Hand-drawn Buddha symbol and buddha chronicle wordmark
Based on the sutras, the Vinaya and later commentaries
About the Sources

Learns letters and the arts, and wins the contests

Recorded by one school

As a boy the Bodhisatta studies writing, arithmetic, archery, chariot-driving and the other arts under teachers and masters them all; in contests of archery and wrestling with the other young Sakyans he wins every time. This event is found mainly in the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and several Buddha biographies; the Pali canon of the itself does not record it.

Different Accounts

Age: the Buddha biographies Taizi ruiying benqi jing, Puyao jing (the Chinese Lalitavistara) and Guoqu xianzai yinguo jing say he began to learn writing at seven, the Fo benxing ji jing at eight; the Taizi ruiying benqi jing and Guoqu xianzai yinguo jing say his talents showed and he competed in the arts at ten; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition place the display of his skills after the age of sixteen.

More differences between accounts (3)

The contests: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya says the people of presented a fine elephant; killed it with a single blow of his fist, Nanda (the Buddha's younger brother) dragged it aside, and the Bodhisatta threw it out of the city; in the archery contest the Bodhisatta's single arrow pierced seven palmyra trees (a kind of palm), seven iron drums and seven iron boars.

The teachers' names: the Buddha biography Guoqu xianzai yinguo jing has Batuoluoni; the Fo benxing ji jing has Pishemi and Rentian; the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya says the master who taught archery was Tongshen.

Order: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya places the contests before the marriage; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition place them after it.

Dating

In boyhood; the age cannot be reckoned from an awakening at thirty-five. The canonical texts give no time; the Buddha biographies have him learning writing at seven or eight and competing in the arts at ten; the year is uncertain.

Related Entries

Year
The Buddha at 7
Places
Kapilavatthu
People
DevadattaNanda
Discourses
Not recorded
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
How Reliability Is Assessed

Recorded only in the Chinese Saṅghabhedavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. Recorded by one school.

Dating Evidence and Precision

Source of the date not recorded. Time precision: year uncertain.

Sources

Back to The Buddha at 7

Source text

日期怎麼讀

成道第幾年
從佛陀成道開始，每經過一次雨季安居算一年，每一年算到安居結束為止；所有年歲一律依二十九歲出家、三十五歲成道推算。
年份依據
區分經文自己明記、後世註解書記載、先後順序推定及年歲換算。
時間精確度
分別說明確定到日、月、年，或只能放入某幾年之間。
可信度
多派共傳、兩派記載、單派記載與後世補述，表達記載的共傳範圍；與時間及位置是否確定分開閱讀。