The Buddha asks Ānanda to go into the town and tell the Mallas that in the last watch of this night the Tathāgata will pass away. The whole Malla people come out of the town, and Ānanda has them pay homage to the Buddha family by family. Taishō Canon
Pali Canon
More sources (1)
Different Accounts
Taking refuge: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Tibetan Vinaya say five hundred strong men and their families and took the five precepts; the Chinese Bannihuan jing has Prince Achen and the noble families taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha; the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing has the king and one hundred and forty thousand people wishing to take the precepts. Taishō Canon
More differences between accounts (3)
The Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Youxing jing and the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra translated by Faxian record only homage and hearing the Dhamma, without taking refuge.
The Chinese Ekottarika Āgama calls the five hundred Mallas the “last disciples to attain realization”, while also calling Subhadda the “last disciple”. Taishō Canon
Whether Kusinārā had a king: the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing and Bannihuan jing say there was a king and a crown prince; the Southern tradition says the Mallas deliberated together in their assembly hall.
Dating
Year 45 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged seventy-nine to eighty, after the , in the first part of the night of the passing; stated in the canonical text; it can be fixed to this night.
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
The episode of “informing the Mallas, and the Mallas paying homage” is recorded by five schools: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama, the Chinese Kṣudrakavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing and Bannihuan jing and the Chinese three-fascicle Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Attested across multiple schools. The “Mallas taking refuge” within it is recorded by two schools, the Chinese Kṣudrakavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing and Bannihuan jing.
- 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 276a4–277a4
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D6 da 276b6–277a3
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 16:5.19.1–5.22.7
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.24b–25a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.24c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.5 p.171a–c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.5 p.171b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.6 p.186c–187b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.6 p.187a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.7 p.203a–b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.7 p.203b
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.394c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.395a
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.125 p.751c–752a
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.125 p.752a
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.192 p.46b–c
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ap-a，§82
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 16:5.22.7
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.125 p.751c