Comparative Study of Majjhima Nikaya Vol. 1

8/10/2019 Comparative Study of Majjhima Nikaya Vol. 1

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Dharma Drum Buddhist College Series

In 1994, Master Sheng Yen (19312009), the founder of Dharma Drum BuddhistCollege, began publishing the Series of the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies.The purposes of publishing this series were: to provide a venue for academic researchin Buddhist Studies supported by scholarships from the Chung-Hwa Institute of Bud-dhist Studies; to encourage top-quality Buddhist research; and to cultivate an interest inBuddhist research among the readership of the series. Moreover, by encouraging co-operation with international research institutions, he hoped to promote the domesticstatus of the academic study of Buddhism.

In keeping with Master Sheng Yens vision, in order to promote different aspects ofexchange in academic research, we at Dharma Drum Buddhist College have begun topublish three educational series:

DharmaDrumBuddhistCollegeResearchSeries(DDBC-RS),DharmaDrumBuddhistCollegeTranslationSeries(DDBC-TS)DharmaDrumBuddhistCollegeSpecialSeries(DDBC-SS)

TheResearchSeries(DDBC-RS) isprimarilyintendedasavenueforacademicre-searchinthefieldofBuddhistStudiesingeneralandofChineseBuddhisminparticu-lar.TheTranslationSeries(DDBC-TS)willpresentEnglishrenditionsofChineseca-

nonicalworksaswell asother importantworks, orelseChinese translationsofaca-demicpublicationsonBuddhism thathaveappeared inEuropean languagesorJapa-nese,etc.TheSpecialSeries(DDBC-SS)willaccommodateworkswhichrequirespe-cialpublicationformats.

AmongourfuturegoalsistheextensivedevelopmentofBuddhistdigitalpublishingand information toadapt to the interactiveandhyper-connectiveenvironmentof theWeb2.0age.Thiswillallow researchoutcomes tobe quickly sharedandevaluatedthroughtheparticipationofindividualusers,throughsuchmediaasblogs,sharedtag-ging, wikis, social networks and so on. Ourhope is to work towards developing anopenenvironmentforacademicstudies(perhapscalledScience2.0)onBuddhistcul-

turethatwillbemorecollaborativeandefficientthantraditionalacademicstudies.Inthisway,DharmaDrumBuddhistCollegewillcontinuetohelpfostertheavailabilityofdigitalresourcesforBuddhistStudies.

HuiminBhiku,PresidentDharmaDrumBuddhistCollege

July26,2010


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A

Comparative

Study

of

the

Majjhima-nikya

Volume1

(Introduction,StudiesofDiscourses1to50)

Anlayo


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Contents:

- Volume 1 -

ListofTables xi

Acknowledgement xv

Foreword(byRodBucknell) xvii

Preface:ResearchScopeandPurpose xix

Introduction:TheMajjhima-nikya 1

Chapter1-Mlapariyya-vagga

-MN1Mlapariyya-sutta

23

-MN2Sabbsava-sutta 28

-MN3Dhammadyda-sutta

34

-MN4Bhayabherava-sutta 37

-MN5Anagana-sutta

42-MN6kakheyya-sutta 45

-MN7Vatthpama-sutta 49

-MN8Sallekha-sutta 59-MN9Sammdihi-sutta 66

-

MN

10

Satipahna-sutta

73

Chapter2-Shanda-vagga-MN11Cashanda-sutta 99

-MN12Mahshanda-sutta 105-MN13Mahdukkhakkhandha-sutta 117

-MN14Cadukkhakkhandha-sutta 121

-MN15Anumna-sutta 124-MN16Cetokhila-sutta 127

-MN17Vanapattha-sutta 132

-MN18Madhupiika-sutta

134-MN19Dvedhvitakka-sutta 138

-MN20Vitakkasahna-sutta

140

Chapter3-Opamma-vagga

-MN21Kakacpama-sutta 145

-MN22Alagaddpama-sutta

147-MN23Vammika-sutta 158

-MN24Rathavinta-sutta 161

-MN25Nivpa-sutta 167-MN26Ariyapariyesan-sutta 170

-MN27Cahatthipadopama-sutta 189


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-MN28Mahhatthipadopama-sutta 193-MN29Mahsropama-sutta 198

-MN30Casropama-sutta 200

Chapter4-Mahyamaka-vagga

-MN31Cagosiga-sutta 203

-MN32Mahgosiga-sutta 209-MN33Mahgoplaka-sutta 216

-MN34Cagoplaka-sutta 221

-MN35Casaccaka-sutta

223-MN36Mahsaccaka-sutta 232

-MN37Catahsakhaya-sutta

246

-MN38Mahtahsakhaya-sutta 251-MN39Mah-Assapura-sutta

256

-MN40Ca-Assapura-sutta 260

Chapter5-Cayamaka-vagga

-MN41Sleyyaka-sutta 263

-MN42Verajaka-sutta 263

-MN43Mahvedalla-sutta 268

-MN44Cavedalla-sutta 276

-MN45Cadhammasamdna-sutta 286

-MN46Mahdhammasamdna-sutta

289-MN47Vmasaka-sutta 291

-MN48Kosambiya-sutta 293-MN49Brahmanimantaika-sutta 294

-MN50Mratajjanya-sutta 300

-Volume2-

Chapter6-Gahapati-vagga

-MN51Kandaraka-sutta 309

-MN52Ahakangara-sutta

309-MN53Sekha-sutta 313-MN54Potaliya-sutta

313

-MN55Jvaka-sutta 318

-MN56Upli-sutta

320-MN57Kukkuravatika-sutta 333

-MN58Abhayarjakumra-sutta 334

-MN59Bahuvedanya-sutta 335-MN60Apaaka-sutta 339


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Chapter7-Bhikkhu-vagga-MN61Ambalahikrhulovda-sutta 341

-MN62Mahrhulovda-sutta 347

-MN63Camlukya-sutta

353-MN64Mahmlukya-sutta 355

-MN65Bhaddli-sutta 358

-MN66Laukikopama-sutta 362-MN67Ctum-sutta 367

-MN68Naakapna-sutta 370

-MN69Gulissni-sutta

373-MN70Kgiri-sutta 377

Chapter8-Paribbjaka-vagga-MN71Tevijjavacchagotta-sutta

389

-MN72Aggivacchagotta-sutta 389

-MN73Mahvacchagotta-sutta

393-MN74Dghanakha-sutta 399

-MN75Mgandiya-sutta 407

-MN76Sandaka-sutta 413-MN77Mahsakuludyi-sutta 416

-MN78Samaamaik-sutta 424

-MN79Casakuludyi-sutta 431

-MN80Vekhanassa-sutta

437

Chapter9-Rja-vagga-MN81Ghakra-sutta 441

-MN82Rahapla-sutta 451

-MN83Makhdeva-sutta 466-MN84Madhura-sutta 475

-MN85Bodhirjakumra-sutta 478

-MN86Agulimla-sutta

485-MN87Piyajtika-sutta 502

-MN88Bhitika-sutta

505-MN89Dhammacetiya-sutta 510-MN90Kaakatthala-sutta

519

Chapter10-Brhmaa-vagga

-MN91Brahmyu-sutta 527

-MN92Sela-sutta 545

-MN93Assalyana-sutta 549-MN94Ghoamukha-sutta 557

-MN95Cak-sutta 557


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viii

-MN96Esukri-sutta 563-MN97Dhnajni-sutta 566

-MN98Vseha-sutta 572

-MN99Subha-sutta

572-MN100Sagrava-sutta 579

-Volume3-

Chapter11-Devadaha-vagga

-MN101Devadaha-sutta

585-MN102Pacattaya-sutta 590

-MN103Kinti-sutta

603

-MN104Smagma-sutta 603-MN105Sunakkhatta-sutta

610

-MN106nejasappya-sutta 613

-MN107Gaakamoggallna-sutta

618-MN108Gopakamoggallna-sutta 623

-MN109Mahpuama-sutta 630

-MN110Capuama-sutta 633

Chapter12-Anupada-vagga

-MN111Anupada-sutta 635

-MN112Chabbisodhana-sutta

635-MN113Sappurisa-sutta 639

-MN114Sevitabbsevitabba-sutta 643-MN115Bahudhtuka-sutta 645

-MN116Isigili-sutta 654

-MN117Mahcattrsaka-sutta 657-MN118npnasati-sutta 664

-MN119Kyagatsati-sutta 673

-MN120Sakhruppatti-sutta

678

Chapter13-Suata-vagga

-MN121Casuata-sutta 683

-MN122Mahsuata-sutta

688

-MN123Acchariyabbhutadhamma-sutta 702

-MN124Bakkula-sutta

711-MN125Dantabhmi-sutta 717

-MN126Bhmija-sutta 723

-MN127Anuruddha-sutta 726-MN128Upakkilesa-sutta 731

-MN129Blapaita-sutta 741


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-MN130Devadta-sutta 747

Chapter14-Vibhaga-vagga

-MN131Bhaddekaratta-sutta

755-MN132nandabhaddekaratta-sutta 755

-MN133Mahkaccnabhaddekaratta-sutta 760

-MN134Lomasakagiyabhaddekaratta-sutta 763-MN135Cakammavibhaga-sutta 767

-MN136Mahkammavibhaga-sutta 775

-MN137Sayatanavibhaga-sutta

781-MN138Uddesavibhaga-sutta 787

-MN139Araavibhaga-sutta

793

-MN140Dhtuvibhaga-sutta 797-MN141Saccavibhaga-sutta

802

-MN142Dakkhivibhaga-sutta 810

Chapter15-Sayatana-vagga

-MN143Anthapiikovda-sutta 821

-MN144Channovda-sutta 825-MN145Puovda-sutta 828

-MN146Nandakovda-sutta 831

-MN147Clarhulovda-sutta 836

-MN148Chachakka-sutta

838-MN149Mahsayatanika-sutta 840

-MN150Nagaravindeyya-sutta 843-MN151Piaptaprisuddhi-sutta 846

-MN152Indriyabhvan-sutta 849

Conclusion-ThePurposesandFunctionsofOralRecitation 855

-ThePrecisionofTextualMemory 867-ThePerformanceofOralRecitation 877

-Volume4-

Abbreviations 893

References 899Appendix:ListofParallels 1035

Index 1055


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x


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xi

List of Tables:

-Volume1-

0.1DiscourseParallelsinSimilarlyEntitledChaptersinMNandM 8

0.2SoundSimilaritiesintheStandardOpeningofaDiscourse 15

0.3ThePrincipleofWaxingSyllables 16

1.1 Objects of Conceivings in MN 1 and its Parallels 25

1.2 Methods for Abandoning the Influxes 301.3 Main Topics in MN 4 and E 31.1 38

1.4 Unwholesome Qualities in MN 4 and E 31.1 39

1.5 Sources for the Arising of Blemishes in MN 5 and its Parallels 44

1.6 List of Wishes in MN 6 and its Parallels 47

1.7 List of Defilements in MN 7 and its Parallels 51

1.8 Progression of Topics in MN 7 and its Parallels 531.9 Unwholesome Qualities in MN 8 and M 91 62

1.10 Insight Leading to Right View in MN 9 and its Parallels 68

1.11 Contemplation of the Body in MN 10 and its Parallels 80

1.12 Contemplation of Feelings in MN 10 and its Parallels 87

1.13 Contemplation of the Mind in MN 10 and its Parallels 88

1.14 Contemplation of Dharmas in MN 10 and its Parallels 90

2.1QuestionsabouttheFinalGoalinMN11anditsParallels 100

2.2FourTypesofClinginginMN11anditsParallels 1022.3QualitiesoftheBuddhainMN12anditsParallel 108

2.4TenPowersinMN12anditsParallel 109

2.5FourIntrepiditiesinMN12anditsParallel 109

2.6DestinationsofBeingsinMN12anditsParallel 115

2.7DisadvantagesofSensualPleasuresinMN13anditsParallels 119

2.8UnwholesomeQualitiesinMN15anditsParallels 1262.9ProgressionoftheExpositioninMN15anditsParallels 127

2.10FiveTypesofMentalBarrennessinMN16anditsParallels 1282.11FiveMentalBondagesinMN16anditsParallels 131

