Era of physically expressed aspirations
(Spanning 4 asankheyyas and 100,000 world periods. Affirmation of aspiration before 24 Buddhas.)
Having cultivated himself for such a long time and supported by his great boons that he acquired, a time will come for the aspirant to outwardly show his aspiration in a bold way. In one of the aeons the aspirant made the kaya-pranidhana before Dipankara Buddha who was the last of the four Buddhas that arose in that aeon. The kaya-pranidhana is literally translated as the act of aspiration involving physical actions.
The great meritorious thought (Mahakusala Citta) and its concomitants arose: “I will strive with unremitting zeal to attein Ominiscience and become a Sammasambuddha and help beings to liberate themselves from Samsara.”
Only a Sammasambuddha has the ability to confirm a kaya-pranidhana because it calls for Omniscience and this quality is exclusive to a Sammasambuddha. Possessing Omniscience (Sabbatanu Nana), a Sammasambuddha has the unique power to know whatever subject he investigates; and thus a Sammasambuddha confirms a kaya-pranidhana by stating, among other facts, the name that the aspirant will acquire as a Sammasambudda, and names of his father, mother, wife, the mode of transport which he takes to go forth from household life to homeless life, and the tree under which the Bodhisatta will sit in bhavana and gain Perfect Enlightenment.
To make the kaya-pranidhana, it is necessary for the aspirant to possess the following supporting factors as well:
1. He is a human being, i.e. a menussa.
2. He is a male.
3. He stays alone and has renounced worldly possessions
4. He has acquired the necessary factors that will gain him the accomplishment of an Arahant and is prepared to relinquish it for the supreme accomplishment of Perfect Enlightenment (Great Compassion and Omniscience)
5. He has the opportunity to make the kaya-panidhana before a Sammasambuddha (not a Pacceka Buddha or an Arahant).
6. He is one whose meditative accomplishments include Jhanic attainments with factors such as supemormal hearing and vision.
7. He is ready to devote his life to protect the heritage, lineage, tradition, and law of The Buddhas and this commitment is unchanged even after attaining supernormal powers.
8. He possesses unremitting eagerness and unflagging energy.
Sumedha possessed all these basic requirements. Such a qualified Bodhisatta is also referred in some books as Buddha-elect or a Buddha-to-be. For those who are already familiar with Buddhist authenticated texts, the Jataka Stories in the Tipitaka came from the era after Ascetic Sumedha became a qualified Bodhisatta.
At the moment when a living Sammasambuddha immediately confirms the Great Aspiration (Abhinihara) made by a Bodhisatta, the aspirant becomes a Confirmed or a Qualified Bodhisatta and his ultimate goal of becoming a Sammasambuddha will not be obstructed in the passage of time, i.e. the destination of full Enlightenment in the distant future will become irreversible.
The Account of Ascetic Sumedha’s
physical act of aspirationFour asankheyyas and one hundred thousand kappas ago in the city of Amaravati, there lived a very rich couple, of noble unimpeached and inherited from their respective forbears. They had an only son named Sumedha who was pleasing to behold, amiable, and endowed with excellent complexion and physical built.
Without engaging in any other work, Sumedha acquired the highest education. While still in his youth his parents died. Sumedha inherited his parents’ colossal assets. The family treasurer showed Sumedha the family tree which laid out the names of his forbears who were once owners of the legacy. Sumedha asked why did they leave such fortune behind. The treasurer answered that the world was such that upon death nothing could be taken along. Sumedha was greatly affected by this truth but wisely reflected: “My forbears who had amassed this wealth did not take with them even a kahapana when they left this world; but I should so act as to take it along with me.”
With the permission of the king, Sumedha distributed his wealth to the common people. He renounced the world and advised his friends to do likewise. Sumedha entered the jungles and lived as a hermit and after seven days of mental development and attained supernormal powers. Meanwhile, at that time Dipankara Buddha had arose in the world. The Perfectly Enlightened One, the Master of the Ten Powers, Unexcelled Trainer of Gods and Man, had set the Wheel of The Dhamma rolling. At the time of Bodhisatta Dipankara’s conception, his physical birth, his Enlightenment, and his first exposition of the Dhamma, the entire 10 thousand-fold world system12 quaked and trembled, shuddered and created a mighty din.
Ascetic Sumedha, who was at most times, in the bliss of his mental concentration was oblivious to such a fortuitous series of events and its portents. One day, Buddha Dipankara, while on his wanderings together with thousands of Arahants, had reached the city of Rammaka, a neighbouring city to Amaravati. He was welcomed with much joy and glorious devotions by the people of Rammaka.
The people of Amaravati had also invited Dipankara Buddha and his disciples to their land to receive offerings. The people busied themselves building large halls, levelling roads, putting up decorative arches and adorning roadsides with banners, flags and flowers --in preparation for the day to welcome Dipankara Buddha. The road that was to be used by The Buddha and his disciples was strewn with white sand. Everybody was eager and joyous.
Meanwhile, the hermit Sumedha while travelling across the sky by his own supernormal power, saw the hive of activity and became curious. He came down to enquire and was told that a Perfectly Enlightened One, Buddha Dipankara had arose in the world, and was residing in Rammaka together with thousands of Arahants; the people of Amaravati had invited the Blessed One for a meal; and the route which would be taken by the Blessed One was now being decorated.
