Alien Buddhas

[Ceisiwr]

I happen to believe that other civilisations exist in this vast universe. If, hypothetically we contact them and we find that they too have a religion identical with Buddhadhamma, that in their history there was one who preached the 4NT, would that be a vindication of our faith, that Buddhadhamma is true? If this discovery also happened how would Theravāda respond, given that it teaches there can be no multiple Buddhas?

[cappuccino]

there can be no multiple Buddhas?

the limit is only for our history

[Bundokji]

There can be only one sammasambuddha in a solar system, and i stand corrected.

[DNS]

If this discovery also happened how would Theravāda respond, given that it teaches there can be no multiple Buddhas?

That would not refute Theravada, as B noted, there is only one Buddha at a time, one Dispensation, per world system (likely meaning a solar system).

[Lucas Oliveira]

They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas to arise in the same solar system at the same time.

‘Aṭṭhānametaṁ anavakāso yaṁ ekissā lokadhātuyā dve arahanto sammāsambuddhā apubbaṁ acarimaṁ uppajjeyyuṁ, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatī’ti pajānāti;

But it is possible for just one perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, to arise in one solar system.’

‘ṭhānañca kho etaṁ vijjati yaṁ ekissā lokadhātuyā eko arahaṁ sammāsambuddho uppajjeyya, ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī’ti pajānāti.

https://suttacentral.net/mn115/en/sujat ... ript=latin

https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/ca ... me/26464/4

Dhamma-niyama Sutta: The Discourse on the Orderliness of the Dhamma

"Monks, whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All processes are inconstant.

"The Tathagata directly awakens to that, breaks through to that. Directly awakening & breaking through to that, he declares it, teaches it, describes it, sets it forth. He reveals it, explains it, & makes it plain: All processes are inconstant.

"Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All processes are stressful.

"The Tathagata directly awakens to that, breaks through to that. Directly awakening & breaking through to that, he declares it, teaches it, describes it, sets it forth. He reveals it, explains it, & makes it plain: All processes are stressful.

"Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All phenomena are not-self.[1]

"The Tathagata directly awakens to that, breaks through to that. Directly awakening & breaking through to that, he declares it, teaches it, describes it, sets it forth. He reveals it, explains it, & makes it plain: All phenomena are not-self."

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

The Buddhist Schools of the Small Vehicle - The Mahāsāṃghika

15) The Buddhas abide in all directions – There are Buddhas in all directions, in all the universes, everywhere.

viewtopic.php?p=630626#p630626

I talked a little about it here
viewtopic.php?p=613249#p613249

[form]

There can be only one sammasambuddha in a solar system, and i stand corrected.

Why one solar system?

[form]

If this discovery also happened how would Theravāda respond, given that it teaches there can be no multiple Buddhas?

That would not refute Theravada, as B noted, there is only one Buddha at a time, one Dispensation, per world system (likely meaning a solar system).

Why only one solar system when the universe and galaxy is so much bigger?

[DNS]

Why only one solar system when the universe and galaxy is so much bigger?

One Buddha per solar system (at one time), so there can still be many more in the universe. There are thousands or millions of solar systems in the known universe.

[Bundokji]

Why one solar system?

I do not know why, but it is mentioned in MN115:

They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, to arise in one solar system.’ They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two wheel-turning monarchs to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one wheel-turning monarch to arise in one solar system.’

It also depends on what a solar system stands for. For example, in loka sutta, the world is defined through the sense media. If what makes a sammasambuddha is the ability to teach the dhamma verbally, then trying to take his place would be an act of futility.