2.12FourSituationsofaMeditatingMonkinMN17anditsParallels 133

2.13AnalysisofthePerceptualProcessinMN18anditsParallels 136

2.14AnalysisofUnwholesomeThoughtinMN19andM102 139

3.1SimilestoIllustratePatienceinMN21anditsParallel 146

3.2SimilesontheDangersofSensualPleasuresinMN22andM200 149

3.3ContentsoftheTermite MoundinMN23anditsParallels 160

3.4PuasQualitiesinMN24anditsParallels 162


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xii

3.5ReflectionsontheElementsinMN28anditsParallel 1953.6DestructionoftheFourElementsinMN28anditsParallel 196

3.7AttainmentsinMN29anditsParallel 200

4.1ProgressionofTopicsinMN31anditsParallels 206

4.2AttainmentsoftheMonksinMN31anditsParallels 208

4.3QualitiesoftheMonksinMN32anditsParallels 210

4.4MahkassapasQualitiesinMN32anditsParallels 212

4.5QualitiesofaMonkinMN33anditsParallels 218

4.6ProgressionofTopicsinMN34anditsParallels 2224.7SimilesIllustratingSaccakasVictoryinMN35anditsParallels 227

4.8SimilesIllustratingSaccakasDefeatinMN35anditsParallels 230

4.9BuddhasAutobiographicalReportinMN36anditsParallel 236

4.10QualitiesofaTrueRecluseinMN39anditsParallels 257

5.1ProgressionofTopicsinMN41&MN42andtheirParallels 2645.2MainTopicsExaminedinMN43andM211 269

5.3MainTopicsExaminedinMN44anditsParallels 278

5.4ListingofCounterpartsinMN44anditsParallels 285

5.5FourWaysofUndertakingThingsinMN45andOtherDiscourses 287

5.6ProgressionofMainTopicsinMN46anditsParallels 290

5.7SimilesinMN50anditsParallels 303

-Volume2-

6.1EightQualitiestobeLeftBehindAccordingtoMN54anditsParallel 314

6.2SimilesonSensualPleasuresinMN54anditsParallel 316

6.3UplisSimilesinMN56anditsParallel 323

6.4BuddhasArgumentsinMN56anditsParallels 324

6.5AnalysisofFeelingsinMN59anditsParallels 336

7.1SpecificMeditationsasAntidotesinMN62anditsParallel 349

7.2FiveLowerFettersinMN64anditsParallels 3567.3ProgressionofIdeasinMN64andandM205 357

7.4AspectsoftheGrowthoftheSaghainMN65anditsParallel 362

7.5SimilesinMN67andE45.2 368

7.6ProperConductofaVisitingMonkAccordingtoMN69andM26 375

8.1VacchagottasQuestionsinMN72anditsParallels 391

8.2ListingofBenefitsinMN73anditsParallels 398

8.3SimilestoIllustrateSensualPleasuresinMN75anditsParallel 409

8.4FiveOutwardQualitiesoftheBuddhainMN77anditsParallel 422


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8.5FiveInnerQualitiesoftheBuddhainMN77anditsParallel 4238.6QualitiesofaSupremeRecluseinMN78anditsParallel 425

9.1ThemesoftheKingsInquiryinMN82anditsParallels 4629.2ThemesofRahaplasReplyinMN82anditsParallels 464

9.3KingsMeetingwithRahapla 465

9.4ArgumentsagainstBrahminicalSuperiorityinMN84andS548 478

9.5ProgressionoftheNarrationinMN86anditsDiscourseParallels 487

9.6PasenadisPraiseoftheBuddhainMN89anditsParallels 513

10.1BrahmyusInquiryandtheBuddhasReplyinMN91anditsParallels 543

10.2ProgressionofThemesinMN93anditsParallels 550

10.3HouseholdersCaresinMN97andM27 568

10.4FiveBasesforMeritinMN99andM152 576

10.5FiveObstructionsinMN99andM152 577

10.6SurveyofClaimstoKnowledgeinMN100anditsParallel 58110.7SequenceofTopicsinMN100anditsParallel 582

-Volume3-

11.1ModesofChangingKarmicRetributioninMN101andM19 587

11.2GroundsforCensureinMN101andM19 588

11.3ThreefoldandFivefoldDistinctionofViewsinMN102anditsParallels 59111.4CausesforDisputationAccordingtoMN104anditsParallels 606

11.5SequenceofWaystoSettleDisputesinMN104anditsParallels 60811.6GradualPathinMN107anditsParallels 619

11.7QualitiesofaMonkWorthyofRespectinMN108andM145 628

12.1ListingofPuritiesinMN112andM187 638

12.2OccasionsforConceitAccordingtoMN113anditsParallels 641

12.3RequirementsforWisdomAccordingtoMN115anditsParallels 64712.4SurveyofElementsinMN115anditsParallels 649

12.5ImpossibilitiesinMN115anditsParallels 65012.6SurveyofPathFactorsinMN117anditsParallels 662

12.7QualitiesoftheAssembledMonksinMN118andS815 666

12.8SimilesinMN119andM187 677

12.9BenefitsofBodyContemplationAccordingtoMN119andM187 678

13.1GradualDescentintoEmptinessinMN121anditsParallels 686

13.2MarvellousQualitiesoftheBodhisattvainMN123anditsParallel 703

13.3BakkulasQualitiesinMN124andM34 713

13.4GradualTraininginMN125andM198 719


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13.5SimilesinMN126andM173 72513.6Progression of Topics in the First Part ofMN127andM79 729

13.7MentalObstructionstoConcentrationinMN128andM72 738

13.8EvilConductinMN129anditsParallels 74213.9TypesofAnimalRebirthinMN129anditsParallels 744

13.10ListingsofDivineMessengersinMN130anditsParallels 749

14.1AnalysisofKarmaandRebirthinMN136andM171 779

14.2AnalysisofPleasureinMN137anditsParallels 784

14.3ThreeSatipahnasinMN137anditsParallels 78714.4ExpositiononWisdominMN140andSomeofitsParallels 801

14.5AnalysisofGiftsinMN142anditsParallels 816

15.1InstructionstoAnthapiikainMN143anditsParallels 822

15.2NandakasInstructionsinMN146anditsParallels 833

15.3DevelopmentoftheFacultiesinMN152anditsParallel 851


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xv

Acknowledgement

ThepresentresearchhasbeenpossiblebecauseofthegeneroussupportIreceivedfrommyparents,K.R.andT.F.Steffens.Duringitsprogress,IbenefittedfromcorrectionsandsuggestionskindlyofferedbyMarkAllon,DavidArjanik,Bh.Bodhi,Bh.Brah-mli,PaulBrodbeck,RodBucknell,KenC.Chen,MitsuyoDemoto,MichaelDrum-mond,MichaelHahn, Jens-UweHartmann,ElsaLegittimo,GiulianaMartini,SylviaMecklenbruker,KonradMeisig,Bh.Muni,Bh.ananda,Bh.atusita,Bh.Ps-dika, Bh. Piyadhammo, Lambert Schmithausen, Peter Skilling, Ken Su, Bh. Sujto,CraigSwogger,PiyaTan,Bh.TongHerng,Vincent Tournier,Bh.Visrada,Bh.XinXing,Bh.ZhiHan,towhomIamsincerelygrateful.I apologize for any shortcomings,errors or misrepresentations found in the following pages, as well as for any cumber-

someness or inadequacies when expressing my ideas in English, all of which are to beattributed to my personal lack of knowledge and understanding.


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xvi


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Foreword xvii

Foreword

ThisbookpresentsacomparativestudyofthediscoursesthatmakeupthePliMaj-

jhima-nikya,alongsidetheirknownparallelstransmittedinotherrecitertraditionsandpreservedinvariouslanguages,mainlyinChinesetranslations.

ThefieldofcomparativeNikya-gamastudiesdatesbackacenturytotheground-breakingworkofAnesakiMasaharu.1Ithasrecentlyenteredaperiodofrapidgrowth,and inthepresentbookthevenerableAnlayocontributessubstantiallyto thisnewlyinvigoratedbranchofBuddhistStudies.Theonlyrealforerunner to thisstudy isTheChinese

Madhyama

gama

and

the

Pli

Majjhima

Nikya, by Thich Minh Chau.2WhereasMinhChausbookisorganisedaccordingtotheChineseMadhyama-gama,thepresentstudyisorganisedaccordingtothePliMajjhima-nikya.Itdiffersfurtherindealingwithall theMajjhima-nikyadiscoursesand in takingaccountofamaxi-mallywiderangeofknownparalleldiscourses.Theseincludenotonlydiscoursescon-tainedintheChinesegamas,butalsoindividualChinesetranslations,Tibetantransla-tions,fragmentarySanskritremains,andsomequotationsfoundinlaterSanskrittexts-togetherwith fullorpartialparallels fromwithin thePliTipiaka.Thus, thepresentwork,despitehavingabroadlysimilarobjectivetoMinhChausstudy,differsfromitsignificantlyincoveringanentireNikyainlightofallitsknownparallels.

Themainbulkofthebook ismadeupofchapters1to15,whichcorrespondtothefifteenvaggasoftheMajjhima-nikya.Inthesechapters,eachofthediscoursesmak-ingupthosevaggasisexaminedalongsideitsparallel(s),withregardtostructure,con-

tents,andotheressentialfeatures.Generally,thiscomparisonrevealsbroadagreementamongthedifferentversions,butoftenenoughitbringstolightsignificantdifferencesin detail. Each such difference is then discussed in terms of its possible historicalcauses:sectariandoctrinalslant,thevicissitudesoforaltransmission,insertionofcom-mentarialmaterial, translationerrors,andsoon.Wherepossible,ajudgement is thenmadeonwhichoftheversionsismostlikelytohaveaccuratelypreservedthisorthatcomponentofthemessage.

Suchanalyticalproceduresraisesomecrucialissuesofmethodology,whicharedulydiscussed in the books Preface. There the author draws attention to the traditionalcriterionofcoherenceandconsistency,whichisinvokedrepeatedlyintheBuddhasdis-

courses.Withgoodreasonheadoptsthiscriterionasabasicmethodologicalprincipleforthestudy.Anyperceivedinstanceofincoherenceinthetextsbeingstudied(forex-ample,mutuallycontradictorystatementswithinadiscourseorbetweenversionsofadiscourse)isdeemedtorequireexplanationintermsoffaultyoraltransmissionorsomeotherhistoricalprocess.At the same time, theauthoracknowledges thedifficultyofdeciding what constitutes an instance of incoherence or inconsistency; for example,statementsthatseemtocontradicteachothercouldinsteadbecomplementingeachother.

1Anesaki1908.2MinhChau1964/1991.


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xviii Foreword

ExplanationintermsoftransmissionerrorsrequiresatleastapreliminaryconceptofhowthediscoursesmighthavebeencommittedtomemoryandthenpassedonwithintheSagha.Theauthorprovidesthebasisforsuchaconceptbydiscussingcharacter-

isticsoforaltransmissionwithinBuddhisttraditions.Having initiated thisdiscussionoforal transmission in the Introduction, theauthor

subsequentlydevelopsitintheConclusion.Healsobringsintoconsiderationoutcomesof relevant psychological research. An example is the proposition that, whereas theVedicstyleofmemorizationwouldhavebeenconducivetoaccurateverbatimreplica-tion, theBuddhiststylewouldhavebeenconducive to inference-drawingandconse-quentrestructuringofthememorizedmaterial.Suchobservationsrevealacharacteris-ticoftheoraltransmissionthathasnotpreviouslyreceivedduerecognition:notallofthevariationsbetweendifferentversionsofadiscoursecanbeattributedtoconsciousediting.By thusdrawingattention to the roleof the reciters, thissection incidentallyprovidesawelcomehumancontextforthefindingsofthetext-comparativesideoftheproject.

Particularly instructive is the discussion of the probable role of commentary inmodifying memorized discourses. Here the author examines how the distinction be-tweendiscourseandcommentaryappearstohavebecomeblurred.TheexamplesciteddemonstratehowanotherwisepuzzlingdiscrepancybetweenaPlisuttaanditsChi-neseparallelcanbeexplainedintermsofunconsciousincorporationofcommentarialmaterial.

TheConclusion,andwithittheentirework,finishesupwithasimplebutsignificant

observation:thestudyhasrevealednoevidencethatanyparticularlineoftransmissionhaspreservedthediscoursesmorefaithfullythantheothers.AnimplicationofthisisthattheresearchershouldnotrelyexclusivelyonanyoneversionoftheNikyas/ga-mas.Inparticular,studyofthePliNikyasalonecanyieldonlyapartialandimper-fectpicture.Foramaximallycompleteandclearpicture,thePlisuttasmustbecom-paredwiththeiravailableChineseandotherparallels.

