In the mango grove at Nālandā the chief disciple Sāriputta declares that in past, future or present no one's awakening surpasses that of the Blessed One (the Buddha). The Buddha asks whether he knows the minds of the Buddhas, and points out that the basis of his statement is an inference from the principles of the Dhamma. Only the Pali canon of the Southern tradition places this event on the last journey. Taishō Canon
Pali Canon
Different Accounts
The declaration itself is found in several texts (such as the Sampasādanīya Sutta of the Southern tradition, the Zihuanxi jing in the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama and the Saṃyukta Āgama), but none places it on the last journey; the Chinese and Tibetan accounts of the last journey have no halt at Nālandā.
More differences between accounts (1)
The later commentaries of the Southern tradition say Sāriputta passed away only on the full moon of after this year's , which is why he still appears in the early part of the journey.
Dating
Year 45 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged seventy-nine to eighty, before the rains retreat; inferred only from the order of the texts of the Southern tradition, only the year is known.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
The episode “as a stage of the last journey” is recorded only in the Pali canon of the Southern tradition. Recorded by one school. “As an event in itself” it is recorded by three schools.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Inferred from the sequence of events (neither the canonical texts nor the commentaries give the time; the year is worked out from the order of this event and those around it). Time precision: year only.
Sources
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D6 da 234a4–234b6
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 16:1.15.2–1.18
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.76b
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.130c
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Sv，§144
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Sv