Just to remind, the basic process of cultivating paramita to become a Buddha is discussed in the post, “Paramita and Niyata Vivarana – Myths or Realities?“.
Each jati can be traced to back to the types of (abhi)sankhara that one cultivates. The difference between a Buddha and a Paccekabuddha can be traced back to their thought processes (abhisankhara).
A Buddha (rather a Bodhisattva) is determined to find the truth about this world, thereby find the way to stop the samsaric suffering AND to help others to be free of suffering.
– On the other hand, one who is to become a Paccekabuddha just wants to find the truth about the nature of this. He may not even be thinking about how to stop the samsaric suffering (of course I am not certain about that). But that seems to make sense.
We also need to realize that those terms of Buddha and Paccekabuddha may not even not known to those persons while they are fulfilling paramita. They just proceed based on their “gati“. The ultimate result is based on the particular gati cultivated.
– In this context, the term Buddha was known when the Gotama Buddha (price Siddhartha) was born, simply because there were three other Buddhas before him, and the Vedas transmitted the vague concept of a Buddha (and definitely the term Buddha).
– In most Maha kappas (world cycles), there is only one Buddha (or none), and in these cases, the term Buddha becomes known only after the Enlightenment of that Buddha.
– So, even though we think that a person would start cultivating abisankhara (gati) SPECIFICALLY to become a Buddha or a Paccekabuddha, that is not correct. Even those terms may not be known in 99% of the time. One may need to think about this a bit to realize my point.
In this context, a Paccekabuddha probably does not even use that term to describe himself. He may even teach Dhamma to others, but may not be capable to communicating the right way or to explain the what he has grasped. As we know, it is very hard to comprehend (and also to teach) the “anicca nature”. Only a Buddha (and those who have comprehended that particular way of teaching) can do that.
– Also, providing food to those who come asking for food is not necessarily done with an expectation of something (in this case teaching) in return. We may have a visualization of a Paccekabuddha dressed in a yellow robe, but in reality, a Paccekabuddha could be just wearing normal (but not fancy) clothes. One could mistake him for any other person asking for food.
– Another possibility is that due to the high moral status of a Paccekabuddha, people may be automatically motivated take care of him. They of course would not even know that he is a Paccekabuddha (or even about what that term means; remember that a Paccekabuddha is born only when there is no Sammasambuddha in the world).
I am of course speculating on some these, but that is what makes sense to me.