Incarryingoutthisproject,theven.Anlayohasestablishedachallengingprecedent.ItistobehopedthatthisbookwillinspiretheproductionofsimilarlycomprehensivestudiesbasedontheremainingPliNikyasandtheirChinesecounterparts.

RoderickS.BucknellUniversityofQueensland

August2010


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Preface xix

Preface: Research Scope and Purpose

Thepresentwork isa revisedversionofmyhabilitation researchconductedat the

UniversityofMarburg,whichhadasitspointofdeparturemywishtocometoabetterunderstandingofthediscoursesfoundintheMajjhima-nikya.IhadearlierundertakenastudyoftheSatipahna-sutta

foundintheMajjhima-nikyaformyPhD,duringthecourseofwhichthesignificanceoftheparallelstothisdiscoursepreservedinChinesehadbecomeincreasinglyevidenttome.ThesuccessfulconclusionofmyPhDin2000affordedmethetimetolearnChinese(andeventuallyTibetan),equippedwithwhichitwasonlynaturaltoembarkonacomparativestudyoftheSatipahna-sutta,followedbyextendingthisresearchandexaminingalsotheotherdiscoursesfoundinthesamecollection in the light of their parallels preserved by other reciter traditions,3extantmainly in Chinese, Sanskrit, and Tibetan.4In what follows, I present the results ofthesestudiesinthesequenceinwhichtherespectivediscoursesoccurintheMajjhima-nikya,therebyprovidingakindofmoderncommentarytoeachofthePlidiscourses.

Myexaminationofdifferencesbetweenvariousversionsofadiscourseisundertakennotonlyfromtheperspectiveoftextualtransmission,butattimesalsofromtheview-pointof their implicationsfordoctrinalaspectsofearlyBuddhism, thuscombiningatextualstudywithastudyof thethoughtworldofearlyBuddhism.5Nevertheless,my

3Thedecision to takeaPlidiscoursecollectionasmystartingpointdoesnot intend topresentavaluejudgementofthePliNikyasassuch.Instead,itsimplyreflectsthefactthatthePliNikyashavepre-

servedthe

most

complete

body

of

texts

representative

of

early

Buddhist

literature

that

has

been

trans-mittedbyasingleBuddhist school. Since my study is based on a Pli text, I have decided to use Pli ter-

minology (except for anglicized terms like Dharma and the term Nirva) in my discussion and whentranslating from Chinese, etc. (without in each case marking such usage with a *), at times even whenreferring to sources that are originally in Sanskrit. With this I do not intend to present Pli terminology asbeing in principle preferable. Rather, my decision is simply guided by the wish to make reading easierthrough introducing some degree of consistency in the use of proper names and to facilitate comparisonwith the Pli discourses. By using Pli terms I also do not intend to take a position on the Indic originalon which the Chinese or other translations were based. For transcribing ChinesecharactersIusethepn-

yn(

system,forRomanizingTibetanthesystemdevisedbyWylie1959. On my use of the notionof a parallelcf. below p. 1035.

4WhilemystudyisdeeplyindebtedtoMinhChau1964/1991,itdiffersinthatItakeintoaccountalldis-coursesintheMajjhima-nikyaandexaminetheminthelightnotonlyoftheirMadhyama-gama

paral-lels,butalsotaking into accoutparallelsfoundintheotherthreeChinesegamas,inindividualChinesetranslations, in Sanskrit fragments and Tibetan texts, and in a few instances in parallels preserved inother languages.Although drawingmainlyon the earlydiscourses, Ihaveat times taken intoaccountrelevantmaterialfromtheVinayas,andfromworksofthejtakaoravadnatype,wheneverpossible.Withafewexceptions,Ihavenotconsulted

discoursequotationsfoundinlaterworksandtreatises.Toattempt to do so in a comprehensive way would have stretched the scope of my research beyond theboundsoffeasibility.InthoseinstanceswhereIhave been able to include relevant instances, for workslike theAbhidharmakoabhya or the Yogcrabhmi I usually add references to the Chinese version(s)alongside the Sanskrit text, but not to the Tibetan.

5WhenstudyingthediscoursesoftheMajjhima-nikya,Ihavetriedtodrawonsecondarypublicationsas

muchas thesewereknownandavailable tome.Thebroadscopeofmyworkhaspreventedme from


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xx Preface

mainfocusisonthoseformaldifferencesandtextualcharacteristicsthatcancontributetoabetterunderstandingof theearlydiscoursesas testimoniesof theearlyBuddhistoraltradition.

ThisfocusonanunderstandingoftheearlyBuddhistoraltraditionnaturallyleadsmetoanemphasisonthePliNikyasandtheChinesegamas,sincetheseareentirecol-lectionsof texts transmittedbyparticularreciter traditions.Inorder to reachamaxi-mumdegreeofcomprehensivenessandtofullyexplore thepotentialof thediscoursematerialpreservedinChinese,6inadditiontothesecollectionsIhavealsotriedtotakeintoaccountparallels toaparticularMajjhima-nikyadiscourse foundoutsideof thegamas. Thus my comparative studies also cover a number of individual Chinesetranslations,discourses thathavebeen translatedindividually orsingly, inasmuchasIhavebeenawareoftheirparallelingaMajjhima-nikya

discourse.SomeoftheseindividualChinesetranslationsdatebacktotheverybeginningsofor-

ganizedtranslationactivityinthesecondcenturyADandarethusfascinatingtestimo-niestotheendeavourandthestrugglesoftheChinesetranslators,whostoodatthebe-ginningofatranslationenterprisethatproducedone of the mostextensivecollectionsoftranslatedmaterialinthehistoryofmankind.Thegaptheyhadtobridgecouldnothavebeenwider,astheyhadtocometogripswiththethoroughlystructuredgrammarofSanskritandMiddleIndiclanguageseventhoughtheirnativelanguageknewnoequi-valenttothese.7Thedifficultiesinvolvedinbridgingthisgaphaveinevitablyinfluenced

undertakingamoreexhaustivesurveyofrelevantpublications,hencemyreferencesareonlymeant to

provideastarting

point

for

further

bibliographical

research

by

those

interested

in

following

up

aparticu-lartopic.Ialsoneedtomention thatlimitationsofspaceandtimehavenotmadeitpossibleformeto

discussvarioustheoriesorpropositionsadvancedinsomeofthesesecondarypublications.ThusoftenIjust refer to a comment or proposition that seems to me significant and worthwhile quoting, withouttherebynecessarilyagreeingwithpointsmadeelsewhereinthesame publication. I also need to mentionthat my ignorance of Japanese has unfortunately prevented me from taking into account research pub-lished in that language (except for editions of Sanskrit texts).

6Regarding the potential and importance of the material preserved in Chinese, de Jong 1968: 15 com-ments thatnostudentofBuddhism,even ifhe is interestedonly inIndianBuddhism,canneglect theenormouscorpus ofChinese translations;cf. also de Jong 1974:76-78.AsLancaster 1979:224-226pointsout,intheChinesecanonwehaveaninvaluablesourceofevidence...withsomeassurancethatthosetranslatorsknewtheircraftandpracticeditwithvigourandaccuracy.Henotesthatwritingwasofnecessitytheskillofalearnedperson ...importantmanuscriptsweregiventothemosteducatedandskilledcalligraphersforcopying...theresultoftheChinesescribalprocedurehasbeengreataccuracyinthetransmissionofthetexts.Carrithers1983a:8sumsupthatthoughthePalitextsarestillthesinglemostusefulsource...inmanyrespectstheycanbecorrectedandimprovedbyreadingsfromtheCentralAsianfindsorfromTibetanandChinese.Certainly theTibetanandChinesesourcesare indispensableforestablishingwhattheoldestsourcesare.

7Link1961:283-284notes that theearlyChineseBuddhists lackedboth the terminologyandeven theconceptualframeworkforhandlingformallinguisticandgrammaticalproblems,infacttheverynotionofwhatconstitutesawordledtoenormousdifficulties,asChinesehasnoinflectionalmorphologysothatawordwasalogograph,acharacter andassuchitwasfeltbytheChinesetobeimmutable.Moreover, gender (unknown in Chinese) seems to have impressed Chinese Buddhist philologists as

somethingquitestrange.Besides,therewerethedifficultiesofgraspinganalphabetic,asopposedtoa


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Preface xxi

thequalityofthetranslationsundertakenduringthisperiod,sothattheChineseofsuchindividualtranslationscanattimesbecrypticanddifficulttounderstand,8andtransla-tionerrorshave inevitably left their impacton thepresent shapeof thesediscourses.

Nevertheless,attimestheyofferinterestingperspectivesonaparticularpassage.Mystudiesinthefollowingpagesaremainlybasedonreportingandexaminingdif-

ferences that tomeseem relevantfrom theviewpointof therespectiveMajjhima-ni-kyadiscourse.9Whencomparingdifferentversionsofadiscourse,one is inevitably

logographic,writingsystem.Nattier1990:208explainsthatitwouldbedifficulttofindtwomoredis-similarlanguagesthanChineseandSanskrit(orPrakrit).Thelanguagefamiliestowhichtheybelongaretotallyunrelated,theirgrammarsareastudyincontrasts,andtheyshared(atleastpriortothearrivalofBuddhisminChina)virtuallynovocabularyincommon;cf.alsovonHumboldt1836/2003:138.

8Aproperunderstandingofsuchdiscoursesrequiresadetailedstudyofandfamiliaritywiththetransla-

tionterminologyoftherespectivetranslator(s),whoseidentityoftenneedsfirstofalltobeascertained(cf.,e.g.,thesurveyinNattier2008).SinceIlacksuchspecialistknowledge,mystudiesoftheseindivid-ualtranslationsremaintosomedegreeprovisionalandIhadtorestcontentwithsimplygivingtheiden-tityofthetranslatorasrecordedintheTaishedition,withoutattemptingtoascertaintheprobabilityofsuch identifications or trying to determine the precise time of translation. The broad scope of my re-searchhasmadesuchmoredetailedinvestigationsimpossible.

9In regard to translation terminology, ingeneral Ijust follow theestablished renderings.Thuswhile inAnlayo2003aIusedcognition forsa,nowIfollowtheexampleofSkilling1997a:477note31andadoptthemorefrequentlyusedrenderingperception,thoughperhaps(conceptual)identification(cf.Potter1996:128)wouldbestconveytheimplicationsoftheterm.KeytermswhereIdepartfromthestandard renderings are bodhi, dukkha,paicca samuppda, and satipahna. By rendering bodhi asawakening

,instead

of

enlightenment

,Ifollow

suggestions

made

by

Migot

1952:

450

and

Norman

1990:26,cf.alsoCollins1998:213.Theypointoutthatbudhmeanstowakeup orawaken,anddoesnotbeararelationtolight,cf.,e.g.,MN54atMNI365,31,wherepaibuddhodescribessomeonewhowakesupfromsleep.Infact,althoughMN4atMNI23,26presentstheBuddhasawakeningastheovercoming of thedarkness of ignorance,avijjvihat ... tamo vihato,andAN 4:144 at AN II 140,2speaksofwisdomasasupremelight,paobhso,AN3:89atANI236,17,AN7:3atANIV3,9,andTh906comparetheexperienceofNirva,equivalenttobodhi,totheextinctionofalight,insteadoftheappearanceofalight.Eventheexpressionloko

udapdi,usedinrelationtotheBuddhasawakeninginSN56:11atSNV422,5,doesnotseemtorefertothearisingoflight,butrathertothearisingofclar-ity (cf.also thedefinitionoflokasa inVibh254,13,and thepointmadebyGokhale1989:6 thatanymanifestationoftheelementfire,teja,wouldbeabsentfromtheNibbnicexperience,e.g., Ud8:1atUd80,11).Gimello2004:50commentsthatthosewhoareattentivetothemoreliteralmeaningoftheIndicoriginaltendtotranslatebodhiinEnglishasawakening,andthisistoberecommended.Inre-gardtodukkha,thoughthistermattimesstandsforpain asafeltexperience,inothercontextsitcoversall typesof feeling, instanceswherea translation as suffering runs the riskofbeingmisleading (cf.also,e.g.,Collins1998:140,Gowans2003:120-121,Malalasekera1968:72,andWerner2007:13;onthedifferentnuancescoveredbydukkhacf.Hoffman1987/1992:27-45andSchmithausen1977).Thusfor such contexts it would be better to render dukkha

as unsatisfactory, though I generally tend tosimplyusethePliterm,withouttranslatingit(infactBailey2003:32concludesthatdukkhaisanun-translatablewordconnotingunsatisfactoriness,disillusionment,anxiety,physicalpainand insecurityineverypossiblemodulationanddimension).Inregardtosatipahna,Iunderstandthistermtorefertotheestablishingofmindfulness,derivingitfromsati+upahna;foramoredetaileddiscussioncf.Anlayo2003a:29;cf.alsoKlaus1993:78,whotranslatessatipahna

asthestandingnearofatten-

tion,andAN4:202atAN II218,29:attan

ca

upahitasati

hoti,

para

ca

satipahne

samdapeti,


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Preface xxiii

Insum,Iamafraidthatmyworkmightnotbeabletosatisfyhighstandardsofpreci-sion,asitisnotbasedonthein-depthunderstandingthatresultsfromtranslatingalloftheconsultedtexts.Hencemystudycannotreplace,andiscertainlynotintendedtore-

place,moredetailedstudiesofeachsinglediscourse,whichalonewillbeabletoclar-ifythefinerpointsanddifferences.

