King Bimbisāra reflects that the Bamboo Grove outside the city is neither too far from it nor too near, with few people by day and quiet by night. He pours water from a golden pitcher over the Buddha's hands (the ancient Indian rite of giving) and gives the Bamboo Grove to the Buddha and the . The Buddha speaks a verse of appreciation and gladness, and accepts the park. Pali Canon
Different Accounts
The donor: most accounts have King Bimbisāra; the Buddha biographies Fangguang da zhuangyan jing and Zhong benqi jing say it was the householder Kalanda. Taishō Canon
More differences between accounts (3)
Timing: the Pali Vinaya says it was on the day of the meal at the palace; the Chinese Mahīśāsaka Vinaya says the Buddha first spent a night in the Bamboo Grove and the gift was made the next day; the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Tibetan Vinaya place it on another of the Buddha's visits to Rājagaha.
The recipient: the Chinese Dharmaguptaka and Mahīśāsaka Vinayas have “given only to the Sangha, and I too am within the Sangha”; the Pali Vinaya has the community of monks with the Buddha at its head.
The later commentaries of the Southern tradition say the earth quaked when the Buddha accepted the park.
Dating
Year 2 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged thirty-six, before the , on the day of the meal at the palace; the Pali Vinaya states this, so it can be fixed to the day, but other accounts give a different time.
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded by four schools: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Dharmaguptaka Vinaya (Sifen lü), the Chinese Mahīśāsaka Vinaya (Wufen lü) and the Chinese Saṅghabhedavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. 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
- Pali Canon巴利律 Kd 1:22.17.1–22.18.7
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1428 p.798b
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1421 p.109c–110b
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.138a–b
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.138b
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.189 p.651c–652a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.191 p.965c–966a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.187 p.613b–c
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.196 p.153b
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.190 p.856b–861a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.190 p.861a
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.192 p.33a
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 nga 77b6–79a4
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 nga 77b6–78a5
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 nga 78a7–79a4