The Account of the Buddhas Nirvana and the first Councils

·期刊原文
The Account of the Buddha's Nirvana and the first Councils according

to the Vinayaksudraka
Obermiller, E.
The Indian Historrical Quarterly
1932.11
Vol.4
pp.781--784

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

p.781

MISCELLANY

The Account of the Buddha's Nirvana and the first
Councils according to the Vinayaksudraka

Vol. VIII, part 2 of the IHQ., contains a most
interesting article of Professor L. Finot
"Mahaparinibbana-sutta and Cullavagga". The author
expresses his opinion to the effect that these two
important texts of the Pali Canon originally
represented one work which was subsequently
dismembered, the motive for this dismembering being
the desire of the compilers to include the part
containing the utterances of the Buddha himself in
the Sutta-pitaka, whereas the other part, relating
to the events after the Buddha's death and especislly
the rules of monastic discipline were regarded as
having their proper place in the Vinaya-pitaka.(1)

The arguments advanced by Professor Finot in
support of his opinion are the following: "The
events contained in the Cullavagga XI follow
chronologically those which form the subject-matter
of the Mahaparinibbana-sutta. '' "Besides the
unbroken sequence of the events which they relate the
two sections share a peculiar character suggestive of
a common origin, that is their historical, annalistic
garb."(2) Moreover, Prof. Finot mentions the
Samyuktavastu (Nanjio N. 1121.) containing an account
of both Parinirvana and Councils. This analogy, says
Prof. Finot, makes it possible to suppose that the
Theravadins (just as the Sarvastivadins to whom the
Samyuktavastu belongs) "could have had among their
sacred books an historical record of the same
description."(3)

Now, as regards analogies, the Tibetan tradition
puts us in possession of materials according to
which it becomes possible to affirm that Prof. Finot
must be unquestionably right in his opinion, as will
be illustrated by the following:

In the History of Buddhism of the celebrated
Tibetan scholar Bu-ston

-------------------
1 Op. cit., p. 243. 2 Ibid., p. 242. 3 ibid.

p.782

Rin-chen-dub (grub), the historical part proper,
(4) begins with an account of the twelve principal
events in the Buddha's life.(5) The first eleven,
ending with the "First Rolling of the Wheel of the
Doctrine"(6) are rendered in accordance with the
Lalitavistara. The twelfth and last event, viz. the
Buddha's departure into Nirvana is borrowed from the
text called Vinayaksudraka.(7) This text, as
preserved in the Tibetan translation in the Kangyur,
consists of three bulky volumes(8) and is in its
greater part devoted to the minuta of monastic
discipline.(9) The narrative of the Buddha's Nirvana
which is incorporated by Bu-ston in his History is
contained in the first of these volumes.(10) We have
the description of the following events thus,--

1. The Buddha stops that Biotic Force which keeps
the continuity of his life on earth going on.(11)
2. The Buddha's departure to Kusanagara and the
precepts delivered by him on the way there.(12)
3. The Buddha's instruetions concerning the
funeral rites to be performed after his death.(13)
4. The conversion of Sunanda(14) and of the
Parivrajaka Subhadra.(15)
5 The last words of the Buddha and his departure
into Nirvana.(16)
6 The message of the Buddha's Nirvana brought to
Ajatasatru.(17)

--------------------
4 Vol. II of my translation, Heidelberg. 1932.
5 Tib. mdzad-pa bcu gnis.
6 prathama-dharma-cakra-pravartana, i.e. the first
Benares sermon.
7 Tib., Hdul-ba phran-tshegs. Bu-ston, Xyl. 88 a.
3.--mya-nan-las-hdas-pahi tshul (Hdul-ba)
phran-tshegs bzin bsad-do. Transl., p. 72.
8 Kg. HDUL. (Vinaya), vols.XI (da), XII (na), and
XIII (pa).
9 Just as in the Cullavagga.
10 Fol. 247 a.--301 a. of the Derge edition.
11 ayuh-samskara= tshehi hdu-byed. Vin-ksudr.
(Kg.HDUL. XI), 247 a. 6--249 a. 5 Bu-ston,
Transl., p. 57.
12 Vin.-ksudr., 250 b. 6 sqq.--Bu-ston, Transl., p.
57.
13 Vin.-ksudr., 275 b. 5--276 a. 3.--Bu-ston,
Transl., 59.
14 Rab-dgah.
15 Rab-bzan. Vin.-ksudr., 279 a. 6--280 a.
5--Bu-ston, Transl., pp. 59, 60.
16 Vin.-ksudr., 287 b. 2--290 a. 6.--Bu-ston,
Transl., p. 61.
17 Vin. -ksudr., 290a, 6 sqq.--Bu-ston, Transl., p.
62.

p.783

7. The funeral rites.(18)
8. The quarrel about the relics of the Buddha and
pacification by Drona(19) Conclusion in verse.