Whatmyresearchdoesoffer, however,couldbecomparedtoapicturetakenwithawide-anglelens.Awide-anglelenspictureprovidesacomprehensivevision,yetatthesametimeithastheinevitabledrawbackthatsmallerdetailsdonotstandoutwiththeclarityandprecisionthatwouldresultfromaclose-up.Touseyetanotherimage,mypresentresearchis somewhat like fishingwith a big meshed net. Even though smallerfish will inevitably escape me, the big fish that I bringhomehopefullyjustifymyapproach.

MyresearchfallsintothefieldoftextualstudiesinearlycanonicalBuddhism,inthesensethatitpresentsacomparativestudyofthelegacyofdiscoursematerialpreservedbythereciters,thebhakas.12ItistheirpresentationoftheteachingsthatIaminvesti-gating,13basedonconsideringtheirlegacyassourcematerialforearlyBuddhistthoughtthatdeservestobetakenseriously.14

12Inordertoreflecttheoralnatureofthediscoursesthataretheobjectsofmystudy,Iemploythetermreciter(bhaka)torefertothosewhowereresponsiblefortheirproductionandtransmission.Itseemstomethat,justaswewouldnotrefertotheMajjhima-nikyaasabookortoitsdiscoursesaspapers,similarlyitwouldbepreferabletoavoidtermslikeeditors orredactors.ThediscoursesoftheMaj-

jhima-nikyaare

not

the

final

product

of

an

editorial

process

of

the

type

we

are

familiar

with,

or

of

the

activities of one or several redactors or authors, comparable to what we know from our modern daypublishing or reading experiences. Instead, these discourses came into being orally, their subsequentfunctionwaswithinanentirelyoralsetting,andtheirtransmissiontookplaceforcenturiesjustbyoralmeans;cf.alsothediscussioninchapter16.

13Thuswhenusingexpressionssuchas,forexample,theBuddhasaidtoBrahm,I certainly donotin-tend to convey thatthehistoricalBuddhacertainlysaidso,nordo IpostulatetheexistenceofBrahm.Instead, Ionlyintendtoindicatethattherecitersofthediscoursesreportthe BuddhatohavespokeninacertainwaytoBrahm.ItwouldbecomecumbersomereadingifineverysuchinstanceIweretomen-tionexplicitlythatIonlyrepresentthepointofviewofthediscourses.

14Bronkhorst1998a:12suggests that rather than rejectingbeforehand thewholecanon ... Ipropose ...[that] in principle the canon preserves the teachings of the Buddha, but in practice certain ideas andpracticespresentedinithavetobediscardedforspecifiablereasons.DeJong1993:21and25explainsthatthefactthatthesetextsweretransmittedforcenturiesbeforebeingwrittendown...makesthem...unreliablewitnesses tohistorical events ...but they give us much informationabout the teachingsofearlyBuddhism.Accordingtohim,itwouldbehypercriticaltoassertthatnothingcanbesaidaboutthe doctrine of earliest Buddhism ... the basic ideas of Buddhism as found in the canonical writingscouldverywellhavebeenproclaimedbyhim[theBuddha],transmittedanddevelopedbyhisdisciplesand,finally,codifiedinfixedformulas.Frauwallner1953:465voiceshisdisagreementwiththosewhotreatthecanonicaltextsastotallyunreliable,believingthatnothingcertaincanbesaidabouttheteach-ingsof theBuddha (ebensowenigkann ichmichaberauchderAuffassunganschlieen,welchediekanonischeberlieferung des Buddhismus fr vollkommen unglaubwrdig hlt und ... meint, da esaussichtslossei,berdieLehredesBuddhaselbstirgendetwasSicheresermittelnzuwollen).Hesug-

gests that the transmitted texts are not unreliable merely because they are not confirmed by external


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xxiv Preface

Inmyattempt tocomprehendearlyBuddhist thought,Iapproach thediscoursesontheirownterms.Hereakeyaspectseemstometobethat,inthethoughtworldoftheearlydiscourses,theprincipleofcoherenceisacentralargumentindebatesituations.15

Assoonasitcanbeshownthatanearlierstatementisnotconsistentwithalaterpropo-sition,apositionbecomesuntenable.16

Takinga lead from the principleof coherenceevident in such contexts as a basicelement ofearlyBuddhist thought,mypresentexploration isbasedonapplying thisprinciple of coherence to the early discourses themselves. That is, inconsistenciesbetweenvariousdiscoursesorbetweendifferentversionsofadiscourseareinneedofexplanation,orelsepointtosomeproblemintextualtransmission.17

Toapproachtheearlydiscoursesinthismannerwouldbeinaccordancewiththefourgreat standards (mahpadesa) that the discourses themselves present as ameans forscripturalverification.18According to these fourgreat standards, theconsistencyofaparticulartextwithothertextsregardedascanonical

isthecriteriontobeusedtodeter-mineifthistextcanbeconsideredasauthentic.19

proofs(berliefertesQuellenmaterialistnochnichtunglaubwrdig,wenndieuereBezeugungfehlt).Thosewhoneverthelesswishtorejectthevalueofsuchmaterialwouldaccordingtohimalsohavethedutytoexplainandestablishhowthismaterialhascomeintobeing(wersie[diekanonischenTexte]abertrotzdemverwirft,darfsichnichtaufdiebloeVerneinungbeschrnken, sondernhatdiePflicht,auchihrZustandekommenzuerklrenundzubegrnden).AmoredetaileddiscussionofthehistoricalvalueofthePlidiscourseswillbeforthcominginAnlayo2012a.

15Jayatilleke

1963/1980:

334

points

out

that

in

the

Nikyas,

consistency

is

regarded

as

acriterion

of

truth. Vetter 1988: ix sees no reason for accepting ... inconsistency as a characteristic of ancientBuddhism; cf. also Watanabe 1983/1996: 74-75.

16E.g., MN56atMNI377,10:yourearlier[statement]doesnotfitwithyourlater[statement],nordoesyour later[statement]fitwithyourearlier[statement], nakho tesandhyatipurimenavpacchimapacchimenavpurima,anditsparallelM133atTI629b29:[inregardto]whatyousaid,theear-lier deviates from the later, and the later deviates from the earlier, there is thus no correspondence,

.17ThiswouldbeinlinewiththemethodologicalobservationsbyBronkhorst2000b:32 (or id. 2009: 8),

whosuggeststhatcontradictorypositionsneedtobeexaminedinordertoseeifoneofthemcouldbeduetotheinfluenceofexternalorlaterdevelopments (thoughmycriteriaforconsideringsomethingascontradictoryarenotnecessarilythesameashis,cf.alsotheremarkbyGethin2004a:209thatattimesfocusingonthedivergentandincompatibleintheearlyBuddhistaccountsofthepathandgoalisaclassicinstanceofafailuretoseethewoodforthetrees).Reat1996:34recommendsthatoneshouldassumethatthehistoricalBuddhasteachingwerecoherent,ifnotperhapsrigidlysystematic,whentheyweregiven.Thereforeanyreconstructionoftheseteachingsshouldrevealacoherentframeworkofdoctrine.Therefore, according to Schmithausen 1981: 200 when there are instances of incoherence, they willhavetobetakenseriouslyandwillneedtobeexplained(e.g., byreferencetotextualhistory...).

18InthePlidiscourses,thesefourgreatstandardsaredescribedinDN16atDNII123,30andAN4:180atANII167,31;foracomparativestudyofthesefourcf.Lamotte1947.

19Tilakaratne2000b:14explainsthatthedeliveryofthemahpadesasisbasedonthepremisethatwhatiscalledDhammaandVinaya ischaracterisedby internalconsistenceandcoherence;on the signifi-cance of the mahpadesas

cf.also, e.g.,An2002/2003,Cousins1983: 2-3,Nimanong 2006:82, and

Wynne2004:100-104, just to mention a few out of the range of publications on this topic.


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Preface xxv

Ideas of coherence or consistency are, however, time- and culture-bound. Here Ithink it is of relevance that ancient Indian thought knows a so-called four-fold logic,the tetralemma. The four alternatives of this tetralemma are a recurrent feature in the

early Buddhist discourses, where they frequently occur in analytical expositions. Thus,for example, four types of person are distinguished into those that torment themselves,torment others, torment both, or torment neither; another example is when four modesof action are treated under the headings of dark action, bright action, dark-and-brightaction, and neither-dark-nor-bright action.20

When applying ideas of coherence or consistency to early Buddhist thought, I thinkthis four-fold approach needs to be kept in mind. Of particular relevance is the thirdpossibility envisaged by the tetralemma, according to which differences need not al-ways be contradictory, but can also be complementary. That is, propositions that atfirst sight could seem to conflict with each other might on closer inspection turn out totally.21

Anotheraspectofconsiderableimportanceforaproperassessmentoftheearlydis-coursesistheoralnatureoftheirtransmission.Inordertoprovidesomebackgroundtothisoralnature,inwhatfollowsIsurveyoralaspectsoftheMajjhima-nikyaandofitsdiscourses.Icomebacktothethemeoforaltransmissionintheconcludingchapterofmy study, where based on the findings ofmodern psychological research on textualmemoryIattempttodevelopaclearerideaofthedynamicsoftheearlyBuddhistoraltraditionandof theprocesses thatappear tohavebeen responsible for thevariationsfoundbetweendifferentversionsofadiscourse.

20MN 51 at MN I 341,2and MN 57 at MN I 389,21, cf. below pp. 309 and 333; cf. also the discussion in,e.g., Hoffman 1982 and Sturm 1996: 53-63.

21ToallowforthispossibilitymightofferahelpfulperspectiveonsomeoftheproblemsofearlyBud-dhistphilosophy.Acaseinpointwouldbethemuch-discussedvariantstothetwelve-linkpresentationof dependent arising,paicca

samuppda, that involve less than twelve links. Instead of consideringtheseasproblematic,perhapssuchvariantscouldjustbeseenasdifferentapplicationsofthesamebasicprincipleofdependentarising(cf.SN12.20atSNII26,4),whichcanexpress itselfin termsof thetwelvelinksandnotintermsofthetwelve-links.TheresultofapplyingthethirdpossibilityfromthetetralemmaschemeinthiswaywouldbeinlinewithaconclusionarrivedatbyJones2009a:34inhisrecentresearchontheearlyBuddhistdoctrineofdependentarising,whichaccordingtohimmayhavebeenunderstoodasconsistingnot inadefinitenumberofdependently-arisen terms,but asa flexiblemode of presentation using five, nine, ten or twelve links. Therefore, rather than asking how thetwelve-foldformulationcametobeconstitutedfromsmallerunits,thehistoricalproblemshouldbere-

framedasthatofexplaininghowitcametoberegardedasstandard.


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Introduction 1

Introduction: TheMajjhima-nikya

TheMajjhima-nikya,themiddle[length]collection,22

takesitsnamefromtheinter-mediatelengthofnearlyallofthediscoursescollectedinthissecondofthefourPliNi-kyas.23TheMajjhima-nikya

assembles itsone-hundred-fifty-twodiscourses in fifteenchapters,groupedintothreemainsubdivisions,threesetsoffifty.Whilefourteenoutof these fifteen chapters have ten discourses each, one chapter has twelve discourses.Duetothischapterwithtwelvediscourses,thelastofthesethreemainsubdivisionshasfifty-twodiscourses,eventhoughitstitleisuparipasa,finalfifty.24

Regarding these three fifties, though theircontentscannotbeneatlysetapart fromeachother,acloserinvestigationrevealssomedifferencesamongthem.Thusinthefirstsetoffiftyamonkoragroupofmonksmakeuptheaudienceinoverseventypercentof

thediscourses,andinthefinalfiftyinevenclosetoninetypercentofthediscourses(in-cluding one discourse spoken to nuns). In themiddle fifty only about twenty-five percentofthediscoursesareaddressedtoamonkoragroupofmonks,eventhoughoneofthefivesubdivisionsofthisfiftyisachapteronmonks,Bhikkhuvagga,entirelyspokentomonks.

