Theos-Talk Archives (January 1999 Message tt00110)

Thank you Paul

Leon

-------------------------------------------------------------
In a message dated 1/10/99 9:19:20 PM, bazzer@bazzer.co.uk writes:

>Rich wrote:
>
>> Pratyekabuddhas are considered higher than Arhats,
>
>Or, by reverse logic, Arhats are considered lower than Pratyeka Buddhas.
>Yes?  Well, no.  This is complete nonsense.
>
>From "The Voice of the Silence".
>
>Concerning Pratyeka-Buddha (Glossary to Part II):
>
>"Caring nothing for the woes of mankind or to help it, but only for their
>own *bliss*, they enter Nirvana and  - disappear from the sight and hearts
>of men. In Northern Buddhism a 'Pratyeka Buddha' is a synonym of spiritual
>Selfishness" (Glossary to Part II).
>
>Further, (Glossary to Part III):
>
>"(32).  In the Northern Buddhist phraseology all the great Arhats, Adepts
>and Saints are called Buddhas.
>
>(33). A *Bodhisattva* is, in the hierarchy, less than a "perfect Buddha."
>In the exoteric parlance these two are very much confused.  Yet the innate
>and right popular perception, owing to that self-sacrifice, has placed
>a
>Bodhisattva higher in its reverence than a Buddha."
>
>(34).  This same popular reverence calls "Buddhas of Compassion" those
>*Bodhisattvas* who, having reached the rank of an Arhat (i.e., have
>completed the *fourth* or *seventh* Path), refuse to pass into the Nirvanic
>state or 'don the *Dharmakaya* robe and cross to the other shore,' as it
>would then become beyond their power to assist men even so little as Karma
>permits. . . . . ."
>
>The summation of the VOICE of the SILENCE is, thus:
>
>
>                              JOY UNTO YE, O MEN OF MYALBA (35.)
>
>                              A PILGRIM HATH RETURNED BACK "FROM THE
>                              OTHER SHORE."
>
>                              A NEW ARHAN (36) IS BORN  . . . .
>
>                                        *Peace to all beings* (37).
>
>
>How on Myalba can Pratyeka-Buddha be considered "higher" than Arhan/Arhat?
>Preposterous; a thousand times preposterous.