followers were from all walks of lives. In Dutta, opines, that kings and merchants of the caliber of Bimbisāṛa, Pasenadi, Kosala, Anāthapiṇḍika, Visākha, etc., announcing to become the Buddha’s followers would have elevated his status as teacher.[1] Due to the practice of the Buddha’s teachings, many praises’ instances appear in Theragāthā and Therigāthā. This kind of praise might have given different title of the Buddha as Buddhism is going from its dispensation. The scholars opine that it is not sure when the Buddha concept got foothold in Theravāda Buddhism. In this short discussion I will be referring the early four nikāyas and Paṭisambhidāmagga of Khuddakaya Nikāya for discussing on nine attributes of the Buddha (Buddha Nava Guṇa), Abhiññā, Ten Powers of Tathāgata (tathāgatadasabala),  Omniscience (Sabbaññū) Cakkhu (eye), four Confidences (catuvesārajja), seventy-threefold of knowledge (tesatti) and fourteen kinds of knowledge (cuddasa buddhañāṇāni) and. I have discussed the original discourses through T.Endo’s Buddha in Theravada Buddhism. This is so far one of the most contributed texts on Buddha’s powers of knowledges and physical appearances.

Early Canonical Texts (the Four Nikāyas)

 Nine Attributes of the Buddha (Nava Guṇa)

The most common recitation of the complete Buddha’s attribute is with the nine attributes of the Buddha as mentioned in the early canonical texts of Four Nikāyas. The attributes in Vatthasutta/Vatthupama Sutta in Majjhima Nikāya, ‘Thus indeed is the Blessed One: he is accomplished, fully enlightened, endowed with [clear] vision and [virtuous] conduct, sublime, knower of the worlds, the incomparable guide of men who are tractable, the teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed.[2] T. Indo comments on these attributes, the sum total of the Buddha’s personality in the cannons. (Buddha in Theravada Buddhism: 15; after this it will use as BTB). This recitation is found in many discourses in the Pāḷi canon.  According to T. Endo, Vatthusutta and Visākhupamasutta suttas give two reasons for the Buddha Nine qualities: purification of the mind and the induction of insight. ( BTB: 16). However, the Vatthusutta says, a person gains unwavering confidence in the Buddha (aveccappasada) is after one has abandoned all the mental defilements.

Moreover, the Dhajaggasutta indicates the nine qualities of the Buddha serves for overcoming of fear and tremble.  As the discourses goes, I say thus, oh Monks, if you approach to forest, root of trees, empty space and arises fear, or tremble or stand body hair, you should recollect my qualities ’[3]

The Buddha’s qualities mentioned simply the term without defining in the early four nikāyas. However, according to non-Buddhist texts, those terms are clear. T. Endo interpreted Arahant as worthy person of offering[4] according to Dhammapada verse 195. The concept of Arahant is Pre-Buddhist and was accepted by many religious groups in ancient India. The term ‘Buddha’ was used in other religions. For instance Sāriputta is regarded as Buddha in Jaina’s perspective. (BTB: 16)   Sambuddha too had a similar historical development and later the Sammāsambuddha was formulated (BTB: 16) Bhagavā is a respectful address to the teacher by pupils as mentioned in Chāndogya Upaniṣad. Vijjācaraṇasampana was employed from the earliest time in Buddhism. (BTB: 16).  The term Purisadamma-sāratthī is a coined word replacing ‘assa-horse with purisa (sometime with nara’. These nine attributes later developed into very details explanation in the commentarial period.

Six Abhiññās

The term abhiññā means knowledge, altogether it is counted as six-fold of knowledge (Chaḷabhiññā).  In the Sāmaññaphalasutta of Dīgha Nikāya seven kinds of knowledges are given but here will be categorised into six-fold for common understanding of six kinds of knowledge.