Inthefirstsetoffifty,Sriputtaistheauthorofmostofthediscoursesspokenbydisci-ples,followedbyMahmoggallna.25Inthemiddlefifty,nandaisthemostprominentspeakerofdiscoursesspokenbydisciples,followedbySriputta.26InthefinalfiftySri-puttaandnandaarethespeakersofthesamenumberofdiscourses.27Whileinthefirst

22ExtractsofthepresentdiscussionalreadyappearedinAnlayo2010n. Several points made in the presentintroduction and in my subsequent studies have also appeared in Sujto 2005, occasionally with explicitacknowledgement of their provenance from draft versions of my studies, which I had circulated amongfriends in 2003/2004, cf., e.g., Sujto 2005: 72 note 115.

23SvI23,8:Whatis themiddlecollection?Thediscoursesofmiddlelength,collectedinfifteenchapters,beginning with the discourse on the root instruction, one-hundred-and-fifty-two discourses, katamomajjhimanikyo?

majjhimappamni

pacadasavaggasagahni

mlapariyyasuttdni

diyahasata

dvecasuttni.Horner 1954/1967:xinterpretsthisdefinitiontoimplythatmiddle couldalsorefertothenumberofdiscoursesfoundinthepresentcollection.However,thelongcollection,Dgha-nikya,countsonlythirty-fourdiscourses,sothatonthisinterpretationthelong collectionshouldratherbecalledtheshort collection,asithastheleastnumberofdiscourses.Moreover,theothertwoNikyasreceivetheirnamefromthetypeofthediscoursestheycontain,thisbeingeitherdiscoursescollectedaccordingtotopic(sayutta)oraccordingtonumericalprinciples(aguttara),titlesnotrelatedtothequantityofdiscoursesthesecollectionscontain.

24Norman1983a:48;foramoredetaileddiscussioncf.belowp.765.25MN3,MN5,MN9,MN28,andMN43arespokenbySriputta,whereasMN15andMN50arespoken

byMahmoggallna. To the last two,MN37couldperhapsbeadded,sincealthoughmysurveyonlytakesintoaccountdiscoursesthatareattributedasawholetoaparticularmonk,notdiscourseswhereamonkplaysasecondaryrolebymakingashorterremarkoraskingaquestion,etc.,Mahmoggallnas role inMN37seemstoberathercentral.

26MN52,MN53,MN76,andMN88arespokenbynanda;MN69andMN97arespokenbySriputta.27MN108,MN123,andMN132arespokenbynanda,whereasMN114,MN141,andMN143arespo-

kenbySriputta(IconsiderMN144asadiscoursespokenbyChanna).


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2 Introduction

setoffiftynandaneverfeaturesastheauthorofadiscourse,Mahmoggallnadoesnotspeakanyofthediscoursesamongthemiddleandfinalfifties.

Atosomedegreedistinctcharacterofeachofthethreefiftiesisalsoreflectedintheirrespectivesettings.InthefirstsetoffiftytheJetaGrovemonologuegivenbytheBuddhatoanunspecifiednumberofmonksisbyfarthemostfrequenttypeofsetting,28whereasthe same iscompletelyabsent from themiddle fifty, whose discoursesalmostentirelyconsistofdialogues.29InthefinalfiftytheJetaGrovemonologuegivenbytheBuddhatothemonksrecursagainwithalmostthesamefrequencyasinthefirstsetoffifty.30

Themiddlefiftyalsostandsoutforcontainingmoreversematerialthantheothertwofifties.31Thechapterheadingsof themiddlefiftyfurtherset itapartfrom theothertwofifties,asinthemiddlefiftyeachchapterisconsistentlynamedafterthetypeofaudiencetowhichitsdiscoursesarespoken.Thus the chapters of the middle fifty are on:

-

householders,-

monks,- wanderers,-

kings,- Brahmins.32In contrast,thechapterheadingsinthefirstfiftyandthefinalfiftyvaryandaretaken

from one of the following principles:-

thediscoursethatstandsatthebeginningofthechapter,33-

aparticularthemetreatedinthischapter,34

28MN2,MN6,MN11,MN16,MN17,MN19,MN20,MN25,MN33,MN45,MN46,MN47,andMN49.

29TheonlymonologueisMN69,givenbySriputtaattheBambooGrove.30MN102,MN111,MN112,MN113,MN117,MN120,MN130,MN131,MN137,MN139,MN148,

andMN149.Forasurveyof the locationsassociatedwithMNdiscoursescf.alsoShiraishi1996:150-155.

31Althoughthenumberofdiscoursesinwhichversesarefoundisdistributedinanascendingmanneroverthe threefifties,withsixdiscourses in thefirstfifty thatcontainverse(MN7,MN12,MN26,MN34,MN49,andMN50),eightdiscoursesinthemiddlefifty(MN53,MN56,MN75,MN82,MN86,MN91,MN92,andMN98),andninediscoursesinthefinalfifty(MN116,MN128,MN130,MN131,MN132,MN133,MN134,MN142,andMN143),theversesectionsinthemiddlefiftyareratherlong,sothatintermsofoverallpercentagethemiddlefiftyhasabout53%oftheversematerialfoundintheMaj-jhima-nikya

asawhole,whilethefirstfiftyhasabout14%andthefinalfiftyabout33%. For a concor-dance ofMajjhima-nikyaversescf. Franke 1912.

32These are the Gahapati-vagga (6th chapter), theBhikkhu-vagga (7th), the Paribbjaka-vagga (8th), theRja-vagga

(9th),andtheBrhmaa-vagga

(10th).33TheMlapariyya-vagga(1stchapter),theShanda-vagga(2nd),theDevadaha-vagga(11th),theAnupa-

da-vagga(12th),and theSuata-vagga (13th)appear to take their titlefrom thefirstdiscourse found ineachchapter.VonHinber1998:108notesthatthesameprincipleisalsofoundfrequentlyintheJtakacollection,wherevaggastendtobetitledafterthefirsttalethatoccursinthem.

34TheSayatana-vagga

(15thchapter)appearstotakeitstitlefromthethemetreatedinthediscoursescol-

lectedunderthisheading.


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Preface 3

-

thegroupingprincipleappliedinthechapter.35Thedifferentcharacterofthethreefiftiescanalsobeseenbysurveyingthewaysome

themesaretreatedinthem.Whileamongthefirstsetoffiftycomprehensiveinstructionsonmindfulnesscanbefound in theSatipahna-sutta,36thefinalfiftytakesupaspectsof satipahna practice mindfulness ofbreathing,mindfulness of thebody,and thefournobletruthsanddedicatesawholediscoursetoexploringeachofthesethreeas-pectsinadditionaldetail.37Again,whilediscoursesinthefirstsetoffiftyofferautobio-graphicalinformationontheBuddhaspre-awakeningexperiencesasabodhisattva,38thesecondsetoffiftytakesupthesamefromabroadertemporalperspective,asitincludesseveralJtakas,descriptionsofthebodhisattvaspreviouslives.39

Aprogressionfrombasicinstructionstoamoredetailedtreatmentcantosomeextentalsobediscernedinrelationtoteachingsoninsight.40Prominentamongtherangeofin-sight-relatedinstructionsfoundinthefirstsetoffiftyarethetreatmentsofthesensesandofperceptualexperienceprovidedintheMlapariyya-suttaandtheMadhupiika-sut-ta.41Thethemebroachedbythesetwodiscoursesisexaminedinmoredetailinasetoftendiscoursesdedicatedtothesense-spheresandfoundintheSayatana-vagga,thelastchapterintheMajjhima-nikya.

Anotherprogressioncanbeseeninthedescriptionoftheconductofamonk.42Severaldiscoursesinthefirstsetoffiftytacklethisthemebyindicatinghowamonkcanbecomea true heir of the Dharma; how a monk should overcome blemishes or practise

35A

grouping

principle

appears

to

be

responsible

for

the

title

of

the

Opamma-vagga

(3

rdchapter,

adopting

thechaptertitlefoundintheBurmese,Ceylonese,andSiameseeditions,whilethePTSeditionreadsTa-tiya-vagga),Mahyamaka-vagga(4th),Cayamaka-vagga(5th),andtheVibhaga-vagga(14th).

36MN10.37MN118,MN119,andMN141.38MN12,MN26,andMN36.39MN81andMN83.40Theimportanceofinsight-relatedtopicsthroughouttheMajjhima-nikya

isreflectedinPsV109,6,whichinitsconcludingremarkspeaksofthewholecollectionasmahvipassannmyantivutto.

41MN1andMN18.42ThefrequentdiscussionsoftheconductofamonkseemstoreflectanoverallemphasisintheMajjhima-

nikyacollectiononmonastictraining.Bailey2003:131notesthatMajjhima-nikyadiscoursesconveyahighlydidacticBuddhism...theseareteachingsextendingfarbeyondtheunderstandingorinterestofallbutthemosthighlysophisticateddevotee.Franke1915drawsattentiontotheconsiderablymorefrequentuseofterminologyrelatedtovi

+

norsikkh

inMajjhima-nikya

discourses,comparedtoDgha-nikya

discourses.Mann 1990:79-81explainsthatwhiletheDgha-nikyacollectionappearstoservethefunc-tionofgainingconvertsandlaysupporters(cf.alsoFranke1913b:201,whoqualifiestheDgha-nikyaasapropagandatext,Propagandaschrift),thepurposeoftheMajjhima-nikya

appearstobetheintegra-tionofnewmonksintothecommunityandintothepractice,asallofthetechnicalitiesoftheTeachingappearhere indetail andanumberof sermonsonproblemsconnectedwith thepracticeand itsdiffi-culty canbefound.ThuswhiletheDgha-nikyaismoreacollectionofpublicitymaterial forthepur-poseofconversion, theMajjhima-nikyaprovides theconverts with the fundamentalsof theTeachingandthePractice.Marasinghe2002a:565alsoobservesthatthemajorityofthediscoursesofthiscollec-

tionare...eitherdirectlyaddressedtotheordaineddisciples...orareotherwiseintendedforthem.


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4 Introduction

effacement;whatmakesamonkeasytoadmonish;underwhatconditionsamonkshouldremaininaparticularplace;whatmakesamonkatruerecluse.43Thethemeofthecon-

ductofamonkrecursinthesecondandthirdsetsoffiftyfromamoredetailedandVi-naya-relatedperspective,with threediscoursesamong themiddlefiftydedicated to theregulation on eating only at the allowable time,44and two discourses among the finalfiftylayingdownprocedurestoensurecommunalharmonyaftertheBuddhasdemise.45

Insum,thediscoursescollectedinthefirstsetoffiftyappeartohaveapredominantlyfoundationalrole,thosefoundinthemiddlefiftyseemtobemorenarrative,andanum-berofdiscourses found in the final fiftyaremoreanalytical.Although thesearemeretendenciesandnotorganisationalprinciplesstrictlycarriedout, thenetresult is that tosomeextent the threefiftiesseem tofollowapattern inwhicheachsubdivisionbuildsuponthematerialthatprecedesit.46

Thispatterncouldbedue totheexigenciesoforaltransmission.AccordingtotheVi-suddhimagga,thethreefiftieswerethethreemainunitsformemorizationoftheMajjhi-ma-nikyaandweretobelearntbyaprospectivereciteroneaftertheotherinsuccession.That is, the reciterswouldat firstmemorize thefirst fifty,andonlywhen thiswasac-complishedwouldtheyturn tothemiddlefifty,andonlywhenthesehadbeensuccess-fullycommittedtomemorywouldtheylearnthefinalfifty.47Accordingtothecommen-taryontheVinaya,amonkwhowantstobecomeareciteroftheMajjhima-nikyaneedstomemorizeattheveryleastthefirstsetoffifty.48Fromthisitwouldfollowthatthefirstsetoffifty is theminimum thatneeds tobe learned, towhich then themiddleand the

finalfiftycouldbeadded.Although thesedescriptionsstemfromcommentarialworks,theymaywellreflectancientpatternsamongreciters.Thesubdivisionintothreefiftiescouldthenbeunderstoodtoreflectdifferencesinthe

memoryskillsofthosewhowishtobecomerecitersoftheMajjhima-nikya.Recitersoflimitedtalentinmemorizationmayonlylearnthefirstfifty,assuggestedintheVinaya

commentary.Inviewof this itwouldonlybenatural for thefirstsetoffifty tocollectdiscoursesthatcoverthemostessentialthemesrequiredforamonkstrainingandprac-tice,inordertoensurethateventhosewholearnonlythefirstfiftywillbeprovidedwithexpositionsonthemostimportantmatters.

