The Buddha says that the last meal received before the Awakening and the last meal received before the passing are equal in merit and fruit. He instructs Ānanda to tell Cunda this, so that he will feel no remorse. Pali Canon
Different Accounts
The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra translated by Faxian says Cunda travelled with the Buddha and the Buddha told him in person; all other accounts have the message entrusted to Ānanda.
More differences between accounts (2)
Order: the Chinese Youxing jing places this passage beneath the first tree after leaving Pāvā, before Pukkusa's visit. The Sanskrit Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, like the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing, Bannihuan jing and Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Tibetan Vinaya, places it after the bathing in the Hiraññavatī.
The items of merit: the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing has “five blessings”; the Pali canon of the Southern tradition lists long life, beauty, happiness, fame and so on. The Sanskrit Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra lists six: long life, beauty, strength, wealth, rebirth in heaven and sovereignty.
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.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
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.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Stated in the canonical text (the text itself gives the time). Time precision: fixed to the day.
Sources
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Sv，§197
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D6 da 261a4–261a7
- 梵文原典梵文《大般涅槃經》（Waldschmidt）§29.5–29.12
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D6 da 261a4–261a6
- 梵文原典梵文《大般涅槃經》§29.5–29.12
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 16:4.42.1–4.42.13
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.18c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.5 p.168c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.6 p.184a–b
- 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