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A Pratyekabuddha (Sanskrit: प्रत्येक बुद्ध) or Paccekabuddha (Pāli: पच्चेकबुद्ध), literally "a lone buddha" , "a buddha on their own" or "a private buddha", is one of three types of enlightened beings according to some schools of Buddhism. The other two types are the Śrāvakabuddhas and Samyaksambuddhas. Pratyekabuddhas are said to achieve enlightenment on their own, without the use of teachers or guides, according to some traditions by contemplating the principle of dependent arising. They are said to arise only in ages where there is no Buddha and the Buddhist teachings (Sanskrit: dharma; Pāli: dhamma) are lost. Many may arise at a single time. Unlike Supreme Buddhas (see bodhi), their enlightenment is not foretold.
Some schools assert that pratyekabuddhas are not omniscient, while others say that they are the same (in realisation) as Bodhisattvas, but do not have the will to teach the entire Dharma. The Mahayana schools considered[1] the Pratyekabuddhas to be self-centred and contrasted them unfavourably with the Bodhisattva. According to the Theravada school, after rediscovering the path on their own, Paccekabuddhas are unable to teach the Dhamma, which requires[2] the omniscience and supreme compassion of a Sammasambuddha, and even He hesitates to attempt to teach.[3] Pratyekabuddhas do give moral teachings, but do not bring others to enlightenment. They leave no saṅgha as a legacy to carry on the Dharma.
Pratyekabuddhas (e.g. Darīmukha J.378, Sonaka J.529) appear as teachers of Buddhist doctrine in pre-Buddhist times in several of the Jātakas. The experiences and enlightenment verses uttered by Pratyekabuddhas are narrated in the Khaggavisāna-sutta of the Sutta Nipāta.
The yāna or vehicle by which pratyekabuddhas achieve enlightenment is called the pratyekayāna, the "on-one's-own vehicle", in Mahayana tradition.
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