[DNS]

52. Two Buddhas Cannot Exist Together
“The Blessed One said, ‘It is impossible that
in one world two Perfectly Enlightened
Buddhas could exist at the same time.’182
Yet, Nàgasena, if all the Tathàgatas teach the same
teaching, why shouldn’t they exist together? If there were
two they could teach at ease and the world would be even
more illumined.”
“O king, if two Buddhas were to exist simultaneously
this great earth could not bear the weight of their combined
goodness, it would tremble and shake and break up.183
Suppose, O king, a man had eaten as much food as he
wanted so that he had no room for any more. Then, if he
were to eat the same amount of food again, would he be at
ease?” “Certainly not, venerable sir, if he were to eat again
he would die.”
“Likewise, O king, this earth could no more bear a
second Tathàgata than that man could bear a second meal.
Also, if there were two Buddhas, disputes would arise between
their disciples and, moreover, the statement that
says the Buddha is supreme and has no equal would become
false.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/milinda.pdf

[form]

52. Two Buddhas Cannot Exist Together
“The Blessed One said, ‘It is impossible that
in one world two Perfectly Enlightened
Buddhas could exist at the same time.’182
Yet, Nàgasena, if all the Tathàgatas teach the same
teaching, why shouldn’t they exist together? If there were
two they could teach at ease and the world would be even
more illumined.”
“O king, if two Buddhas were to exist simultaneously
this great earth could not bear the weight of their combined
goodness, it would tremble and shake and break up.183
Suppose, O king, a man had eaten as much food as he
wanted so that he had no room for any more. Then, if he
were to eat the same amount of food again, would he be at
ease?” “Certainly not, venerable sir, if he were to eat again
he would die.”
“Likewise, O king, this earth could no more bear a
second Tathàgata than that man could bear a second meal.
Also, if there were two Buddhas, disputes would arise between
their disciples and, moreover, the statement that
says the Buddha is supreme and has no equal would become
false.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/milinda.pdf

Why one solar system?

I do not know why, but it is mentioned in MN115:

They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, to arise in one solar system.’ They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two wheel-turning monarchs to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one wheel-turning monarch to arise in one solar system.’

It also depends on what a solar system stands for. For example, in loka sutta, the world is defined through the sense media. If what makes a sammasambuddha is the ability to teach the dhamma verbally, then trying to take his place would be an act of futility.

Interesting. I have never observed such details before.

[form]

Does that mean Buddha is not the master of the universe or galaxies. But just master of the Earth or solar system?

[SarathW]

Why one solar system?

I do not know why, but it is mentioned in MN115:

They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, to arise in one solar system.’ They understand: ‘It’s impossible for two wheel-turning monarchs to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one wheel-turning monarch to arise in one solar system.’

It also depends on what a solar system stands for. For example, in loka sutta, the world is defined through the sense media. If what makes a sammasambuddha is the ability to teach the dhamma verbally, then trying to take his place would be an act of futility.

Only one Samma Sambuddha.
There could be many Pacceka Buddhas.
Only a Samma Sambuddha can preach to others due to his Parami.

Another point is to protect people from fake Buddhas who preach.
There were many who claimed to be Buddha's in Gotama Buddha's time.

If I am not wrong Jains think Mahavihara is the only Buddha in this solar system.

Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of Dharma), with the first in the current time cycle being Rishabhadeva, whom the tradition holds to have lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third tirthankara Parshvanatha, whom historians date to the 9th century BCE, and the twenty-fourth tirthankara Mahavira, around 600 BCE. Jainism is considered to be an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every time cycle of the cosmology. The three main pillars of Jainism are ahiṃsā (non-violence), anekāntavāda (non-absolutism), and aparigraha (asceticism).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism

So anyone can call a Buddha him or herself.
So you are the decision maker to find out who to follow.

[Bundokji]

Only one Samma Sambuddha.
There could be many Pacceka Buddhas.
Only a Samma Sambuddha can preach to others due to his Parami.

I remember listening to a dhamma talk by Yattadhammo Bhikkhu where he said that there are cosmological conditions for Pacceka Buddhas to appear and that these conditions are not suitable these days. I did not understand what the Venerable exactly meant, but he seemed to be hinting not to waste time trying to be Pacceka Buddha.

[Lucas Oliveira]

Just to help us focus on EBTs, the seven Buddhas mentioned in DN14 are:

Vipassī
Sikhī
Vessabhū
Kakusandha
Konāgamana
Kassapa
Gotama

https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/pa ... hem/6647/3

in this galaxy there are many planets … in this universe there are many galaxies …

and 7 bodhisattvas have attained enlightenment here on this Planet Earth.

This is a very Blessed Planet !!!

Do the Suttas explain this?

or only in Mahayana Buddhism?

https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/pa ... em/6647/24