Did SamBuddha know everything?

March 2020 edition

Did SamBuddha know everything?

Article summary

According to the Theravada tradition the Samma Sambuddha is omniscient in the sense that all knowable things are potentially accessible to him. When asked this question some says “Yes” some says “No, it can’t be”. So, I thought of sharing something with regards to this topic for those who are wise enough to observe the explained facts. Have a blessed time!

Well, for many people it seems hard to digest the answer “Yes” to the question of “Did Samma Sambuddha knew everything?”.  Because they say it is not written anywhere.  There are no conversations about dinosaurs nor world wars nor computers… etc… So, it’s obvious that many doesn’t believe the fact of “Samma Sambuddha knowing everything” or may be doesn't like to believe it!

In pali canon it says; everything means eyes & forms, ears & sound, nose & smell, tongue & tastes, body & touches, mind & feelings / thoughts.  So, some even argue based on this, that Samma Sambuddha only knew about these things and even we can achieve the title “omniscient” not only just a Samma Sambuddha.

This is natural again, because normal human mind is trained to believe the facts they sense through their senses.  So, for normal human mind who believes Samma Sambuddha also were a just another human being, can’t accept the fact of specialties the blessed one has.

Ok, just think about your own self for a moment...

How much do you know about things? Things you have experienced in past & present, and the knowledge about certain subject about world, science, history, biology etc…

Now think how much from your knowledge you have shared with others? 

Think for a moment did anyone asked about everything you know? 

Can you explain everything you know to others in a life time? 

How often people believe that you are knowledgeable and they can ask questions?      

Now if you are a person with some serious meditation experiences, compare how much you know about things around you than a regular being? 

So, it’s simple that pali canon can’t have everything Samma Sambuddha explained even as dhamma.   Anyone who realized the depth of dhamma should surely understood that limiting his dhamma to few books is the most stupid thing one can do. 

But still, if someone is arguing it is everything that Samma Sambuddha explained in his life time… well there are enough facts for anyone with common sense to accept the fact that The Samma Sambuddha knew everything about everything from the beginning to end.

The blessed one explained about how existence begins… blessed one explained about what kind of an attitude people will have in future which is already proven correct… blessed one explained about what will happen to the Buddhism & how it is going to vanish from the system… blessed one explained about the solar system… other universes… other universal beings… and in one occasion it is said that he even knew the count of drops a future rain can have… and the blessed one explained about all the realms including microorganisms… there are loads of facts that proves Samma Sambuddha knew everything about everything and if anyone said that there wasn’t any conversation about computers or dinosaurs in pali canon that means the blessed one doesn’t knew everything… well, I must say that’s pure ignorance which purely based one 5 senses. 

And also, there are 73 Supreme Knowledge and there 6 Supreme knowledge that only a Samma Sambuddha can possess.  So, Let’s discuss about those things in another chapter.  But for now, hope all these facts are reasonably argue for anyone with common sense to accept the fact that “Yes, The Samma Sambuddha knew everything about everything & not only that, a normal human mind can’t possess such a knowledge and for them it’s something quite impossible” 

So, my dear dhamma friends, before come to any conclusion know what deep & pure Buddhist teachings means and you will be able to know the blessed one through that wisdom!  Have a blessed time!

Rajitha Viduransi | Kelaniya, Sri Lanka