San Lo Mvu 5The Many Buddhas

Exposition of the Discourse "The Many Buddhas"

Background

The discourse "The Many Buddhas" is drawn from the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically the San Lo Mvu section (Sangiti Vagga), a part of the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. These are records of the rules, discipline, and regulations of the Sangha established by Buddha Shakyamuni.

The Vinaya Pitaka is not only a collection of prohibitions, but also a treasury containing historical events, occasions on which the Buddha taught the Dharma, and instruction. San Lo Mvu, or the "Section of Assembly," records events related to great gatherings or occasions of compiling the teachings after the Buddha entered nirvana. The discourse "The Many Buddhas" in this context is the Buddha's teaching on the existence of many Buddhas through different ages, or the way the Buddha recalled his predecessors.

Main Content

In the Theravada tradition, Buddha Shakyamuni is regarded as the eighty-fifth Buddha in the cycle of the present Buddha lineage (a Buddhavansa or lineage of Buddhas). The discourse "The Many Buddhas" emphasizes that the Buddha is not the only one, but one among fully awakened Buddhas (Sammasambuddha) who have appeared to teach beings.

This discourse teaches that before Buddha Shakyamuni, there were many other Buddhas with different names and circumstances. Each Buddha attained nirvana, each taught the Dharma (Dhamma), and each established a Sangha for practice. According to the Pali Canon, the Buddha lists previous Buddhas, among whom the most prominent are the seven most recent Buddhas: Vipassi, Sikhi, Vessabhu, Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa, and Gotama (Shakyamuni).

This teaching does not deny the uniqueness of Buddha Shakyamuni in this age, but places him within a long tradition of Buddhas who have attained realization. Each Buddha independently discovers the Dhamma and teaches beings the way out of suffering.