Practitioners of the Hinayana vehicle who live during dark ages when the teachings of a Buddha are no longer available. They do not study with Buddhist spiritual teachers, because there are none at such times, and they teach others only subtly, through gestures, since people are not receptive. Living either singly ("like a rhinoceros") or in small groups, they must rely on their instincts from previous lives to recall and master the Dharma. Motivated by renunciation, they strive to attain enlightenment for their own benefit alone and not in order to benefit all others. As a result, they may become an arhat (liberated being) but cannot achieve full enlightenment.
Tibetan: རང་རྒྱལ། rang-rgyal
Sanskrit: pratyekabuddha
J. Hopkins: Solitary realizer
Synonyms: Self-realizer; Self-evolver
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