Buddha

For the founder of Buddhism see Gautama Buddha.

Buddha (devanāgarī: बुद्ध) is a Sanskrit word that means "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." H. P. Blavatsky defined it as follows:

Buddha (Sk.). Lit., “The Enlightened”. The highest degree of knowledge. To become a Buddha one has to break through the bondage of sense and personality; to acquire a complete perception of the REAL SELF and learn not to separate it from all otherselves; to learn by experience the utter unreality of all phenomena of the visible Kosmos foremost of all; to reach a complete detachment from all that is evanescent and finite, and live while yet on Earth in the immortal and the everlasting alone, in a supreme state of holiness.

In the Theosophical view a Buddha appears regularly with each Root-Race:

Esoteric philosophy teaches us that every Root-race has its chief Buddha or Reformer, who appears also in the seven sub-races as a Bodhisattva (q.v.). Gautama Sakyamuni was the fourth, and also the fifth Buddha: the fifth, because we are the fifth root-race; the fourth, as the chief Buddha in this fourth Round.

The current Buddha, Siddhârta Gautama, is said to be the fourth Buddha to appear on Earth in this Round, corresponding to the fifth Root-Race (the beginning of first Root-Race having a Planetary Spirit incarnated instead of a Buddha).

Dhyāni-Buddhas

The Dhyāni-Buddhas, known as the "Celestial Buddhas", are "the eternal prototypes of the Buddhas who appear on this earth, the Manushi-Buddhas. Mme. Blavatsky wrote that the:

They are, as Mr. Rhys Davids correctly states, “the glorious counterparts in the mystic world, free from the debasing conditions of this material life“ of every earthly mortal Buddha—the liberated Manushi-Buddhas appointed to govern the Earth in this Round. They are the “Buddhas of Contemplation,” and are all Anupadaka (parentless), i.e., self-born of divine essence.

Mānuṣi-Buddhas

Known as "Terrestrial Buddhas", they are "Human Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or incarnated Dhyan Chohans". According to Mme. Blavatsky Each of Manushi-Buddha "has his particular divine prototype. So, for instance, Amitâbha is the Dhyani-Buddha of Gautama Sakyamuni".

The Manushi Buddhas are related to the hierarchy known as Anupadaka:

The term Anupadaka, “parentless,” or without progenitors, is a mystical designation having several meanings in the philosophy. By this name celestial beings, the Dhyan-Chohans or Dhyani-Buddhas, are generally meant. But as these correspond mystically to the human Buddhas and Bodhisattwas, known as the “Mânushi (or human) Buddhas” the latter are also designated “Anupadaka,” once that their whole personality is merged in their compound sixth and seventh principles—or Atma-Buddhi, and that they have become the “diamond-souled” (Vajra-sattvas), the full Mahatmas.