1. Manomaya-iddhividhā (magical powers)

This knowledge gives explanation in Sāmaññaphalasutta as ‘from this body he creates another body, endowed with form, made of the mind, complete in all its parts, not inferior in its faculties.’ This should be called Iddhividhā-ñāṇa in the classification of six kinds of knowledge (chaḷabhiññā). However, it is separated knowledge in the Sāmaññāphala sutta both the Supernormal power (iddhividhā-ñāṇa) and mind-create body supernormal power (manomayaiddhi-ñāṇa). Supernormal power (iddhividhā-ñāṇa) is described in the Sāmaññaphalasutta, he can be many, goes through wall and mountain, dives in earth, walk in the water, flies in the sky and touch sun and moon. In Aṅgutara Nikāya the Buddha entitled Venerable Moggallāna in supernormal power ‘among the disciples Mahāmoggallāna is the chief in possessor of supernormal power.’[5] However, the knowledge of mind-made body should be regarded similar with the supernormal knowledge.

1. Dibba-sota (divine ear or clairvoyance)

This is knowledge hearing through ear. It surpasses normal human knowledge. It is described as ‘He hears by means of the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing the human — both kinds of sounds: divine and human, whether near or far.

1. Cetopariya-ñāṇa or paracittavijā-ñaṇa (penetration of the mind of others) he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the awareness of other beings.This is the knowledge of knowing of other minds. He discerns a mind with greed, hatred, delusion, sloth and torpor, restlessness, un-concentrated, and unreleased and without it.

1. Pubbenivāsānussati (recollection of past lives)

He directs and inclines it to knowledge of the recollection of many past lives, many aeons to such a clan, food, experience end of life, re-arose here. The Buddha declared in Aṅguttara Nikāya, among my many disciples of the recollection of past lives, Sobhita is the chief.[6]

1. Dibba-cakkhu (divine-eye)

He directs and inclines it to knowledge of the passing away and re-appearance of beings as inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their kamma. According to Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Buddha declared to Anuruddho as chief among his disciples in possessor of divine eye (dibba-cakkhu).[7]

1. Āsavakkhaya-ñāṇa ( extinction of cankers)

He discerned the truth of suffering, origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the way leading to the cessation of suffering. He has eradicated all the defilements and cankers of sensual desire, desire for existence, canker of wrong-view and cankers of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge, ‘Released.’ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.

These knowledges are attained after a higher development of concentration called absorption (jhāna). It is also said that not easy to develop these knowledges even though one may attain the absorption. It is also term with the name of threefold knowledges (tevijjā).  The tevijjā (tisso vijjā) refers in the early phase of Buddhism to the three kinds of Veda scriptures.[8] Moreover, in Tevijjā sutta also states Vāseṭṭha the Brāhmin who is expert in Three Vedas.[9]  According to T. Endo, later on, it came to mean pubbenivāsānussati-ñāṇa, dibba-cakkhu and āsavakkhaya-ñāṇa. (BTB:17) the three last knowledges of the six. In Tevijjā Vacchagotta Sutta in Majjhima Nikāya, Buddha is often referred to as tevijjā in the Canon. These six knowledges further classified into mundane (lokiya-paññā) and supramundane knowledge (lokuttara-paññā), which is true in historically but emphasise in the later phase of Buddhism.

Ten Powers of Tathāgata (Dasabala Tathāgatadasabala)

The power in the Buddhist content has gradually developed from one-fold to the standard version of tenfold. At first, it will define the term of bala, as strength; power; force; an army; military force according to the Pāḷi Text Dictionary. It is named as Tathāgatadasabala (the Ten Powers of the Buddha). In Cakkavatti Sutta the single fold power is found as ‘power of the, monks’.[10] Moreover, the five kinds of powers are also found in Saṃyutta Nikāya[11]. In addition, in Dasuttara Sutta, there are seven kinds of canker-free person power.[12] T.Endo suggests that such powers were collected and subsequently made into a group of ten. The ten powers of the Buddha is the later development according to the scholars within the early texts itself.  Commonly, it is called Tathāgatadasabala. It is similar with the ten powers of Arahant according to Nathan Katz. (BTB: 21). In Mahāsīhanada Sutta in Majjhima nikāya the ten powers of Tathāgata are as follow:

1. He understands as it actually is the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible.
2. He understands as it actually is the results of actions undertaken, past, future and present, with possibilities and with causes.
3. He understands as it actually is the ways leading to all destinations.
4. He understands as it actually is the world with its many and different elements.
5. He understands as it actually is how beings have different inclinations.
6. He understands as it actually is the disposition of the faculties of other beings, other persons.
7. He understands as it actually is the defilement, the cleansing and the emergence in regard to the jhanas, liberations, concentrations and attainments.
8. He has retrocognitive powers extending up to several (many) aeons with ability to recall details regarding past existences.
9. He has clairvoyant powers with the ability to see beings dying and being reborn subsequently in high or low states according to their own kamma.
10. He has attained liberation through concentration (cetovimutti) and liberation through wisdom (paññāvimutti) having destroyed all mental defilements in this very life.

