Vol. 11 · pages 96–100

77 ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE VISION OF A NEW WAY I tions, the Fourfold Contest, the Fourfold Will Power, the Fivefold Morality. 10. In his fifth life he acquires Sudurjaya (Difficult to Conquer). He fully understands the connection of the relative and the absolute. 11. In his sixth life he becomes Abhimukhi. In this stage the Bodhisatta is now prepared fully to grasp the evolution of things, its cause, the Twelve Nidanas ; and this knowledge, called Abhimukhi, awakens the most profound compassion in his heart for all beings blinded by Avidya. 12. In his seventh life the Bodhisatta becomes a Durangama (going far off). The Bodhisatta is now beyond time and space ; he is one with Infinity, but he still retains nama-rupa out of his great compassion for all beings. He is secluded from others, in that the lusts of the world no more cling to him than water to a lotus leaf. He quenches desires in his fellow beings, practices charity, patience, tactfulness, energy, calmness, intelligence and the highest wisdom. 13. While in this life he knows the Dharma, but presents it in ways understood by the people, he knows he must be tactful and patient. Whatever men do to him he bears with equanimity, for he knows that it is through ignorance they misunderstand his motives. At the same time he never slackens his energy to benefit all beings, nor does he withdraw his mind from wisdom, therefore misfortune can never turn him from the righteous path. 14. In his eighth life he becomes Acala. In the stage of Acala, or ‘immovable,’ all strivings on the part of the Bodhisatta cease. He follows good spontaneously ; whatever he will do he will succeed in. 15. In his ninth life he becomes Sadhumati. This is the stage or condition of one who has vanquished and penetrated all dharmas or systems, all quarters, and does not enter time. 16. In his tenth life he becomes Dharmamegha. The Bodhisatta attains the infinite divine eye of a Buddha. 17. The Bodhisatta acquires these ten powers

78 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES I which are necessary for him when he becomes a Buddha. 18. The Bodhisatta must not only acquire these ten powers as he evolves from stage to stage but he must also practice to perfection the ten Paramitas. 19. One Paramita is to be the end of one life. Specialisation in the Paramitas must go stage by stage. One Paramita in one life and not a little of one and a little of the other. 20. It is only when he is doubly equipped that a Bodhisatta becomes qualified for becoming a Buddha. The Buddha is a culminating point in the life of a Bodhisatta. 21. The theory of the Jatakas or the birth stages of a Bodhisatta appears analogous to the Brahmanic theory of Avataras, i.e., the theory of incarnations of God. 22. The Jataka theory is based upon the Buddha having the highest degree of purity as the essence of his being. 23. The Avatar theory does not require that the God should be pure in his making. All that the Brahmanic theory of Avatar says is that God saves his followers by taking different forms although the God may be very impure and immoral in his conduct. 24. The theory that to be a Bodhisatta for ten lives as a condition precedent for becoming a Buddha has no parallel anywhere. No other religion calls upon its founder to answer such a test.

PART V The Buddha and His Predecessors 1. The Buddha and the Vedic Rishis. 2. Kapila—The Philosopher. 3. The Bramhanas. 4. The Upanishads and their Teachings.

81 THE BUDDHA AND HIS PREDECESSORS I § 1. The Buddha and the Vedic Rishis 1. The Vedas are a collection of Mantras, i.e., hymns or chants. The reciters of these hymns are called Rishis. 2. The Mantras are mere invocations to deities such as Indra, Varuna, Agni, Soma, Isana, Prajapati, Bramha, Mahiddhi, Yama and others. 3. The invocations are mere prayers for help against enemies, for gift of wealth, for accepting the offerings of food, flesh and wine from the devotee. 4. There is not much philosophy in the Vedas. But there were some Vedic sages who had entered into speculations of a philosophical nature. 5. These Vedic sages were : (1) Aghamarsana; (2)Prajapati Parmesthin; (3) Brahmanaspati, otherwise known as Brihaspati; (4) Anila; (5) Dirghatamas; (6) Narayan; (7) Hiranyagarbha; and (8) Visvakarman. 6. The main problems of these Vedic philosophers were : How did the world originate ? In what manner were individual things created ? Why have they their unity and existence ? Who created, and who ordained ? From what did the world spring up and to what again will it return ? 7. Aghamarsana said that the world was created out of Tapas (heat). Tapas was the creative principle from which eternal law and truth were born. From these were produced the night (tamas). Tamas produced water and from water originated time. Time gave birth to the sun and the moon, the heaven and the earth, the firmament and light and ordained the days and nights. 8. Brahmanaspati postulated the genesis of being from non-being. By the term non-existence, he denoted apparently the infinite. The existent originally sprang up from the non-existent. The non-existent (asat, nonens) was the permanent foundation of all that is existent (sat, ens) and of all that is possible and yet non-existent (asat).