43MN3,MN5,MN8,MN15,MN17,MN39,andMN40.44MN65,MN66,andMN70.45MN103andMN104,athemethatrecursalsoinMN108.46Neumann1896/1995:xxxviiaptlycomparesthemlapasatothefoundation,themajjhimapasato

thepillars,andtheuparipasatothedomeoftheedificeoftheMajjhima-nikya.47Vism95,23 indicates thataprospective reciterof theMajjhima-nikya needs to firstmemorize the first

fifty, then the middle fifty, and then the final fifty, mlapasa sajjhyantassa majjhimapasakogacchati,

ta

sajjhyantassa

uparipasako.48SpIV789,14:sacemajjhimabhakohoti,mlapasakouggahetabbo,whichformspartofthemedium

amountofmemorizationtobeundertakenbyamonkwhowouldactasapopularpreacher.Lessisrequiredforjustbeingconsideredalearnedmonk,butamonkwhowishestoteachthenunsshouldknowallthree

piakastogether

withtheircommentaries.


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Preface 5

Reciterswithmoreabilitiesmightthencontinueandlearnalsothesecondfifty.Havinglearnedtwofiftieswouldenablethemtotakeuppreachingonabroaderscale.Thismight

be the underlying rationale for the five chapters assembled in the second fifty, whichcollect discourses spoken to householders, monks, wanderers, kings, and Brahmins.Thesefivegroupsarethetypesofaudiencethatareciterwouldaddresswhenpreaching,sothatlearningthissecondsetoffiftywouldprovideaselectionofdiscoursesrelatedtoeachofthesegroups,asoccasiondemands.

Reciterswhotrainfurtherandbecomefull-fledgedMajjhima-bhakas,inthesenseofmemorizingallone-hundred-and-fifty-twodiscourses,wouldalsohaveat theirdisposalthemoredetailedtreatmentsonmeditationpracticeandinsightprovidedinthediscoursescollectedunderthethirdfifty.Thiswouldenablesucharecitertobenotonlyapopularpreacher,butalsotoactasateacherformoreadvanceddisciplesandguidethemintheirpractice.In thisway, thedivisioninto threefiftiesappears tobewellsuited to theexi-genciesoforaltransmission.

ThepatternthatappearstounderliethedivisionoftheMajjhima-nikyaintothreepartscouldhave beentheoutcomeofagradualgrowthandshapingofthiscollectionandneednothavebeenthegroundplanofthecollectionrightfromtheoutset.Infact,somedegreeofgradualevolutionoftheMajjhima-nikyacollectioncanbeseeninthedistributionofdiscoursesoverthevariouschapters.

Closer inspection shows that the principle of distribution into chapters according totopichasnotbeenadopted throughout theMajjhima-nikya inaconsistentway.Even

thoughthefourthandfifthchapters(theMahyamaka-vaggaandtheCayamaka-vagga)aredevoted topairs,thefinalpartofthefifthchapternolongercontainspairs.49Yet,amongtheremainingdiscoursesintheMajjhima-nikya

aconsiderablenumberofpairscan be found, so that there would have been enough material to fill thischapter withpairsandmakeitscontentagreewithitstitle.50

Concerningthesepairs,itisalsonotablethattheydonotoccurinastandardsequence,sinceoutofseventeenpairsfoundintheMajjhima-nikya,ninepairshavetheca-ver-sionfirst,51whiletheothereightpairslistfirsttherespectivemah-version.52

49Thefirsttwodiscourses,theSleyyaka-sutta(MN41)andtheVerajaka-sutta(MN42),aresosimilarincontentthattheycanalsobereckonedasapair,butthefinalfourdiscourses,theVmasaka-sutta

(MN47), theKosambiya-sutta(MN48), theBrahmanimantaika-sutta(MN49),and theMratajjanya-sutta(MN50)donotconstitutepairs.

50OtherpairsintheMajjhima-nikyaaretheCashanda-sutta(MN11)andtheMahshanda-sutta(MN12), theMahdukkhakkhandha-sutta (MN 13) and the Cadukkhakkhandha-sutta (MN 14), the Ca-hatthipadopama-sutta

(MN 27) and theMahhatthipadopama-sutta(M 28), theMahsropama-sutta

(MN29)and theCasropama-sutta (MN30), theMahrhulovda-sutta (MN62)and theCarhu-lovda-sutta

(MN 147), the Camlukya-sutta (MN 63) and theMahmalukya-sutta(MN 64), theMahsakuludyi-sutta (MN 77) and the Casakuludyi-sutta(MN 79), theMahpuama-sutta (MN109)andtheCapuama-sutta(MN110),theCasuata-sutta(MN121)andtheMahsuata-sutta(MN122),andtheCakammavibhaga-sutta(MN135)andtheMahkammavibhaga-sutta(MN136).

51MN11,MN27,MN31,MN35,MN37,MN45,MN63,MN121,andMN135.


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6 Introduction

The sixth chapter on householders (Gahapati-vagga) contains a discourse spoken toascetics, the Kukkuravatika-sutta, which does not seem to bear any relation to house-

holders.53Thesamediscourse

couldhavefoundabetterplacingin thechapteronwan-derers (Paribbjaka-vagga), which at present contains a discourse spoken to a house-holderwhohadjustcomefrommeetingawanderer,theSamaamaik-sutta.54Hereasimpleexchangeofthetwodiscourseswouldhavedonebetterjustice to therespectivechapterheadings.

Inthesamesixthchapteronhouseholders(Gahapati-vagga)onealsofindsadiscoursespoken to a prince, theAbhayarjakumra-sutta.55This discourse could have found amoresuitableplacing in thechapteronkings (Rja-vagga),whichalreadyhasanotherdiscourseaddressedtoaprince,theBodhirjakumra-sutta.56Thechapteronkingsalsohasadiscoursewhosemainprotagonistisahouseholder,theGhakra-sutta.57Henceinthiscase,too,anexchangeofthetwodiscourses,byplacingtheAbhayarjakumra-sut-tainthechapteronkingsandtheGhakra-suttainthechapteronhouseholders,wouldhavebettersuitedtherespectivechapterheadings.

EventheallocationofdiscoursestotheMajjhima-nikyadoesnotseemtoinvariablyfollowastrictprinciple.Somediscourses,suchastheMahshanda-suttaandtheMa-hsakuludyi-sutta,arerather longandcouldwellhavefoundasuitableplacing in theDgha-nikya,58while the discourses collected in the final chapter of theMajjhima-ni-kya

arequitebriefand,as theyalldealwith thesense-spheres,almostseem tobeanextractfromtheSalyatana-vaggaoftheSayutta-nikya.59

Theexamplessurveyedsofardonotgivetheimpressionthatthearrangementofdis-coursesintheMajjhima-nikya is the result of a preconceived fixed plan that was carriedout with thorough precision. Instead, this arrangement appearsmorelikelytobetheout-comeofagradualprocess of development.

The impression of agradual process of development becomes even more prominentwhentheMajjhima-nikya iscomparedwithitscounterpartintheMadhyama-gama.60ThisMadhyama-gama

collectionwas translated towards theendof thefourthcenturyintoChineseby theKashmirianmonkGautamaSaghadeva,61a translationbasedonawrittenIndicoriginalreadoutbyanotherKashmirianmonkandcarriedoutincoopera-

52MN13,MN29,MN33,MN39,MN43,MN62,MN77,andMN109.53MN57.54MN78.55MN58.56MN85.57MN81.58MN12andMN77.59These are discourses MN 143 to MN 152. Their Chinese parallels are, in fact, found in theSayukta-

gama,mostlylocatedinthesectiononthesixsense-spheres.60Anextractfromthepresentdiscussionalready appearedinAnlayo2007b.61Willemen1999/2000:46,however,holdsthatSaghadevamusthavecomefromnon-KmraJibin.


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Preface 7

tion with three Chinese collaborators.62The Indic original used for this translation ap-pearstohavebeeninaPrkrit,63which is generally held to bestemmingfromaSarvsti-

vda

line of transmission.64TheMadhyama-gama contains more discourses than the Majjhima-nikya, namely

two-hundred-and-twenty-two, which are assigned to eighteen chapters. Each of thesechapters includes a minimum of ten discourses, although a few chapters haveconsid-erably more. Regarding the chapter division in the two collections, theMadhyama-gamaandtheMajjhima-nikyahavethefollowingfourchaptersincommon:

-

onkings,-

onBrahmins,-

onpairs,-

onanalyses(vibhaga).Thesechaptersoccur, however,atdifferentplaces in the twocollections.65Thecon-

tentsof thesefourchaptersalsodifferconsiderably in therespectivecollections.As il-62ThecolophontotheMadhyama-gamacollectionatTI809b26(cf.alsoChen2005:612andforUighur

fragmentscorrespondingtothiscolophonKudara1990:144-145)reportsthattheKashmirianmonkSa-gharakareadouttheoriginaltext,Saghadevatranslatedit,andthemonkDoc actedasthescribewiththeassistanceofLboandKnghu fromtheW state, , ,

,

,

(witha

variantreadingforthelastas

).Ontheimplicationsoftheexpression

,literallyreceivingwiththepen,cf.T2131atTLIV1067c15,Fuchs1930:88,Shih1968:90:167,andZacchetti2006:166note41; regarding thereferencetotheoriginalas

cf.

the

discussion by

Boucher

2000.

Zacchetti

1996:

352

notes

that

Chinese

translations

undertaken

duringthisperiodweretheoutcomeofatripartitegroupeffortthatinvolvedaprincipaltranslator,anin-terpreter,and redactor(s).Regarding thecharacteristicsofsuch translation teams,Hrdlikov 1958:134explainsthatthetranslatoraforeignerusuallytranslatedtheoriginaltextintoChineseorally,whileChinesescribescorrectedhisChineseandputdownhistranslationintowriting.

63On the language of theMadhyama-gama manuscript cf. Bapat 1969: 5, Enomoto 1986: 20, and vonHinber1982:250;cf.alsobelowp. 92 note 333, p. 150 note 25, p. 290 note 128, p. 452 note 59, p. 567note 197, and p. 623 note 189.

64OntheschoolaffiliationoftheMadhyama-gamacf.L 1963:242,Mayeda1985:98,MinhChau1964/1991:27,Oberlies 2003: 48, Waldschmidt1980a:136,andYnshn1971/1983:703.Enomoto1984:198explains that theMadhyama-gama translated intoChineseprobablyrepresents theearliestof threever-sionsofthiscollection,thesecondofthethreebeingtheversionpartlypreservedinsomeCentralAsianSanskritfragmentsandthethirdversionbeingreflectedindiscoursequotationsinlaterworks.Forasur-veyofsomefeaturesoftheMadhyama-gamacf.alsoAnlayo2007b,id.2008a,andid.2009B.

65Thechapteronkings(Rja-vagga)formstheninthchapterintheMajjhima-nikya,whileintheMadhya-ma-gamaitoccurs as the sixth chapter( ).ThechapteronBrahmins (Brhmaa-vagga)isthetenth chapter in theMajjhima-nikya, while in theMadhyama-gama it constitutes the twelfth chapter(

).TheMajjhima-nikya

has twochaptersonpairs (Mah-

and

Cayamaka-vagga),whichareits fourth and fifth chapters respectively, while theMadhyama-gama has only one chapter on pairs(

),whichoccursinthiscollectionasthefifteenthchapter.Thechapteronanalyses (Vibhaga-vag-ga)isthefourteenthchapterintheMajjhima-nikya,whileintheMadhyama-gamaitoccursasthethir-teenth(

);cf.alsoYnshn1971/1983:707.Inadditiontothese,thethirdchapteroftheMaj-jhima-nikya, which in the Burmese, Ceylonese and Siamese editions is entitled chapter on similes

(Opammavagga),hasa title similar to the lastchapter in theMadhyama-gama, thechapteron exam-


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8 Introduction

lustratedbelowintable0.1,twoPlidiscoursesfromthechapteronkings,fourPlidis-courses from thechapteronBrahmins and from thegreaterchapteronpairs,andnine

PlidiscoursesfromthechapteronanalyseshaveaparallelintheirChineseequivalentchapter.