Another version of ten powers of the Arahant is found in the khīṇāsavabalasuttaṃ[13] in Aṅguttara Nikāya.  It shows another category in order to see the difference and similarity between the two tenfold power of Arahant and the powers of Tathāgata.

1. An arahant sees all conditioned things as impermanent.
2. He sees all sense pleasures as a pit of burning embers.
3. His mind is inclined towards seclusion and renunciation.
4. He has practiced the four station of mindfulness.
5. He has practiced the four-fold right exertion (sammāppadhāna).
6. He has practiced the four bases of psychic powers (iddhipāda).
7. He has developed the five spiritual faculties (indriya)
8. He has developed the five spiritual powers (bala)
9. He has developed the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhaṅga)
10. He has cultivated the noble eight-fold path (aṭṭhaṅgika magga).

The ten powers of Tathāgata were developed from three-fold knowledge.[14] Some comments are worthy to mention on these two-fold ten powers. According to Nathan Katz that our analysis of these canonical lists, then, supports our thesis of the significant identity of the Buddha and the arahant.[15] Moreover, De Silva points out in comparison with the powers of retrocognitive and clairvoyance abilities of the arahant (i.e. (8) and (9) of tathāgatabala)  that the Buddha according to the Aggivacchagotta sutta, seems to have unlimited retrocognitive and clairvoyant abilities as he say the he can see as far as he wishes to see (yāvad eva ākaṅkhāmi). Further, she said that though arahant possesses the knowledge of reading mind of others but nowhere is it stated in the Pāḷi Canon that arahnats have the ability to read the spiritual faculties of other individuals.[16] Between these two versions of powers, the powers of arahant version seem to be earlier than the ten powers of Tathāgata. The arahant powers are no doubt on their possibility. However, the compilers may have thought the earlier ten-fold knowledge of arahants is simple and plain. Thus, for making superiority of the Buddha, the ten powers concept comes later in the nikāyas.

Omniscient (Sabbaññū)

The tittle of Sabbaññū is entitled to the Buddha by the Buddhist out of high respect and veneration. Sabbaññū is the formation of two words; sabba means all and ñū means knowing. In the Pāḷi texts, the term sabbaññū appears many times but mostly claimed by Nigaṇṭhanāthaputta[17]. As Nigaṇṭhanātha claims, ‘Friend, the Nigantha Nataputta is all-knowing, all-seeing, and claims total knowledge & vision thus: “Whether I am walking or standing, sleeping or awake, knowledge & vision are continuously & continually established in me.[18] But the Buddha had denied that there is no one who knows in such way. Once, when Vacchagotta asked the Buddha whether he knows in that way; in the replied the Buddha said that in such claim is misrepresenting to the Buddha.  In Tevijjavacchagotta Sutta rather the Buddha preferred that ‘he has the threefold knowledge’[19] After surveying the nikāyas, K.N. Jayatilleke said the Buddha should be regarded not as on who is omniscient all the time but as one who has ‘a threefold knowledge’ which even others can develop[20] however, at the same time he does agree that the Buddha in the Nikāyas does not deny omniscience in the sense of knowing everything but not all the once.[21] The Buddha denied the epithet of Sabbaññū in the sense of Nigaṇṭha was understood of omniscient, but the term ‘sabba’ everything in sabbvidū and sabbaññū  means the five sense faculties and their corresponding sense objects, plus the sense faculty of the mind and corresponding mental phenomena.[22] Because according to Sabba Discourse, There is no other  in the term of “all” except eye and object, ear and sound, nose and scent, tongue and savour, body and tangible things, mind and mind states.[23]

Eye (Cakkhumant)

