I’m curious.
Why does everyone keep saying that the Buddha was omniscient and so should have got everything right? Especially in light of MN90.
There is no ascetic or brahmin who knows all and sees all simultaneously: that is not possible
The psychic power of reading other people’s minds does not necessarily mean being able to predict outcomes perfectly. The reason is Free Will. An outside operator such as the Buddha can bring together all the underlying factors perfectly, but he still cannot guarantee a particular result. One crucial element for a particular outcome - the Free will of other beings in the present moment - cannot be controlled, not even by the Buddha. This is why he says in MN107
…though extinguishment is present, the path leading to extinguishment is present, and I am present to encourage them, still some of my disciples, instructed and advised like this, achieve the ultimate goal, extinguishment, while some of them fail. What can I do about that, brahmin? The Realized One is the one who shows the way.
Nor did the Buddha claim to be Omnipotent. An enlightened person may, by dint of having a better take on antecedent causes (DO) be better able to tilt the probability of an action towards better outcomes, but cannot ensure a particular outcome. All the underlying factors are after all, not under one’s voluntary control. Does not the Buddha say in SN36.21
Some feelings, Sīvaka, arise here originating from phlegm disorders … originating from wind disorders … originating from an imbalance of the three … produced by change of climate … produced by careless behaviour … caused by assault … produced as the result of kamma: that some feelings arise here produced as the result of kamma one can know for oneself, and that is considered to be true in the world
So, in the absence of the ability to predict specific outcomes or control all underlying conditions so as to obtain a specific result, how are we to judge a particular action as Right or Wrong? (Actually, it might be better to use ‘Wholesome’ and ‘Unwholesome’ as the words Right/Wrong are far too narrow IMO!) If we take up a specific case, eg the eating of Meat we can see from MN55 that the key factor we should consider is Intention.
At that time is that mendicant intending to hurt themselves, hurt others, or hurt both?
Applying this concept to all the examples of ‘mistakes’ which have been listed so far, I personally cannot see any place where the Buddha ever acted out of wrong intentions. And those were all that he could control or predict the results of. Whatever people did with things subsequently and whatever came to be has to be accepted by everyone, including the Buddha. Those consequences are nothing except Anicca, Dukkha and ultimately Anatta.
This has immense ramifications in our personal and work life. We are freed from the tyranny of judging our actions retrospectively, based on outcomes which we never intended and which were beyond our control, yet happened nevertheless! Hindsight is always 20/20 isn’t it? Yet, if one’s intentions were wholesome, one can be free of guilt. One can truly be the owner of one’s Kamma - which is essentially volitional action.
Just my two bits - perhaps something to think about.