Part 3 - Miscellaneous Remarks about the attributes of the Buddha

The attributes of the Buddha are infinite. Out of them, the nine (or ten) supreme attributes are mentioned in the Scriptures for easy understanding and memorizing by devas, humans and Brahmās.

The Buddha’s Attributes in A Nutshell

All of the Buddha’s glorious attributes can be put into two main categories: (1) The attributes that proclaim the accomplishment of the Buddha by Himself, (attahita sampatti) and (2) the attributes that stand testimony to the Buddha’s service to the general weal of the multitudes, (parahita paṭipatti).

In the first category there are two aspects, (i) the success the Buddha achieves in overcoming the defiling tendencies, and (ii) the endowment of a variety of Knowledges. (The innate powers of the Buddha that He is invested with flow from these two sources.)

In the second category of the Buddha’s attributes too, there are two aspects: (i) the severity of effort in preaching the Dhamma to the multitudes purely out of compassion, untinged with any expectation of gain or fame; and (ii) the infinite patience in wishing well even to persons antagonistic to Him and in awaiting the ripeness of time on the part of the hearers to comprehend His Teaching. The Buddha’s acceptance of offerings of the four bhikkhu requisites is another form of doing useful service to the donors who thereby gain great merit. Thus the nine attributes such as Arahaṃ, are taught to signify the two above aspects of His own accomplishments and His service for the welfare of others.

The nine supreme attributes are read into the above two aspects in the following way:

Arahaṃ clearly describes the Buddha’s success in getting rid of all defilements.

Sammāsambuddha and Lokavidū clearly describe the Buddha’s endowment of variety of knowledges. (Here, it might be asked: “Does Lokavidū also not stand for Perfect Self-Enlightenment?” The answer is: “Yes, it does.” However, there is this distinction: Sammāsambuddho stands for the efficacy of Perfect Self-Enlightenment while Lokavidū signifies the efficacy of the Buddha’s discriminating knowledge about the mental framework of His hearers, such as tendencies, etc. Hence two different attributes are proclaimed.)

Vijjācaraṇa sampanno completely conveys the comprehensive accomplishment of the Buddha by Himself.

Sugata proclaims both the Buddha’s accomplishment by Himself and the achievement in working for the welfare of others, together with the underlying cause of both.

Anuttaropurisadammasārathi and satthādevamanussāna clearly demonstrate the Buddha’s achievement in bringing the welfare of others.

Buddho brings out the meaning of accomplishment by Himself as well as accomplishment for the good of others. (After mentioning Sammāsambuddho, the Buddha further proclaims Buddho because the former indicates His penetrative knowledge whereas the latter conveys His knowledge in imparting knowledge.) Bhagavā highlights both the Buddha’s accomplishment for Himself and the success in bringing the welfare of others.

Considered in another light, the supreme attributes of the Buddha fall under three categories, namely: (i) Attributes that are root causes (hetu), (ii) attributes that are results (phala), and (iii) attributes that bring welfare to others (sattū pakāra). (These three may be called success in root cause, success in result, and success in welfare of the world.) The first four attributes, viz. Arahaṃ, Sammāsambuddho, Vijjācaraṇasampanno,

Lokavidū, portray the root causes of attributes that the Buddha is endowed with. Anuttaropurisadammasārathi and Sattādevamanussānaṃ clearly describe the Buddha’s success in working for the good of others.

Buddho clearly points out to the Buddha’s endowment of happy root cause as well as accomplishment for the good of others.

Sugata and Bhagavā reveal the endowment of the three kinds of success, i.e. in root cause, in result and in the welfare of the world.

(These two modes of explanation are taken from Visuddhi-magga Mahāṭīkā, Volume I)