The Bodhisatta next goes to study under the ascetic Uddaka Rāmaputta. Uddaka explains to him “the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception” (a meditative state deeper than the sphere of nothingness), attained by his father Rāma, and the Bodhisatta attains it himself. Uddaka holds the Bodhisatta in the highest esteem. Judging that this method likewise does not lead to final liberation, the Bodhisatta leaves. The texts of every major school record this event. Taishō Canon
Pali Canon
More sources (3)
Different Accounts
Who had attained the state: Majjhima Nikāya 26 of the Southern tradition and the Chinese Madhyama Āgama say it was Uddaka's father Rāma who had attained it, and that Uddaka himself had not; the Chinese Dharmaguptaka Vinaya says that after the teacher's death Yutoulanzi (that is, Uddaka) taught the disciples; the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya says this ascetic had attained it himself.
More differences between accounts (2)
How the Bodhisatta was treated: Majjhima Nikāya 26 of the Southern tradition says he was invited to take the teacher's seat; the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya says he was invited to stay and teach the disciples together with Uddaka.
The name is rendered in different ways: also Yutoulanzi, Yutoulanfu and Youlanfu, among others; the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya translates it by its meaning as “the Otter Seer” and notes that the old rendering “Yutoulan” is wrong.
Dating
The Buddha between twenty-nine and thirty-five, after his study under Āḷāra and before the austerities; the canonical texts say only that he attained the state “before long”. Inferred from the sequence of events; the year is uncertain.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded by three schools: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Dharmaguptaka Vinaya (Sifen lü) and the Chinese Madhyama Āgama. Attested across multiple 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 uncertain.
Sources
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 26:16.1–16.35
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 36:15.1–15.35
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.26 p.776c
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1428 p.780b–c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.119b–c
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.189 p.637a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.190 p.756a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.191 p.948b
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.192 p.22b
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.167a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ja-a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Bv-a，§50，PTS 0.286
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 26:16.9–16.10
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.119c
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 26:16.33
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1428 p.780c
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1421 p.104a
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.119b
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 26:16.5