Table0.1:DiscourseParallelsinSimilarlyEntitledChaptersinMNandM

Kings Brahmins Pairs Analyses

MN81/M63

MN83/M67

MN91/M161

MN93/M151

MN96/M150

MN99/M152

MN31/M185

MN32/M184

MN39/M182

MN40/M183

MN132/M167MN133/M165

MN134/M166

MN135/M170

MN136/M171

MN137/M163

MN138/M164MN139/M169

MN140/M162

Infact,mostofthediscoursesintheMajjhima-nikyaandtheMadhyama-gamaarearrangedinratherdifferentways.Thesedifferencessupporttheimpressionthattheloca-tionof thediscourseswas theoutcomeofaprocessspecific toeachof the twocollec-

tions,thoughthesimilaritiesshownintable0.1 abovecouldbetheremnantsofacom-monstarting-point.66

Thesameargumentappliesnotonly to theMadhyama-gamaparallels toMajjhima-nikyadiscourses,butalsototheChineseparallelstotheMajjhima-nikyafoundintheothergamas.Anumberof suchparallels toMajjhima-nikya

discoursesoccur in theSayukta-gama,which wastranslatedinthefifthcenturyintoChinesebyBoyn(

)basedonwhatseems tohavebeena(Mla-)Sarvstivda textrecitedby theIndian

monkGuabhadra,atextthat may have been broughttoChinafromSriLankabyFxin(

).67

Anevenmoreprominentsourceforparallels toMajjhima-nikya

discoursesis

ples orillustrations ( ),thoughthetwodonotshareanydiscourseincommon.Anesaki1934a:284sums up that themethodsofdivision intochaptersand theorderofsuccessivedialoguesarequitedif-ferent inthetwocollections.

66Inasimilarvein,inregardtotheSayutta-nikyaandSayukta-gamacollectionsGlass2007:27comestotheconclusionthatwhilethesharedprincipleofarrangementislikelytobeveryold,importantdiffer-encesbetweenthecontentandarrangementoftheextantversionsshowthattheyfollowedseparatedevel-opments.Norman1984/1992:40explainsthatthesects...hadthesamenamesforthegroupsoftexts,butwerenotyetingeneralagreementabouttheircontents,ortheorderofthecontents.

67OnGuabhadrastranslationactivitiescf.Bagchi1927:378;onthetranslationteamcf., e.g., T2145atTLV13a6andon theSayukta-gamacollection ingeneralcf.Bucknell2006andL 1963:242; on theoriginalmanuscriptof theSayukta-gamacf.T2085atTLI865c25, translated inLegge1886/ 1998:

111,aswellasAnlayo2010e:67-69,Anesaki1905:24,deJong1981:105,Glass2006:20-25,andid.


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Preface 9

theEkottarika-gama,acollectiontranslatedbyZhFnin( )fromwhatappearstohavebeenaPrkritoriginalofsofarundeterminedschoolaffiliation transmittedby

theTocharianmonkDharmanand.68Of thesegamas, the majority of full parallels toMajjhima-nikya discourses are

foundintheMadhyama-gama,whichhasninety-sixparallelsandtherewithmorepar-allels than the othermaingamas together.69The Ekottarika-gama has thirty-six fullparallels,70followed by the Sayukta-gama

(T 99) with twenty-five full parallels,71

2010.On theschoolaffiliationoftheSayukta-gamacf.,e.g.,Choong2000:6note18,Enomoto1986:23,Harrison2002:1,Hiraoka2000,Mayeda1985:99,Oberlies 2003: 64, Schmithausen1987:306,Wald-schmidt1980a:136,andYnshn1971/1983:696.Regarding thepossiblepresenceofSarvstivdins inCeyloncf.Bechert1982, id.1998: 3,Gunawardana1966:66,Kalupahana 1970:190,and Witanachchi

2005c:578.Arecentcontributionregarding therelationshipbetween,orperhapsidentityof,the(Mla-)SarvstivdaandtheSarvstivda, can be found in Enomoto2000, cf. also Skilling 2002: 374-376,withareplytoEnomotoinWynne2008.

68Foramoredetaileddiscussionof thesomewhatcomplex issueof the translatorandschoolaffiliationoftheEkottarika-gamacf.Anlayo2009A;cf.alsoNattier2010 forarevealingstudyofZhFnin(

) theprobable translatorof thiscollection (on this attribution cf. Matsumura 1989: 361-367; cf. also,e.g., Anlayo 2006e: 146, Legittimo 2010: 256, and Nattier 2007: 195 note 48). Regardingthetitleofthis

gama,Allon2001:11listsseveraloccurrencesofthetermEkottarika-gamainSanskritsources,whereasthealternativeEkottara-gama

doesnotseem tobeattested,whichmakesEkottarika-gama

theprefer-abletermforrendering

.69M 9, M 10, M 14, M 19, M 26, M 27, M 29, M 30, M 31, M 32, M 34, M 63, M

64, M 67, M 72, M 75, M 77, M 78, M 79, M 81, M 85, M 87, M 88, M 89, M 91,M 93, M 98, M 99, M 100, M 101, M 102, M 103, M 105, M 107, M 108, M 115, M131, M 132, M 133, M 144, M 145, M 146, M 150, M 151, M 152, M 153, M 161, M162, M 163, M 164, M 165, M 166, M 167, M 169, M 170, M 171, M 173, M 174, M175, M 178, M 179, M 180, M 181, M 182, M 183, M 184, M 185, M 186, M 187, M189, M 190, M 191, M 192, M 193, M 194, M 195, M 196, M 198, M 199, M 200, M201, M 203, M 204, M 205, M 206, M 207, M 208, M 209, M 210, M 211, M 212, M213, M 214, M 216, M 217, and M 221 (a discussion of my reasons for not including M 28, M86, M 106, and M 168 can be found below p. 821 note 1, p. 838 note 96, p. 23, and p. 679).

70E12.1,E13.3,E13.5,E17.1,E17.9,E18.3,E19.3,E21.9,E24.8,E25.6,E27.1,E27.2,E31.1,E32.4,E37.3,E37.5,E37.10,E38.6,E38.7,E38.10,E39.9,E39.10,E40.6,E40.10,E43.4,E43.6,E44.6,E45.2,E 47.9,E49.1,E49.6,E49.8,E50.4,E50.8,E51.4,andE51.8(countingE50.8afullparallel,sincethoughitisonlyapartialparalleltoMN21andMN22respectively,asitcombineselementsofbothitbecomesafullparallelto

Majjhima-nikya

discoursesingeneral.On my reasons for not reckoningE24.7,E41.1,E43.5,andE45.6 as full parallelscf.below p. 293 note 142, p. 122 note 120, p. 147 note 13, and p. 846 note 132.

71S58,S110,S200,S236,S276,S280,S282,S304,S305,S311,S344,S485,S505,S548,S815,S962,S964,S969,S1042,S1043,S1077,S1079,S1248,S1249,andS1266 (on my reasons for not including S 215, S 251, and S 973 cf. below p. 828 note42, p. 268 note 19, and p. 413 note 114. Several parallels are also found in the partially preserved Sayuk-ta-gama (T 100), , cf. the survey of parallels in the appendix. Although such parallels areas important as other gama discourses when it comes to studying a particular Pli discourse in the lightof its counterparts, the fact that this collection is not preserved in full makes it impossible to assess how

many parallels it would have had toMajjhima-nikyadiscourses.


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10 Introduction

while theDrgha-gama has only a single parallel.72Among these one-hundred-fifty-eight full parallels to discourses of theMajjhima-nikya found in the main Chinese

gamas, a considerable degree of overlap occurs, in that at times two or even threegama parallels toa single Plidiscoursecan be found,while someMajjhima-nikyadiscoursesdo not have any full parallelin theChinesegamas (though they may havepartialparallelsinaChinesegamas discourses or counterparts in discourses that havebeen translated individually into Chinese).73

WhiletheMajjhima-nikyahasonlyasingleparallelintheChineseDrgha-gama,acollection translated by Zh Fnin ( ) based on a text recited by BuddhayaasduringtheearlyfifthcenturyfromwhatappearstohavebeenaPrkritoriginaltransmit-tedbytheDharmaguptakatradition,74the(Mla-)Sarvstivda

Drgha-gama

preservedin Sanskrit fragments appears to have had ten parallels to theMajjhima-nikya.75For

72D30.4(thoughthisispartofalargerdiscourse,fromtheperspectiveoftheMajjhima-nikyaitisafullparalleltoMN130).

73Forasurveyof theparallels toeachMajjhima-nikyadiscourseandabriefdiscussionof the distinctionbetween partial and full parallels cf.belowp. 1035.

74OntheschoolaffiliationoftheDrgha-gamacf., eg.,Bareau1966:50,Brough1962/2001:50,Demi-ville1951:252-253,Enomoto1986:25,L 1963:242,Mayeda1985:97,Oberlies 2003: 44, Prasad1993:50,Salomon1999:173,andYnshn1971/1983:720,cf.alsoAnlayo2009o:229note65;onitsoriginallanguagecf.Brough1962/2001:50-54,Karashima1994,andWaldschmidt1980a:137.Regardingtransla-tionactivitiesassociatedwithBuddhayaascf.Bagchi1927:203;onhisprobableroleduringtranslation

cf.Silk

2006:

81-82;

on

the

translators

cf., e.g., T

I1b

10,T

2059

at

T

L

334b

20(translated

in

Shih

1968:

90),andT2145atTLV11b1.Forte1984:316commentsthateverytranslationwasregisteredunderthenameofasingleperson,usuallytheactualguarantorofthetext,eitherbecausehehadbroughttheSanskrittexttoChinaorelsebecauseheknewitbyheart...Thisneedtomakeonepersonresponsibleoftenmeantthattheactualcontributionofothermembersoftheteamtendedtobeunacknowledged;cf.alsoBoucher1998:500note121.Theneedforaguarantorofthetranslatedtextisquiteunderstandableinviewofthefactthat,asLancaster1999:519and523pointsout,insteadofapreviouslyarrangedcanon,theChinesereceivedone textafteranother ... inapiecemealfashion,therewasno listof texts,universallyrecog-nizedbythearrivingmissionarymonks,whichcouldbeusedbytheearlyChineseBuddhistcommunityasaformalcanon.Thus,assummedupbyNattier2008:19inmanycasesascriptureiscreditednottotheactualtranslator,buttotheforeignparticipantinthetranslationprocess,evenifthatpersonsonlyrole...wastoprovideawrittentextand/ortorecitethescripturealoud.

75Besideswhat I have been able to consult of these recently discovered Drgha-gama fragments, for mycomparative studies I have also drawn on a number of other Sanskrit fragments that parallel at timessmaller and at times large sections of Majjhima-nikya discourses. In general, the school affiliation ofsuchSanskritfragmentparallelsisuncertain,thoughthepossibilitythattheystemfromtheSarvstivda/(Mla-)Sarvstivda traditions could be considered the most probable option, cf. also Hartmann 1999:119.AnotherimportantsourceofparallelsisamathadevascommentaryontheAbhidharmakoabhya

(onthisworkcf.alsoMejor1991:63-64andSkilling2005:699),adiscourseanthologyextantinTibetantranslationand stemming from the (Mla-)Sarvstivda tradition, this being the standard school affiliationof texts preserved in Tibetan, cf. BustonsHistoryofBuddhism inObermiller 1932/1986:197 and, e.g.,Grnbold 1984: 14 or Ruegg 1985: 121. This work contains a number of partial and full parallels to Maj-jhima-nikyadiscourses, where the relevant passages can conveniently be located thanks to Honj 1984,

with Psdika 1989a providing a survey of quotations in theAbhidharmakoabhya.


