Buddhahood attainable for those living outside of Jambudipa?

[No Pain No Gain]

My review of our Bodhisatta Gautama’s past existences, in the period between Dipankara Buddha's and Kassapa Buddha’s era, tells me that our Bodhisatta lived his entire lives in Jambudipa for countless existences in order to meet with all the Buddha’s that preceded him. Those aspirants for Buddha hood living outside the Jambudipa (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos) might just be an unrealizable day-dream?

Dipankara Buddha's era.

Long, long time ago, countless world cycles ago, there appeared in Jambudipa Dipankara Buddha. Dipankara Buddha lives in an era when the human life span was 100,000 years on earth. Our Bodhisatta Gotama was an ascetic Sumedha ascetic who was already qualified to take arahatship; but for the sake of saving sentient beings he delay his arahatship and made his verbal aspiration to become a Buddha.

In the kingdom of Ramavati the ruling king was Sumedha and his chief queen was Sumedha; between them they had a son who gave up royal life and attained enlightenment. The enlightened being was named Dipankara Buddha. At the same time an ascetic by the name of Sumedha, our Bodhisatta Gotama, was living near the city. Hearing that the Dipankara Buddha will be visiting Ramavati, the ascetic Sumedha started to prepare and decorate a stretch of the road for the Buddha. Before the road was done, Dipankara Buddha arrived before Sumedha could get the road ready.

The folks at Ramavati to welcome Dipankara Buddha

A muddy stretch lay ahead of the Buddha. Lying across the muddy road, Sumedha requested that the Dipankara Buddha and His retinue tread on him so as not to soil their feet. He then made his verbal aspiration for Buddha hood. A lady from the audience heard that the ascetic aspired for Buddha hood, she gave from her eight lotus flowers, five lotus flowers to him and she too made her wish to be his help mate for to fulfill his wishes.

The Dipankara Buddha with his supernatural power seeing that the ascetic Sumedha would be the future Gotama Buddha made his definite prediction. He said, "In the distant future you will be born into the Sakyan clan and will attain enlightenment as the Buddha Gotama." From this point on, the Bodhisatta started in earnest to complete the ten virtues – paramitas – ten perfections. To make this verbal aspiration, one must be qualified for all the eight requisites:

Eight conditions must be met to make a verbal wish for Buddha hood.
According to the Theravada tradition, the eight conditions must be met:

1. If one so wished one could at this point attain Arahatship and obtain one's liberation from samsara.
2. One must be a human being (This applies to the Jambudipa tradition unlike one in Amitabha Buddhaland.).
3. One must be a male.
4. One must come face to face with a living Buddha.
5. One must be an ascetic.
6. One must possess psychic powers (known as Attha-Samapatti Jhana-labhi).
7. One must be prepared to lay down one's life for the Buddha.
8. One must have the strong determination to be a Buddha even though one knows that one might have to suffer as an animal, demon, etc., in an unhappy world. In other words, one has to suppress one's attainment of Arahanthship with determination and remain in samsara for the benefit of mankind and Gods.

At the time of the Buddha Dipankara, over 200,000 world cycles and sixteen incalculable periods after He made the first verbal aspiration, our Bodhisatta met the eight requirements and received the definite proclamations.

All his existences were in Jambudipa

Since, all Buddha’s must appear in Jambudipa, a Bodhisatta must take his Bodhisatta existences in Jambudipa to meet with each and every one of them that preceded him. While fulfilling his paramitas, our Bodhisatta appeared in Jambudipa to meet with Buddha’s that preceded him

The ascetic Sumedha throughout his Samsara journey in fulfilling his ten perfections - Dana, Sila, Nekhamma, Paninia, Viriya, Khanti, Sacca, Adhittana, Metta and Upekkha - the prerequisites to Buddha hood, had gone through twenty-three Buddha’s that came before him. He must meet with each and every one of the Buddha’s and must receive the Buddha’s prediction from each and every one of them. Our Bodhisatta Gotama had met every one of them and had received from every Buddha that appeared before him that he would become a Buddha in this era.

