retrofuturist wrote:
Even if you believe the hagiographical accounts there's not much practical point in discussing it as an actual path of practice because of the condition that the vow must be made at the foot of the previous Buddha.
Metta,
Retro.
As I wrote above:
There is a "cart before the horse" element, I think, in Retro's view. It is not that one has to make the bodhisatta vow/aspiration (or any other noble vow) for the first time in front of a Buddha for the vow to become effective. After eons of so aspiring and working to become that bodhisatta, kammic effect would naturally lead one to appear before some Buddha. That Buddha would simply give assurance that you will be successful. If you are not ready yet, you would not appear before a Buddha.
Since we cannot recall our past lives, why assume a Buddha (one previous to Gotama, maybe) did not assure us that our aspiration would be fulfilled?
As for Buddha "extolling" buddhahood - consider this excerpt from the
Khuddakapatha #8:
So, prudent, you should make merit, the fund that will follow you along. This is the fund that gives all they want to beings human, divine.
Whatever devas aspire to, all that is gained by this. A fine complexion, fine voice, a body well-built, well-formed, lordship, a following: all that is gained by this. Earthly kingship, supremacy, the bliss of an emperor, kingship over devas in the heavens: all that is gained by this. The attainment of the human state, any delight in heaven, the attainment of Nibbana: all that is gained by this. Excellent friends, appropriate application, mastery of clear knowing & release: all that is gained by this. Acumen, emancipation, the perfection of disciple-hood: all that is gained by this. Private Awakening, Buddha-hood: all that is gained by this.
So powerful is this, the accomplishment of merit. Thus the wise, the prudent, praise the fund of merit already made.
My bold text. So Buddhahood is given as the highest result of gathering merit. If such a goal were beyond reaching, Buddha would not have listed it at all.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.