Sumedha thought: “The very word ‘Buddha’ is indeed rare in this world, and more so the appearance of such a one.”
He asked to join in the work of decorating the road that would be used by Buddha Dipankara. The people knew Sumedha possessed supernormal powers and thus gave him the task of filling up a crevice filled with muddy water along a road. Sumedha thought to himself that if he accomplished this task merely by exercising his supernormal powers he would not be satisfied. He exerted physical effort and soon there remained only a small portion of the crevice that was left to be filled. Before Sumedha could complete his task, Dipankara Buddha and his disciples, together with a large retinue, were walking down the road to where he was working.
Celestial gods rained heavenly flowers and perfumes and celestial music resounded. Sumedha, with wide-open eyes, beheld the Blessed One, in all His immeasurable glory and majesty -- extraordinarily radiant, emitting Buddha-rays, and all around him was filled with exuberant colours.
Sumedha knew he could perform a great act of merit “for his lasting weal and happiness.” He at once untied his hair and spread out his garments covering his back, and fully prostrated himself face down across the muddy crevice such that The Buddha and his disciples could walk on his body like a bridge. Lying like this with his hands put together in anjali, Sumedha again opened his eyes beholding the majesty of the Blessed One.
The Supreme SacrificeAt that moment, Sumedha, knew he could accomplish Arahantship by listening to the teachings from Dipankara Buddha and become released from the cycle of birth and death. He reflected thus:
“If I so wish, today I will eradicate my defilements; but what use have I of realising the Teaching here and attain Nibbana, as one unknown? I would rather, like Dipankara Buddha, attain Omniscience and become an Enlightened One in the future to show many the way to Nibbana also. This I aspire to do!”
Ascetic Sumedha thus gave up this goal for a loftier one to become a Sammasambuddha, a living example of which was Dipankara Buddha himself. Thus, Sumedha boldly expressed his aspiration to become a Sammasambuddha and prostrated himself fully (this action constituting the kaya-pranidhana).
“I will attain Omniscience and become an Enlightened One in the future. I will attain Omniscience and help others cross the sea. By this firm aspiration made before the highest of gods and men I will attain Omniscience and help others cross to the other shore.”
And the Blessed One came near; and standing near ascetic Sumedha’s head investigated the significance of the ascetic’s action, and made this proclamation (using his Omniscience):
“This ascetic lies here making his aspiration to become a Sammasambuddha in future. His aspiration will come true.
He will become a Buddha named Gotama, four asankheyyas and a 100,000 kappas from now. In that existence, he will be born in Kapilavatthu; his mother will be Queen Mahamaya; his father will be King Suddhodana; his chief disciple will be Sariputta and the second chief disciple Moggallana; Ananda will be his personal attendant; his chief woman disciple in the Order will be Khema and the second chief disciple in the Order will be Uppavalana.
With ripened wisdom he will make the Great Renunciation; having accepted milk-rice at the foot of the Ajapala Banyan tree and having eaten it on the banks of the Neranjara River he will ascend the seat at the foot of the Assattha tree (also known as the Pipphali or Pipal Tree); and engaging in great exertion attain Perfect Enlightenment.”
Thereupon, Buddha Dipankara honoured the aspirant with eight handfuls of flowers, went round him with veneration and moved on. The Buddha’s disciples, 400,000 Arahants, too honoured the aspirant with flowers and unguents and moved on.
The celestial beings of the ten thousand world systems perceiving that Sumedha was proclaimed by Dipankara Buddha to be a confirmed Bodhisatta, rejoiced and at once appeared around the scene. For once, manussa loka (the human realm of existence) became like a celestial realm. Human folks at the scene could see celestial beings mingling with them; and earthly music blended in harmony with heavenly music (when at ordinary times such a scenario is impossible).
This Great Aspiration (Abhinihara) of Bodhisatta Gotama leads to the attainment of Omniscience of a Sammasambuddha in a distant future and is unstoppable by any force in the universe. Bodhisatta Gotama, fragrant amidst the thousands of flowers showered on him, reflected on the pre-requisites of achieving the stage of a Sammasambuddha and investigated all the Ten Perfections (Dasa Parami) with his Parami-pavicaya Nana (Perfection-investigating Wisdom) which was achieved without the help of a teacher.
When Bodhisatta Gotama realised this truth, the Earth tremored (not catastrophic but euphoric) and all beings at the scene rejoiced at this auspicious phenomena by crying out “Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!” (Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!).
After the time of receiving the confirmation from Dipankara Buddha, the Bodhisatta Gotama reaped special fruits as a result of making his Supreme Sacrifice (Abhinihara). The four asankheyyas and a 100,000 world periods beginning from the aeon of Dipankara Buddha up to the time of Buddha Kassapa is called the epoch of the verbal and physical aspiration.
The various Buddhas whom Gotama Bodhisatta met on separate occasion during his perfection of the Dasa Parami spanning 4 Asankheyyas and 100,000 kappas will be summarised here.
After, Dipankara Buddha, there arose twenty-three Buddhas before whom the Bodhisatta Gotama received the same prediction, "In future...he will become a Fully Enlightened One called Gotama Buddha." Whenever, he met these Buddhas, the Bodhisatta Gotama performed great acts of merit (physical actions), like for example making offerings to The Buddha and the Sangha; listening to the teachings of The Buddhas; and developing his supramundane knowledges.
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