The Buddha goes into the river to bathe and drink, then goes to a mango grove, where he has the novice Cunda fold his outer robe (the monastic's outer garment) in four and spread it on the ground, and lies down on his right side. The Chinese Youxing jing also records that Cunda passed away before the Buddha, in his presence. Pali Canon
Different Accounts
Name of the river: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition says he bathed in the Kakutthā; the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing, Bannihuan jing and Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Tibetan Vinaya and the Sanskrit Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra say in the Hiraññavatī (the Golden River); the names of the two rivers cross over in the various sources.
More differences between accounts (1)
Cunda spreading the robe and attending the Buddha as he lay down is found in the Pali canon of the Southern tradition and the Chinese Youxing jing; Cunda passing away before the Buddha only in the Chinese Youxing jing. The Sanskrit Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra has neither Cunda nor the mango grove; there it is Ānanda who spreads the robe and lets the Buddha lie down, twice in all.
Dating
Year 45 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged seventy-nine to eighty, after the , on the day of the passing; the day is stated in the canonical text, and by the later commentaries of the Southern tradition it is the full moon of Vesākha; it can be fixed to the day.
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
The episode of “bathing in the river” is recorded by five schools: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama, the Sanskrit Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing and Bannihuan jing and the Chinese three-fascicle Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Attested across multiple schools. “Cunda's passing away before the Buddha” within it is recorded only in the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Stated in the canonical text (the text itself gives the time). Time precision: fixed to the day.
Sources
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D6 da 261a2–261a4
- 梵文原典梵文《大般涅槃經》（Waldschmidt）§29.1–29.4
- 梵文原典梵文《大般涅槃經》§27、29–30
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 16:4.38.5–4.41.14
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.20a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.5 p.168c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.6 p.184a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.7 p.198c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.391c
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ap-a，§82