Pratyekabuddha

(Sanskrit; Pāli, Paccekabuddha). A ‘private’ or ‘solitary’ Buddha, one who remainins in seclusion and does not teach the Dharma to others. In this way the Pratyekabuddha differs from the ‘perfectly enlightened Buddha’ or samyak-saṃbuddha. The latter is thought superior by virtue of the compassionate concern that motivates him to teach the path to liberation to others. Mahāyāna sources distinguish the Vehicle of the Pratyekabuddhas (Pratyekabuddhayāna) as one of three different paths to salvation. The other two are the Vehicle of the Hearers (Śrāvakayāna) as followed by the Arhats, and the Vehicle of the Bodhisattvas (Bodhisattvayāna), which is regarded as the highest.