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Buddha (Sanskrit: lit. Awakened One, Enlightened One. from
the Sanskrit: "Budh", to know) is a title given to individuals who have
realized their complete potential for personal development and conscious
evolution. In contemporary usage, it often refers to Siddhartha Gautama, the
religious teacher and spiritual founder of Buddhism (considered to be "the
Buddha of this age"). In the other usage, it is an appellative and exemplar
for an Enlightened human being.
Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama to have been the first or
last Buddha. Technically, a Buddha, one who rediscovers the Dharma (i.e.,
Truth; the nature of reality, of the mind, of the affliction of the human
condition and the correct "path" to liberation) by Enlightenment, comes to
be after skillful or good karma (intention) is perfectly maintained and all
negative unskillful actions are abandoned. The attainment of Nirvana between
the three types of Buddhas is exactly the same, but the Samma-Sambuddha
expresses more qualities and capacities than the other two. These three
types of Buddhahood are:
- The Samma-Sambuddha who, without a teacher, gains full Enlightenment by
his own effort
- The Pacceka-Buddha or "Pratyeka-Buddha" who is like the Samma-Sambuddha,
but remains silent and keeps the discovered Dharma to himself
- The Savaka-Buddha who is an Arahant (enlightened disciple), but has
attained Enlightenment by hearing of the Dhamma.
 Due to popular misconceptions, it must be emphasized that a Buddha is not
a God. Not only was this denied by Gautama Buddha himself, but also the
clear distinction is made in Buddhist cosmology that the position of
Buddhahood is attainable only by human beings (although not limited to this
particular Humanity), in whom reside the greatest potential for
Enlightenment. Gautama Buddha also stated that there is no intermediary
between mankind and the divine; distant gods and God are subject to karma
themselves in decaying heavens. The Buddha is solely an exemplar, guide and
teacher for those sentient beings who must tread the path themselves, attain
spiritual Awakening, and see truth & reality as it is. The Buddhist system
of philosophy and meditation practice was not divinely-revealed, but rather,
the understanding of the true nature of the human mind which can be
rediscovered by anyone for themselves. Penetration of this reality
accompanies the shocking truth that ignorance can be eliminated.
According to Gautama Buddha, the Awakening bliss of Nirvana he attained
under the fig tree, is available to all beings once they achieve rebirth as
a human. Emphasizing this concept, the Mahayana school of Buddhism in
particular refers to many Buddhas and also bodhisattvas (beings committed to
Enlightenment but who vow to postpone their own Nirvana in order to assist
others on the path). In the holy Tipitaka - the core sacred text of Buddhism
- the numerous past Buddhas and their lives are spoken of, including the
next Buddha-to-be, the Maitreya Buddha.
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