Cakkhu means eye and the suffix of ‘mant’ means possession (of something) as the present participle in Pāḷi Grammar. Thus, the word cakkhumant means a person who possesses eye. The plain meaning of cakkhumant means a person who could see the visible objects.[24] However, sometime Buddha is called Cakkhumā[25]  Even ordinary mendicants are also referred to as cakkhumant in early texts.[26] However, in the later texts in the cannons[27], the Buddha came to be described as possessing five kinds of eyes (pañcacakkhu): (a) Eye of flesh (maṃsacakkhu)    (b) divine eye (dibbacakkhu) (c) wisdom eye (paññācakkhu) (d) the Buddha-eye (Buddhacakkhu) and (e) the eye of omniscient (samantacakkhu). Eye of flesh is possessed by any being with eye. A mediation practitioner who could develop high concentration can possess divine eye and wisdom eye. However, the last two eyes: eye of omniscient and Buddha eye, can possess only by the Buddha.

Four Confidences (Catuvesārajja)

Another aspect of Buddha’s spiritual knowledge is the four kinds of confidences. The texts says that endowed with the four confidences, the Buddha claims, as in the ten tathāgatabala, the leader’s place (āsabhaṭṭhāna), roars his lion’s roar in assemblies and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.[28] In Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta[29] of Majjhima Nikāya, the four kinds of confidences are stated.

1. Of being not fully enlightened (Sammāsambuddhassa te paṭijānato ime dhammā anabhisambuddhā)
2. Of not being completely free from all defilements (Khīṇāsavassa te paṭijānato ime āsavā aparikkhīṇā)
3. That the things declared by him as stumbling blocks or dangers to not in fact constitute stumbling blocks or angers. (Ye kho pana te antarāyikā dhammā vuttā, te paṭisevato nālaṃ antarāyāyā)
4. The purpose for which the Dhamma is taught, i.e., the destruction of ‘dukkha’, is not achieved by one who follows it. (Ye kho pana te antarāyikā dhammā vuttā, te paṭisevato nālaṃ antarāyāyā)

It is no doubt the possibility of the Buddha on these four aspects of confidences. In the sutta many Brahmins, kings, and all walks of lives challenged with the Buddha. One such instance is the General Sīha, who was earlier the follower of Nigaṇṭhanāṭaputta approached the Buddha and finally he chose to follow Buddha’s teaching.

The Late Canonical Texts (the Khuddaka Nikāyas)

Seventy-three knowledges

Paṭisambhidāmagga is a Late Canonical Texts; its method is more like Abhidhamma analysis. In this text, the Buddha knowledge classifies under the seventy-three-fold.[30] They set into twofold, one is common with the disciples and the others are unshared knowledge of the Buddha. Under the classification of Omniscient, there are altogether forty-seven kinds of knowledge out of seventy-three. The forty-sevenfold of knowledge will summarise:

The Buddha knows conditioned and unconditioned, three periods of time, five senses with their corresponding objects, five aggregates, twelve bases and eighteen elements, higher knowledge with four truths aspects, wholesome, unwholesome and neutral, things connected with threefold world, four truths, four analytical knowledge, the maturity levels of spiritual faculties of others, the disposition of beings, Twin Miracles, attainment of great compassion and perceptional sense function by the mind.

Fourteen kinds of knowledge

Since Paṭisambhidāmagga is categorised under the late canonical texts in the Khuddaka Nikāya, thus, a category of knowledge will discuss out of many kinds of knowledges. In the Paṭisambhidāmagga[31], there are long list of the knowledges of the Buddha altogether counted as seventy-three, however in this short discussion, the fourteen kinds of knowledge which categoriesed under the heading of the Samnatacakkhu will discuss briefly. Samantacakkhu, in what sense the knowledge of the Buddha is? The Buddha’s knowledges are fourteen kinds. The classification of which is similar to his omniscient knowledge (sabbaññūta-ñāṇa) with slight variations.[32]

1. (1-4)The knowledges of the Four Noble Truths separately.
2. (5-8) the Four Analytical knowledges separately.
3. (9) the knowledge of the maturity levels of the spiritual faculties (indriyaparopariyatte ñāṇaṃ)
4. (10) the knowledge of the disposition of beings (sattānaṃ āsayānusaye ñāṇaṃ)
5. (11) the knowledge of the Twin Miracle (yamakapāṭihīre ñāṇaṃ)
6. (12) the knowledge of the attainment of great compassion (mahākaruṇāsamāpattiyā ñāṇaṃ)
7. (13) the omniscient knowledge (sabbaññutaññāṇaṃ)
8. (14) the unobstructed knowledge (anāvaraṇañāṇaṃ)

These fourteen kinds of Buddha’s knowledges are common with the disciples with eight knowledges and from nine (9) to fourteen (14) are uncommon which the Buddha can possess only.

