Part 14 - What is The Period of Time required for Accomplishing The Pāramīs

To the question, “What is the period of time required for accomplishing the pāramīs?” the answer is:

The minimum period required for fulfilling the pāramīs is four asaṅkhyeyyas and a hundred thousand aeons; the medium period, eight asaṅkhyeyyas and a hundred thousand aeons, and the maximum period, sixteen asaṅkhyeyyas and a hundred thousand aeons, after receiving the definite prophecy of Buddhahood. (Only after fulfilling the pāramīs for such durations can one become a Buddha.)

The three different durations relate to three different future Buddhas^[1], namely, Paññādhika future Buddha, Saddhādhika future Buddha and Viriyādhika future Buddha. (A Paññādhika future Buddha takes four asaṅkhyeyyas and a hundred thousand aeons; a Saddhādhika future Buddha takes eight asaṅkhyeyyas and a hundred thousand aeons and a Viriyādhika future Buddha takes sixteen asaṅkhyeyyas and a hundred thousand aeons to fulfil the pāramīs completely.)

To the question, “All of them being future Buddhas, why are there three different durations for fulfilment of the pāramīs?” the answer is:

A Paññādhika future Buddha is weak in faith but strong in wisdom: a Saddhādhika future Buddha is strong in faith but medial in wisdom; a Viriyādhika future Buddha is weak in wisdom. It is only through the power of wisdom that one attains Omniscience. When wisdom is strong, attainment of Omniscience is fast; when it is weak, the attainment is slow. This difference in the degree of strength of wisdom accounts for the difference in the duration required for fulfilment of the pāramīs. (This is the answer provided by the Commentary.)

Apare teachers say the difference between the three durations lies in the three degrees of energy, namely, strong, medial and weak.

Again, other teachers say it is due to the difference in degrees i.e. strong, medial and weak, of maturity of the Perfections leading to emancipation (Vimutti paripācaniya dhamma).

Of these three views, that of the Commentator appears most appropriate when we consider the divisions of Bodhisattas into three types as follows:

Three Types of Bodhisattas

To elaborate: Even at the moment of receiving the prophecy, as in the case of Sumedha the Hermit, the Bodhisattas are of three types: (i) Ugghaṭitaññū Bodhisattas, (ii) Vipañcitaññū Bodhisattas, and (iii) Neyya Bodhisattas.

Of these three types, Ugghaṭitaññū Bodhisattas are those who, if they wish to achieve Enlightenment of a Disciple (Sāvaka Bodhi) in the very existence they receive the prophecy, have the special supportive merit to attain the arahantship together with the six Higher Spiritual Powers (abhiññās) and four kinds of Analytical Knowledge (paṭisambhidā ñāṇa), even before the end of the third line of a verse-sermon of four lines delivered by a Buddha. This Ugghaṭitaññū type of Bodhisattas is also called Paññādhika. With this type of Bodhisattas, wisdom is the strongest.

Vipañcitaññū Bodhisattas are those who, if they wish to achieve Enlightenment of a Disciple in the very existence they receive the prophecy, have the special supportive merit to attain arahantship together with the six Higher Spiritual Powers and four kinds of Analytical Knowledge before the end of the fourth line of a verse-sermon of four lines delivered by a Buddha. This Vipañcitaññū types of Bodhisattas is also called Saddhādhika. With this type of Bodhisattas, wisdom is medial.

Neyya Bodhisattas are those who, if they wish to achieve Enlightenment of a Disciple in the very existence they receive the prophecy, have the special supportive merit to attain arahantship together with six Higher Spiritual Powers and four kinds of Analytical Knowledge, at the end of the whole verse-sermon of four lines delivered by a Buddha. This Neyya type of Bodhisattas is also called Viriyādhika Bodhisatta. With this type of Bodhisattas wisdom is weakest.

All the three types of Bodhisattas make the mental resolution to attain Buddhahood for incalculable aeons before receiving the definite prophecy. However, after receiving the definite prophecy, they fulfil the pāramīs as stated before and attain Enlightenment according to the aforesaid time schedule.

Impossibility of Earlier Attainment of Buddhahood

The paddy species which flowers, bears seeds and ripens only after a certain period of time even when with utmost effort of watering, etc., will not yield any crop at a date earlier than the natural period of flowering, bearing seeds and ripening. In the same way, all the various types of Bodhisattas, by no means, attain Buddhahood before they have completed the allotted time for fulfilment of the pāramīs even if they strive daily with more and more energy to fulfil the Perfection (pāramī), Sacrifices (cāga) and Virtues through practice (cariya), because their wisdom has not yet reached maturity, and their accumulation of Buddha-making factors is not complete yet.

Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the pāramīs become fulfilled only in accordance with the aforementioned periods of time.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Three different future Buddhas: Chapter II: RARE APPEARANCE OF A BUDDHA.