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.