user-1: This is very similar to Did Siddhartha Gautama achieve Nirvana?
It is also kinda separate/different, and since I have not "realised all phenomena are non-self" I might ask my own question, especially as I am more interested in Mahayana Buddhism, just not what 'nothing to attain' means.
Is our historical Tripitaka Buddha also Siddhartha Gautama, the prince who left home? Clearly they are not identical, because the latter has undergone complete and perfect enlightenment (so not the same question as the above). But are they in any sense the same?
Follow up questions like whether the Jataka stories are about Shakyamuni Buddha, whether the dharmakaya is Shakyamuni Buddha, would also be appreciated.

user17652: They are the same, but they have been given different expressions from different people in different traditions. Those expressions have certain appeal to certain people, but some of those traditions try to point to the Buddha in you, and not some external representation of a Buddha.
Some traditions, however, encourage one to focus quite heavily on a Buddha figure out there somewhere, or even a guru. Amazingly, some people find that helpful, but others may find it a bit of a trapping. I've seen this happen, and it can be quite a terrible affliction, because they invest so much of themselves into their order, it's unbearable for them to even consider the idea of packing up and trying something else; hence, they become silent sufferers.

-1: <p>This is very similar to <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/22696/did-siddhartha-gautama-achieve-nirvana">Did Siddhartha Gautama achieve Nirvana?</a></p>
<p>It is also kinda separate/different, and since I have not &quot;realised all phenomena are non-self&quot; I might ask my own question, especially as I am more interested in Mahayana Buddhism, just not what 'nothing to attain' means.</p>
<p>Is our historical Tripitaka Buddha also Siddhartha Gautama, the prince who left home? Clearly they are not identical, because the latter has undergone complete and perfect enlightenment (so not the same question as the above). But are they in any sense the same?</p>
<p>Follow up questions like whether the Jataka stories are about Shakyamuni Buddha, whether the dharmakaya is Shakyamuni Buddha, would also be appreciated.</p>
 17652: <p>They are the same, but they have been given different expressions from different people in different traditions. Those expressions have certain appeal to certain people, but some of those traditions try to point to the Buddha in you, and not some external representation of a Buddha.</p>
<p>Some traditions, however, encourage one to focus quite heavily on a Buddha figure out there somewhere, or even a guru. Amazingly, some people find that helpful, but others may find it a bit of a trapping. I've seen this happen, and it can be quite a terrible affliction, because they invest so much of themselves into their order, it's unbearable for them to even consider the idea of packing up and trying something else; hence, they become silent sufferers.</p>