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Preface 11

such differences to manifest, the distribution of discourses over different collectionsmusthavefluctuatedforquitesometimeduringoraltransmission,sothatvariousreciter

traditionsfeltfreetoadoptittotheirpersonalneedsandpreferences.76While the positioning of discourses (and of chapters) in theMajjhima-nikya thus

clearlydiffers from its Chineseparallel, itsorderofdiscoursesdoesat timesappear tofollow an underlying rationale that expresses the exigencies of oral transmission. Acloser inspection of the sequence of discourses in theMajjhima-nikya reveals that aprecedingdiscoursetendstohavesomeaspectincommonwiththenextdiscourse,there-by providing a link that makes it easy for the reciters to remember which discoursecomesnext.Suchlinkingorconcatenation cantakevariousformsandinvolvecontentaswellasform.77

Theworkingmechanicsofsuchconcatenationcanbe illustratedwith theexampleofthe first ten discourses in theMajjhima-nikya.78The first and second discourses, theMlapariyya-sutta(MN1)andtheSabbsava-sutta(MN2),bothbegintheirrespectivetreatmentbyexaminingthecaseoftheuntaughtordinaryworldling,79andproceedfromthistotheliberatedmonkwhohasgonebeyondtheinfluxesandfetters,asimilarityinpatternthateasilyprovidesarelationbetweenthetwodiscourses.80

TheSabbsava-sutta(MN2)instructshowtoeradicatetheinfluxes,atopicthatrecursrightawayatthebeginningofthethirddiscourseintheMajjhima-nikya,theDhamma-

76

Cf.alsobelowp. 864.77VonHinber1999a:20(cf. also id. 1996/1997: 12)notesasanexampleforconcatenationthesequenceofpcittiya

rulesoftheptimokkha,whererule4referstoteachingrecitationtosomeonewhohasnotbeenfullyordained,anupasampanna;rule5takesuptheissueoflyingdowninthepresenceofsomeonewhohasnotbeenfullyordained,anupasampannena...sahaseyyakapeyya;rule6thenturnstolyingdowninthepresenceofawoman,mtugmenasahaseyyakappeyya;rule7thenturnstoteachingtheDharmatowomen,mtugmassa(cf., e.g., adassana1993:31). Thusineachcaseaparticularexpressionfoundintheearlierruleistakenupinthesubsequentrule.Onconcatenationbetweendiscoursescf.alsoAllon2001:18-22.

78MyexpositiontakesitsinspirationfromastudyoftheinterrelationbetweenMajjhima-nikyadiscoursesinFranke 1914a,whichcovers the remaining discourses up toMN 76 (onMN92andMN98cf.Franke1914c; for similar patterns in the Dgha-nikya cf. Franke 1913c).Extractsof thepresentdiscussional-readyappearedinAnlayo2010n.

79MN1atMNI1,9=MN2atMNI7,17:assutavputhujjanoariynaadassvariyadhammassaakovi-do

ariyadhamme

avinto

sappurisna

adassv

sappurisadhammassa

akovido

sappurisadhamme

avinto.80MN1atMNI5,10:bhikkhu...khsavo...parikkhabhavasayojano,andMN2atMNI12,5:bhikkhu

sabbsavasavarasavuto ... vvattayi sayojana (Be-MN I 15,7 and Se-MN I 20,12: vivattayi).AnotherlinkbetweenthetwodiscoursescouldbethatMN1atMNI6,13describesthepenetrativevisionoftheTathgatathatgoesbeyondaworldlingsconceivingsbyproclaimingsabbasotahnakhay...anuttara

sammsambodhi

abhisambuddho, therebybroaching the themeof thepropervisionofphe-nomenathatcomesaboutwithfullawakening,athemetakenupatthebeginningofMN2atMNI7,4intermsoftheneedtodevelopknowledgeandvisionforbeingabletoreachfullawakening,jnato...passa-to

savna

khaya

vadmi.Todevelopsuchknowledgeandvision,MN2recommendsyoniso

manasi-

kra,theveryoppositeoftheworldlingsconceivingsmentionedinMN1.


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12 Introduction

dyda-sutta

(MN3),whichcriticizesmonkswhodonoteradicatethosethingsthattheirteachertoldthemtoeradicate.81

Anotheraspectofproperconducthighlighted in theDhammadyda-sutta(MN3) istheneedtodwellinseclusion,82atopicthatformsthecentralthemeofthenextdiscourse,theBhayabherava-sutta

(MN4),whichexpounds thedifficultiesof living inseclusion.TheinterrelationbetweenthetwodiscoursesisfurtherstrengthenedbythecircumstancethatintheDhammadyda-sutta

(MN3)themonkswhopractiseseclusionfunctionasashiningexample,83justasintheBhayabherava-sutta(MN4)theBuddhaspracticeofse-clusionfunctionsasashiningexampleforhisdisciples.84

In thecontextof itsexaminationof thedifficultiesof living inseclusion, theBhaya-bherava-sutta(MN4)describestheobstructiveeffectofvariousevilmentalqualities,athemecontinuedinthenextdiscourse,theAnagana-sutta(MN5),byexaminingvari-ousevilmentalqualitiesofamonk.Therelationshipbetweenthetwodiscoursesisfur-therstrengthenedbythefactthatseveralevilqualitiesmentionedintheBhayabherava-sutta(MN4)recurinthedescriptionofevilmonksgivenattheconclusionoftheAna-gana-sutta(MN5).85

TheAnagana-sutta(MN5)examinesunworthywishesofamonkandhighlightstheimportanceofmakinganefforttoovercomethem.Thenextdiscourse,thekakheyya-sutta (MN 6), takes up the same theme from the complementary perspective of theworthy wishes of a monk, explaining how effort should be directed in order for suchwishes tocome to fulfilment.The two treatmentsevenhaveapartialoverlap,asboth

takeupthecaseofamonkwhowishestoobtainfoodandclothing,etc.86

81MN2atMNI7,10presentssevenmodeshowtheinfluxesshouldbeeradicated,savpahtabb.MN3atMNI14,14thencontinuesthis theme with:yesa ca dhammna satth pahnam ha, te ca dhammenappajahanti.MN3atMNI15,25 developstheideaoferadicationbydescribingthatthenobleeightfoldpath leads to the eradication of various mental defilements, lobhassa ca pahnya dosassa ca pahnyaatthi majjhima paipad ... ayam eva ariyo ahagiko maggo. By referring to the noble eightfold path, MN3continuesthethemeofthepathtotheeradicationofdukkhamentionedinMN2atMNI9,19: ayadukkhanirodhagmin paipad, where this path is also related to eradication, as it occurs in the expositionof influxes to be eradicated through vision, sav dassan pahtabb.

82MN3atMNI14,2contrastsdisciplesthatdonotfollowtheirteachersexampleanddonotpractiseseclu-sion,satthu

pavivittassa

viharato,

svak

viveka

nnusikkhanti,todisciplesthatfollowtheexample oftheir teacher,svakvivekamanusikkhanti.

83MN3atMNI15,4paviveke

pubbagam.84MN4atMNI16,22:gotamopubbagamo.Thetwodiscoursesalsohaveincommonthattheymention

theBuddhascompassion,MN3atMNI12,15:atthimetumhesuanukamp,andMN4atMNI23,35:pacchima

ca

janata

anukampamno.85MN4atMNI19,30=MN5atMNI32,13:kusthnaviriy(Be-MNI23,28andBe-MNI38,10:hna-

vriy);MN4atMNI20,10=MN5atMNI32,13:asamhit

vibbhantacitt;MN4atMNI20,19=MN5atMNI32,14:duppaeamg(Ce-MNI46,29andCe-MN72,9aswellasSe-MNI35,15andSe-MN56,1:elamg).

86MN5atMNI29,35:lbh

assa

patna

cvarna

...

piaptna

...

sensanna

...

gilnapacca-


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Preface 13

Theseriesofworthywishesinthekakheyya-sutta(MN6)leadsfromgoingbeyondunwholesomestatesofmind,viatheattainmentofstream-entry,totheattainmentoffull

awakening.Thenextdiscourse,theVatthpama-sutta

(MN7),

takesupthesametopics,as itfirst treatsaseriesofunwholesomementalstates, thenrefers to theattainmentofstream-entry,andfinallyculminatesintheattainmentofthedestructionoftheinfluxes.

TheVatthpama-sutta(MN7),moreover,completesthetopicofrequisitesthatwasal-readya theme in the twoprecedingdiscourses.While theAnagana-sutta(MN5)de-scribes a monks wish for superior food and clothing, etc., and thekakheyya-sutta(MN6)showshowamonkswishforfoodandclothingcanbefulfilled,theVatthpa-ma-sutta(MN7)concludesthistopicbyindicatingthatforonewhohasdevelopedthepath,evensuperiortypeoffoodwillnotbeanobstruction.87

TheVatthpama-sutta(MN7)andthenextdiscourse,theSallekha-sutta(MN8),basetheirrespectiveexpositionsonwhatneedstobeovercomeinordertoprogressonthepath.Therelationshipbetween these twodiscourses issoclose in thisrespect that theybothlistthesamementaldefilements.88

TheSallekha-sutta(MN8)takesupthetranscendenceofviews,89athemethenextdis-course,theSammdihi-sutta(MN9),developsfromitscomplementaryperspectivebyexploringvariousaspectsofrightview.Thistheme isalreadyadumbrated in theSalle-kha-suttas(MN8)referencetorightviewasthewaytoovercomewrongview.90

The

Sammdihi-suttas

(MN9)

treatmentrevolvesaroundvariousaspectsthataretobeknown,pajnti,inordertoaccomplishrightview.Theneedtoknow isalsothe

themeofthenextdiscourse,theSatipahna-sutta

(MN10),wherethesameactivityismentionedagainandagaininthedescriptionsofhowtodevelopthefoursatipahnas.Bothdiscourses thus share incommon that they expoundhowone factorof thenobleeightfoldpathcanbedevelopedwiththehelpofvariousaspectsthataretobeknown.91

ThesewaysofinterrelationshowthedegreetowhichthepresentorderofthediscoursesintheMajjhima-nikyaissuitedtotherequirementsoforaltransmission,wherediscoursesthat have some aspect or other in common follow each other, thereby facilitating thereciterstasktorecallthe whole group in the proper sequence andwithoutomissions.

Insum,then,thestructureoftheMajjhima-nikyaandtheorderinwhichitsdiscoursesarearrangedappearstoreflecttheinfluenceoforaltransmission.Thesamecanalsobe

seeninseveralaspectsofitsdiscourses,whichInowsurveyinmoredetail.

yabhesajjaparikkhrna;andMN6atMNI33,12:lbh

assa

cvara-piapta-sensana-gilnapac-cayabhesajjaparikkhrna (Be-MNI35,25andBe-MNI39,19:gilnappaccaya).

87MN7atMNI38,11.88MN7atMNI36,29listskodha,upanha,makkha,pasa,iss,macchariya,my,sheyya,andatimna,

whichrecurinMN8atMNI42,35.89MN8atMNI40,15:y

im

...

anekavihit

dihiyo

loke

uppajjanti,followedbyqueryinghowtheseviewscanbeleftbehind.

90MN 8atMN I42,18:pare micchdihbhavissanti,mayamettha sammdihbhavissm ti (Se-MN I75,17+18:micchdihik

andsammdihik).91Eachofthetwodiscourseshaswelloverahundredoccurrencesofthetermpajnti.


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14 Introduction

ThestandardopeningtoadiscourseintheMajjhima-nikyareadsthushaveIheard,atonetime,92followedbynotingthewhereaboutsoftheBuddhaatthetimeoftheparticu-

lareventorteachingrecordedinthediscourse.TheopeningIhaveheard quiteexplic-itlydrawsattentiontotheoralnatureofwhatistofollow.93Accordingtothetraditionalaccount,thesewordswerespokenbynandaandstandforhisoralreceptionandsubse-quent transmission of the teachings he had heard.94Not only the content, but also theformof this formulaicbeginning testifies tooral transmission.Already these first fewwords,foundatthebeginningofeachdiscourse,exhibitmetricalandsoundsimilaritiesthatrecurthroughoutthediscourses (see table 0.2 below).Suchsoundsimilaritiescanin-volve alliteration, repetition of an initial sound, assonance, repetition of a soundfoundinthemiddleofaword,andhomoioteleuton,repetitionofthefinalsound.95

ThetwopartsofthePliversionofthisstandardopeningtoadiscourse,evamesu-taand

eka

samaya,eachconsistoffivesyllables.Thefirstwordineachpart,eva

and eka, is closely similar, differing only in respect to their second consonant. Thewordseva,suta,ekaandsamaya share thesame -aending,96while thewordssuta and samaya share the same initial consonant.97Thus, even though these fewwordsaremerelyaprose introduction toadiscourse,acloser inspectionrevealssoundsimilarities thatoccurwithconsiderable frequency in other prose sectionsof theearlydiscourses,especiallyinlistingsofsimilarwordsorinformulaicexpressions.98

92Inregard to thisstandardopeningofadiscourse,Brough1950:416adduces theTibetanversionof this

opening, di

skad

bdag

gis

thos

pa

dus

Comparative Study of Majjhima Nikaya Vol. 1

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