Lord Buddha in Theravada

[clw_uk]

Greetings


What is the view of Lord Buddha in Theravada (classical and modern)? In later traditions he is seen as a super-human and almost god like. My understanding so far of Theravada and the suttas is that he was just a man who discovered nibbana, however this is based on my own understandings and readings so incase i am wrong i thought i would ask here


metta

[David N. Snyder]

Your assessment sounds about right for the Theravada. The Buddha perfected his paramitas over many lifetimes and acquired much merit over many lifetimes and even met, in one form or another the previous samma-sam-buddhas in previous lives; but basically was a man.

The Mahayana, I think, have included such things as no pain or no death, eternal being, Dharmakāya, Trikaya; which instead of disparaging those ideas, let me just say I disagree with those opinions or concepts.

[Rhino]

Hello clw_uk,

My understanding so far of Theravada and the suttas is that he was just a man who discovered nibbana

That is my understanding too. In Theravada the Buddha is only the teacher who found the way out of suffering and is guiding people to the path of liberation from suffering. As a Sammasambuddhassa, who found Nibbana from his own and is teaching the creatures, he has some extra qualities like remembering past rebirths and legality of kamma (M71). This qualities are necessary because a Buddha must be sure about what he teaches. But that is not essential. Essential is the annihilation of suffering for us followers. And for teaching this he is honoured in Theravada.

[Individual]

Greetings


What is the view of Lord Buddha in Theravada (classical and modern)? In later traditions he is seen as a super-human and almost god like. My understanding so far of Theravada and the suttas is that he was just a man who discovered nibbana, however this is based on my own understandings and readings so incase i am wrong i thought i would ask here


metta

In Mahayana, he's sometimes treated as being like an all-powerful, omnipresent creator god.

In Theravada, it isn't fair to say that he's simply treated as a man who discovered Nibbana, even if some modern Theravadins might treat him that way. The suttas describe various miracles, which traditional Theravadins take literally.

The Buddha denied being both a man or being a god (see here).

MN 12 clarifies the specifics of the Buddha's powers (the "ten powers of a Tathagata"):
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .ntbb.html

"The Buddha-range of Buddhas," is also one of the four imponderables, which seems fairly intuitive: If you had the capacity for understanding the scope of a Buddha's knowledge, you too would be a Buddha. But if you were a Buddha and had the capacity for such understanding, you wouldn't ask the question in the first place. So, it's a perplexing philosophical question without a real, comforting, or useful answer.

[BlackBird]

Buddha is Dhamma. See the Dhamma, see the Buddha.

[Bankei]

Depends on who you are talking to

To some modern Thai Buddhists the Buddha, Phra Phuttajao, is a god. Some pray to the Buddha asking for favours, such as money, passing exams, business etc. Seems not much different to other religions. I have asked these Thais how can the Buddha help as he is 'gone' and have never received an adequate reply.

To modern Western 'rational' Buddhists the Buddha is like a psychologist who prescribed a way to think which reduces suffering.

A guess the Pali texts take a view mid-way between these 2 extremes.

Bankei