Conclusion

Due to limited discussion, all the seventy-three kinds of  knowledges could not  except some of the common knowledge of the Buddha. Through the development of Buddha Concept, one could find the Vaipulya Śastras influenced extensively with no exception on Theravāda Buddhism. Like the eighty-minors marks in Theravāda Buddhism borrowed from Sarvastivāda School, which are the extrapolation of thirty-two marks in Lakkhaṇa Sutta. Indeed, this kind of discussion is not necessary for a person who is seeking for liberation. All the teachings found in the early nikāyas are sufficient for a person to gain absorption and liberation, as result Buddha was not interested on Buddha Concept during his missionary.

Notes

[1] Nalinaksha Dutt, 1980: 1-105.

[2] itipi so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā’ti.

[3] Ahañca kho, bhikkhave, evaṃ vadāmi – ‘sace tumhākaṃ, bhikkhave, araññagatānaṃ vā rukkhamūlagatānaṃ vā suññāgāragatānaṃ vā uppajjeyya bhayaṃ vā chambhitattaṃ vā lomahaṃso vā, mameva tasmiṃ samaye anussareyyātha – itipi so bhagavā arahaṃ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā’ti. Mamañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṃ yaṃ bhavissati bhayaṃ vā chambhitattaṃ vā lomahaṃso vā, so pahīyissati. ‘‘Evaṃ buddhaṃ sarantānaṃ, dhammaṃ saṅghañca bhikkhavo; Bhayaṃ vā chambhitattaṃ vā, lomahaṃso na hessatī’’ti.  SN.i. 221

[4] Pūjārahe pūjayato buddhe yadi va sāvake. Dhp. Verse 195.

[5] Etadaggaṃ, bhikkhave, mama sāvakānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ Iddhimantānaṃ yadidaṃ mahāmoggallāno. AN.i.23.

[6] Pubbenivāsaṃ anussarantānaṃ yadidaṃ sobhito. AN. i.25

[7] Dibbacakkhukānaṃ yadidaṃ anuruddho. AN.i. 23.

[8] Tiṇṇaṃ vedānaṃ ti irubbedayajubbedasāmavedānaṃ. Sutt Nipāta.a-2. 169.

[9] Vāseṭṭha tevijjā brāhmaṇā. DN.i. 224.

[10] Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Idaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno balasmiṃ. DN.iii.65.

[11] Saddhābalaṃ, vīriyabalaṃ, satibalaṃ, samādhibalaṃ, paññābalaṃ – imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca balānīti. SN.iii.218.

[12] Satta khīṇāsavabalāni. DN.iii.242.

[13] AN.iii.396.

[14] Encyclopedia of Buddhism vol-iii. ‘Buddha’: 366.

[15] BTB: 21.

[16] Lily de Silva: 40.

[17] MN. i. (14). 131.

[18] MN. i. (14). 131.

[19] Bhikkhu Bodhi:  2009:588. (MN)

[20] Jayatilleke: 380.

[21] Jayatilleke: 460.

[22]  SN.ii. 247; Lilly De Silva: 43-44.

[23] SN.ii. 247

[24] Cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti. DN.i.80

[25] Buddho dhammesu cakkhumā. Suttanipāta. Verse. 161. 302.

[26] divipadānaṃ ca cakkhumā. Dhp. Verse 273.

[27] Samantacakkhu vuccati sabbaññutañāṇaṃ. Mahāniddesa 280.

[28] Āsabhaṃ ṭhānaṃ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṃ nadati, brahmacakkaṃ pavatteti. Ibid.

[29] MN.i.99.

[30] Paṭisambhidāmagga: 1-5.

[31] Pṭs: 127.

[32] BTB: 29.

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