Meaning of the self-introduction
A Bodhisatta, who is about to become a Buddha in this very life, is said to be the Highest in the world, because He had reached the topmost level in human evolution where the process of evolution is about to terminate. He was at the threshold of the evolutionary struggle for existence, about to wake up from the dream of “existence”. In other words, though biological evolution took place due to a struggle for existence, psychological evolution takes place by stopping this struggle for a valid reason.
It was the Buddha who saw the futility, vanity, and painfulness of this struggle for existence that kept evolution going, and decided to stop it, and so bring this unnecessary painful struggle to an end. Biologically speaking, “life” is nothing but this struggle for existence, which defeats its own purpose – “existence.” The survival of the fittest is the survival of the species and not the individual. Therefore this struggle is not only futile it is also painful and destructive. This was why the evolution of the human being occurs only when he has developed the ability to think, and has found an “error” in this struggle for existence, which is the natural process of “life,” that continues the evolutionary process. It was the enlightened mind of the Bodhisatta that decided to stop this futile and painful struggle for existence (bhava tanha), and so become a Buddha.
The Bodhisatta is the oldest because he is therefore the most mature in the world, both mentally and emotionally, though physically he was an infant. It is important to note here that the teaching of the Buddha is a technique of growth and maturity, rather than a set of rules to be obeyed, in fear of punishment in hell, or out of greed for reward in Heaven.
He is the Greatest in the world, because He solved the problem of existence, and won the victory over death. This He did, not just for Himself, but for all beings terrestrial and celestial. The Buddha pointed out that all gods or celestial beings are mortal. Therefore, there is no one greater than an Awake-one, a Buddha, in heaven or on earth.
Because the Bodhisatta has not stopped personalization He still thinks “I am” and “mine.” When he wakes up to reality, from the “dream of being,” and stops personalization, he ceases to “be” forever. This is what is meant by the words, “This is my final birth. Never will I come into being again.”