Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

17 39-43 1 34-1 36 Ud. VIII, 5

18 V n 141, 142 D. II, 161

p. 6

20 15 144 S. V, 16 (nearly)

p. 132

p. 170

23 27 151 Quoted KV. 601 jD.I,i76;M.I39i494;S.II,

* ° { 21 ; Vin. 1, 69, 71

p. 80

26 7-10 155-158 s.i, 157-1593

27 9 156 A. IV, 410 ff.

28 10 157 Th. I, 905, 1046; A. I, 236

p. 2

30 19-20 162,163 Vin. II, 284, 5 4

31 27 167 (end of text)

1 Diners as to locus in quo. ' Differs as to application.

3 Differs as to order of sentences.

4 Differs as to order of sentences.

are noted in the table, arc very suggestive. No. 26 is the episode of the stanzas uttered at the moment of the Buddha's death. The Sawyutta gives it in the Brahma-Sa7//yutta because the first verse is attributed to Brahma. The last two verses are there put into the mouths of Ananda and Anuruddha respectively, perhaps because Anuruddha's verse forms a more fitting conclusion. In the Digha Ananda's comes last, either in deprecation of Ananda (which is scarcely probable), or for the reason given in the note to the translation.

In No. 14 we have four lines of verse, and the prose introductory to them, ascribed in the Digha to the Buddha, ascribed in the Anguttara to a former teacher whose story is there told by the Buddha. That previous teacher, though not a Buddha, is highly praised in the story ; the epithet applied to him in the verses (sattha) is quite in the right place in that connexion ; and the verses when spoken by the Buddha of another teacher, are quite appropriate. On the other hand, when put as the Digha puts them, into the mouth of the Buddha as spoken of himself, they are not in the best of taste, and sound forced. There can, I think, be no doubt but that the application of these verses to Sunetta the Teacher was the original one, and that the little poem was only later applied to the Buddha himself. But it does not follow in the least that the Anguttara is older than the Digha. For, as is shown by the references in the table, the Anguttara itself contains, in an earlier part of the work, the later application of these verses. There it gives the episode, word for word, as it occurs in the Digha. The two passages cannot be of the same age. It is not possible that the same story was told originally of two different people. But the two collections (Nikayas) may very well have been put together, from older materials oi varying age, at the same time.

No. 30 is the episode of the explosion of ill-will on the part of Subhadda. There is a slight but very suggestive difference here between the two texts, one found in our Suttanta the other in the Pahcasatika Khandaka of the Vinaya. For convenience of comparison the two versions of this episode are here reprinted side by side.

Digha. Vinaya.

Now at that time the venerable Now the venerable Maha Kas-

Maha Kassapa was journeying sapa addressed the Bhikkhus and along the high road from Pava. to said : ' Once I was journeying

Kusinaia with a great company along the high road from Pava to of the brethren, with about five Kusinara with a great company hundred of the brethren. And of the brethren, with about five

INTRODUCTION.

the venerable Maha Kassapa left the high road, and sat himself down at the foot of a certain tree. Just at that time a certain ascetic who had picked up a Mandarava flower in Kusinara was coming along the high road to Pava. Now the venerable Maha Kassapa saw the ascetic coming in the distance, and on seeing him he said to that ascetic : ' O friend ! surely thou knowest our Master ? '

' Yea, friend ! I know him. This day the Sama;/a Gotama has been dead a week. That is how I obtained this Mandarava flower.'