The Eighteen Impossible States of Bodhisatta
The Bodhisatta is one who seeks awakening (bodhi) or an
individual on the path to becoming a buddha. The stories of the Gautama Buddha
portray the efforts of the bodhisattva to cultivate the qualities, including
morality, self-sacrifice, and wisdom, etc, with the wish to attain buddhahood
for the benefit of all sentient beings.
When a Bodhisatta makes a vow or resolve (panidhāna) to fulfil
the ten perfections (pāramīs), the Bodhisatta is said not to be born in any of
the 18 ‘impossible states’ (abhabbaṭṭhāna). The list contains the following:
(1) Blind (jaccandha)
(2) Deaf (jaccabadhira)
(3) Insane (ummataka)
(4) Deaf and dumb (elamuga)
(5) Crippled (pithasappi)
(6) Among babarians (milakkhesu)
(7) Born of a woman (itthibhāva )
(8) One with confirmed wrong views (niyatamicchaditthika)
(9) Of changeable sex (hermaphrodite) (lingam parivattati)
(10) Among those guilty of committing the five heinous actions
(pancanantariyakamma)
(11) A lepper (kutthi)
(12) Smaller than a quail, or larger than an elephant in
size, if born an animal
(13) Among the khuppipasikanijjhamatanhika petas
(14) Among the kalakanjakas Asuras or in Avici or
lokantarika nirayas (eight great hells)
(15) In sense sphere ( kamavacara) world as Mara
(16) In the material sphere (rupavacara) world, among those
lacking in consciousness (asannibhava), or in the pure abode
(suddhavasa)
(17) In the immaterial sphere ( arupa) world
(18) In another world-system (anna-cakkavala).
Some of the items such as (8), (14), (15), (16), (17), and
(18) mentioned in the list are significant and are all within the doctrinal
framework of Theravāda Buddhism. Moreover the theoretical background on which
the list is based could be the Jātakas which show different places of Gotama
Bodhisatta’s rebirths.
May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of
Nibbana.
Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com
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