Regarding Lvalio’s comment above, “bodhisattvas follow holy life under the Buddhas, purify virtue, learn buddha’s teachings, practice meditative life, and develop insight to proper knowledge(anulomañana). But they make no effort to reach the supermundane ways and their fruits.”
That is not quite correct.
– It is not that they do not make any effort. Unless he is told by a Buddha in a given lifetime, he would not even know that he is a Bodhisatta. Note that even though he met 28 Buddhas, and got “niyata vivarana” from them, there were many many eons that passed during that time.
– They do make their best effort. However, once he gets “niyata vivarana” there is NO POSSIBILITY for the Bodhisatta to comprehend the Four Noble Truths (i.e., Tilakkhana) by learning them from someone else.
– All he will be doing from the point of getting “niyata vivarana” is to complete any unfulfilled tasks on the way to the Buddhahood.
One of the key points many people do not understand is “niyata vivarana“.
– I will explain that in detail at some point. But the following is the key idea.
– We all have our future “mapped out” at any point in time. However, that map KEEPS CHANGING all the time, based on our actions. For example, if one commits a bad deed, that map will change in a “bad way”.
– But once the Bodhisatta completes most of the paramita (tasks) required for the Buddhahood, the map DOES NOT change, at least not significantly. For example, going back to 28 Buddhas who gave “niyata vivarana“, they all saw that our Bodhisatta WILL attain the Buddhahood.