reddust wrote:Thank you for this quote! I've always wondered what the cessation of consciousness meant. I've heard all the arguments, especially about the folks that are in a comma, they are obviously not a Buddha. Does this mean Buddha no longer grasps at consciousness as me and mine?
Notice the "cessation of consciousness" in SN 12.65 was in the context of the 12 links of Dependent Origination, in which consciousness is the rebirth consciousness, a vital link to the continuation of new bodies in subsequent lives. The Buddha has shattered the links, and thus no longer subjected to any new bodies in subsequent lives. That has nothing to do with the regular senses' consciousness that the Buddha still possess to carry out His daily activities. Also please read Ven. Bodhi's article if you have times. It'll clarify a lot of things for you.
reddust wrote:Back to can a Buddha see another Buddha? Why can we only have one Supreme Buddha at a time? I remember reading that Buddha can see future Buddhas, the Bodhisattva/Bodhisatta. Depending on the system Bodhisatta has to get the go ahead from the Supreme Buddha at the beginning of his path to become Supreme Buddha. As a Bodhisattva certain Bhumis have to be crossed and the Supreme Buddha gives the okay.... I guess I will have to become a Buddha to figure this out.
As mentioned, if the identity of a SammaSambuddha includes the re-discovery of the lost Dharma, then while the Dispensation is still around, this function cannot be fulfilled, thus the impossibility of 2 Buddhas in the same world-system (reference from another thread
here). Buddhas are Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas are Bodhisattavas, there's no confusion here. Right now, the Bodhisatta Metteyya is carrying out His Bodhisattvic duties in the Tushita Heaven until one day He'll come back to earth to fulfill the role of a future Buddha and continue the lineage of the SammaSambuddhas.