1. Dipankara Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Ascetic Sumedha
2. Kondanna Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Raja or King
3. Mangala Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
4. Sumana Buddha - when Bodhisatta was King
5. Revata Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
6. Sobhita Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
7. Anomadassi Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Devil King
8. Paduma Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Bodhisatta Lion
9. Narada Buddha - when Bodhisatta was an ascetic
10. Padumuttara Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
11. Sumedha Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
12. Sujata Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise rich man
13. Piyadassi Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
14. Atthadassi Buddha - when Bodhisatta was an ascetic
15. .Dhammadassi Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Heavenly King
16. Siddhattha Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
17. Tissa Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise man
18. Phussa Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Raja or King
19. Vipassi Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Raja or King
20. Sikhi Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Raja or King
21. Vessabhu Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Bhikkhu (monk)
22. Kakussandha Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Bhikkhu (monk)
23. Konagamana Buddha - when Bodhisatta was wise rich man
24. Kassapa Buddha - when Bodhisatta was Bhikkhu (monk)

Those aspirants for Buddha hood.

Those Theravadins living outside of Jambudipa will find it very hard for them to fulfill their aspiration of becoming a Buddha, unless he exists as a being in Jambudipa to redeem Buddha’s definite prediction. We know the Gotama Buddha’s prediction of all the future Buddha that will appear, in future time, in Jambudipa:

In the future (ten) Bodhisatta's will attain full awakening in the following order:

1. The most honourable (Ariya) Metteyya,
2. (King) Rama,
3. (King) Pasenadi of Kosala,
4. (the Deva) Abhibhu,
5. (the Asura Deva) Dighasoni,
6. (the Brahman) Candani,
7. (the young man) Subha,
8. the Brahman Todeyya,
9. (the elephant) Nalagiri, and
10. (the elephant) Palaleya.

Question No.1:
Can you attain Buddha hood living outside of Jambudipa?

The Buddha’s tradition requires that a Buddha aspirant must live in Jambudipa in order to meet with the Buddha’s that appear before him, in person and receive the Buddha’s definite prediction that he will become a Buddha in future time. I will let those follow the logical path what they should do to become a Buddha in future time. I have not seen a single name sounding like Myanmar, Thai, Cambodian or Laos, in the list of ten future Buddha’s’

What is the logical conclusion?

Theoretically, according to the Sutta Pitaka, it is conditionally possible to attain enlightenment in any of the four stages: Sotapanna, Sekadagami, Anagami, Arahatship – through mindfulness meditation (Vipassana meditation – living anywhere on earth whether you live in Jambudipa or outside of Jambudipa. However, an in-depth study (precedence’s of the past lives of our Bodhisatta Gautama) and the Dhammapada will tell us that it is much easier to attain ariyahood - Sotapanna, Sekadagami, Anagami, Arahatship if you meet with the Buddha in person. This then leads us to require that our existences be in Jambudipa, because Buddha only appears in Jambudipa. Again, knowing that many of Buddha’s disciples were chosen from the group of Brahmana, Brahmana lineage could be an quintessential to attaining enlightenment.

Should Mahayanists be concerned?

Do Mahayanists be concerned of living in Jambudipa? Even though Mahayanists worship both Sakyamuni and Amitabha Buddha, their destination for liberation is in Sukhavati – the Amitabha Buddhaland. The Amitabhabuddhaland is located not on this planet; it is located on a planet so far away from us. Mahayanists do not have to take rebirth in Jambudipa; the pious Mahayanists would be saved to this Amitabha Buddhaland where they could practice the dhamma for their final liberation.

What is the logical training path?

Theravadins aspirants for Buddha hood would have to take rebirth in Jambudipa in order to meet with all the Buddha’s’ that appear before him to receive definite predictions from each and every one of the Buddha. I would leave the other conclusion for those who seek ariyahood – Sotapanna, Sekadagami, Anagami and arahatship. Each of you could draw your own conclusion and practice accordingly.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

sumber: http://maungpaw.blogspot.com/2007/07/buddhahood-attainable-for-those-living.html