A comparision of Bu-ston's text with the version
of the Vnayayksudraka shows a very close
correspondence. All the verses are quoted by Bu-ston
at full length; the passages in prose are only
slightly abridged.

Thereafter, having dialated on the meaning of
Nirvana and its interpretation according to Hinayana
and Mahayana, etc.,(20) Buston passes over to the
narrative of the first and second Councils. He does
not indicate his source, but even at the first
glance it becomes quite clear that this source is no
other than the Vinayaksudraka. As before, the version
of the latter appears in a slightly condensed form,
all the verses being quoted at full length. We have
here:--
1. The intention of Mahakasyapa to assemble a
Council of the Clergy for the sake of rehearsing the
Scriptures.(21)
2. The invitation of Gavampati by Purna. The
refusal of Gavampati to taka part in the Council and
his death.(22)
3. The arrival of the Clergy at Rajagrha. The
expulsion of Ananda by Mahakasyapa.(23)
4. Ananda's attainment of Arhatship, his return
to the Council and the accomplishment of the First
Rehearsal. (Ananda rehearses the Sutras, Upali the
Vinaya and Mahakasyapa the Abhidharma) .(24)
5. Mahakasyapa's and Ananda's departure into
Nirvana.(25)
6. The arrival of Madhyantika in kashmir.(26)
7. The Second Rehearsal.--The ten indulgences
admitted by the monks of Vaisali, the arrival of the
Arhat Yasas and the excommunication.

------------------------
18 Vin.-ksudr., 291 b. sqq.--Bu-ston, Transl., p.
63.
19 Vin.-ksudr., 297 a. 3.--301 a. 3.--Bu-ston.
Transl.. pp. 65-67.
20 Transl., pp. 67-72.
21 Vin.-ksudr., 301 a. 3-b. 3.--Bu-ston, Transl., p.
73.
22 Vin.-ksudr., 301 a. 301 b. 7--303 b. 2.--Bu-ston,
Transl., pp. 73-76.
23 Vin-ksudr., 305 a. 6--309 b. 2--Bu-ston, Transl.,
pp. 77-81.
24 Vin-ksudr., 309 b. 2--316 b.3.--Bu-ston, Transl.,
pp. 81--85
25 Vin-ksudr., 316 b. 7--322 a.4.--Bu-ston, Transl.,
pp.85-90.
26 Vin-ksudr., 322 a. 4--323 a.7.--Bu-ston, Transl.,
p. 90.

p.784

of the monks of Vaisali. The place and the date of
the second Rehearsal.(27)

So we have the narrative of the Buddha's
attainment of Nirvana and that of the first and the
second Councils actually contained in one text. And
even more:--The story of the Councils begins just on
the same line in which the narrative of the burial of
the Buddha finishes, (28) without any indication
whatsoever.

Prof. Finot says that "we have reason to suppose
that the account of the Councils of Rajagrha and
Vaisali once formed the latter part of a larger
historical work."(29)--We may now affirm that such a
work actually exists; it is contained in the first
volume of the Vinayaksudraka. The two parts which
were severed from each other in the Pali Canon appear
in the Northern Vinaya test as one whole.(30)

Thus it is that Prof. Finot's very illuminating
suggestions find a striking confirmation by the
perusal of the Vinayaksudraka and Bu-ston's reference
to it.

E. OBERMILLER

------------------------
27 Vin.-ksudr., 323 b. 4.--332 a.2.--Bu-ston,
Transl., pp. 91-96.
28 Fol. 301 a. 3(Derge ed.).
29 Op. cit., p. 246.
30 We must remark here that the Northern Canon
possesses independently the version of the
Mahaparinirvana-sutra, Kg. MDO., vols. VIII, IX
and X.