In Buddhism, a buddha (Sanskrit ?????) is any being who has become fully awakened (enlightened), has permanently overcome greed, hate, and ignorance, and has achieved complete liberation from suffering. -------------------------------------------------- In the Pali Canon, the term 'buddha' refers to anyone who has become enlightened (i.e., awakened to the truth, or Dharma) on their own, without a teacher to point out the Dharma, in a time when the teachings on the Four Noble Truths or the Eightfold Path do not exist in the world. ------------------------------------------ Generally, Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama to have been the only buddha. The Pali Canon refers to Gautama Buddha at least once as the 28th Buddha. A common Buddhist belief is that the next Buddha will be one named Maitreya (Pali: Metteyya). ----------------------------------------------- Buddhism teaches that anyone can become awakened and experience nirvana. Theravada Buddhism teaches that one doesn't need to become a Buddha to become awakened and experience nirvana, since an Arahant (Sanskrit: Arhat) also has those qualities, while some Mahayana Buddhist texts (e.g., the Lotus Sutra) imply that all beings will become Buddhas at some point in time.-----------------1. Samyaksambuddhas attain buddhahood, then decide to teach others the truth they have discovered. They lead others to awakening by teaching the Dharma in a time or world where it has been forgotten or has not been taught before. Siddhartha Gautama is considered a samyaksambuddha.-------------------2. Pratyekabuddhas, sometimes called 'silent Buddhas') are similar to samyaksambuddhas in that they attain nirvana and acquire the same powers as a samyaksambuddha, but choose not to teach what they have discovered. They are considered second to the samyaksambuddhas in spiritual development. They do ordain others; their admonition is only in reference to good and proper conduct (abhisamacarikasikkha). In some texts, the pratyekabuddhas are described as those who understand the Dharma through their own efforts, but obtain neither omniscience nor mastery over the 'fruits' (phalesu vasibhavam).------------------------------Buddhists meditate on (or contemplate) the Buddha as having nine characteristics: "The Blessed One is: 1. a worthy one 2. perfectly self-enlightened 3. stays in perfect knowledge 4. well gone 5. unsurpassed knower of the world 6. unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed 7. teacher of the gods and humans 8. the Enlightened One 9. the Blessed One or fortunate one. These characteristics are frequently mentioned in the Pali Canon, and are chanted daily in many Buddhist monasteries.-----------------------All Buddhist traditions hold that a Buddha has completely purified his mind of greed, aversion and ignorance, and that he is no longer bound by Samsara. A Buddha is fully awakened and has realised the ultimate truth, the non-dualistic nature of life, and thus ended (for himself) the suffering which unawakened people experience in life.-------------------------------From the Pali Canon emerges the view that Buddha was human, endowed with the greatest psychic powers (Kevatta Sutta). The body and mind (the five khandhas) of a Buddha are impermanent and changing, just like the body and mind of ordinary people. However, a Buddha recognises the unchanging nature of the Dharma, which is an eternal principle and an unconditioned and timeless phenomenon. This view is common in the Theravada school, and the other early Buddhist schools.-----------------Some schools of Mahayana Buddhism believe that the Buddha is no longer essentially a human being but has become a being of a different order altogether and that, in his ultimate transcendental "body/mind" mode as Dharmakaya, he has eternal and infinite life and is possessed of great and immeasurable qualities. In the Mahaparinirvana Sutra the Buddha declares: "Nirvana is stated to be eternally abiding. The Tathagata [Buddha] is also thus, eternally abiding, without change." This is a particularly important metaphysical and soteriological doctrine in the Lotus Sutra and the Tathagatagarbha Sutras. According to the Tathagatagarbha Sutras, failure to recognise the Buddha's eternity and - even worse - outright denial of that eternity, is deemed a major obstacle to the attainment of complete awakening (bodhi).------------------------------A common misconception among Westerners views Buddha as the Buddhist counterpart to “God”; Buddhism, however, is non-theistic (i.e., in general it does not teach the existence of a supreme creator god (see God in Buddhism) or depend on any supreme being for enlightenment; Buddha is a guide and teacher who points the way to nirvana). The commonly accepted definition of the term "God" describes a being that not only rules but actually created the universe (see origin belief). Such ideas and concepts are disputed by Buddha and Buddhists in many Buddhist discourses. In Buddhism, the supreme origin and creator of the universe is not a god, but Avidya (ignorance). Buddhists try to dispel this darkness through constant practice, compassion and wisdom (known as prajna).-----------The Dharmacakra (Sanskrit) or Dhammacakka (Pali), Tibetan chos.kyi 'khor.lo, Chinese falún ??, "Wheel of Dharma" is an auspicious symbol representing a dharma (law) in Hinduism and the Buddha's teaching of the path to enlightenment. It is also sometimes translated as wheel of doctrine or wheel of law. A similar symbol is also in use in Jainism.-------------The Dharmacakra symbol has the form of a wheel with eight or more spokes (sometimes 24 spokes representing the solar cycle). It is one of the oldest Hindu and Buddhist symbols, found in Indian art from the Vedic time and the time of the Buddhist king Asoka, and used by all Buddhist nations ever since. One version of the symbol, taken from the capital of a pillar erected by Asoka, is found on the flag of the modern state of India. In its simplest form, it is recognised globally as a symbol for Buddhism.-----------------The eight spokes represent the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism. They are said to have sharp edges to cut through ignorance. Other symbolisms in the eight-spoked Dharmacakra in Buddhism: * Its overall shape is that of a circle (cakra), representing the perfection of the dharma teaching * The hub stands for discipline, which is the essential core of meditation practice * The rim, which holds the spokes, refers to mindfulness or samadhi which holds everything together The corresponding mudra, or symbolic hand gesture, is known as the Dharmacakra Mudra. The Dharmacakra is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. The dharma wheel can refer to the dissemination of the dharma teaching from country to country. In this sense the dharma wheel began rolling in India, then arrived in China, and then to Korea.