According to the later commentaries of the Southern tradition, on the seventh day after his going forth Moggallāna was dozing while meditating in a village in Magadha; the Buddha went to rouse him, and after hearing his instruction Moggallāna attained . When Sāriputta had been gone forth for half a month, the Buddha taught the wandering ascetic Dīghanakha, Sāriputta's nephew, at Rājagaha (the Dīghanakha Sutta); Sāriputta, standing behind the Buddha fanning him, attained arahantship as he listened, while Dīghanakha attained the .
Different Accounts
Number of days: the later commentaries of the Southern tradition say the seventh day for Moggallāna and half a month for Sāriputta; the Chinese Shi'er you jing reverses this, with seven days for Sāriputta and fifteen for Moggallāna; the Buddha biographies Fangguang da zhuangyan jing and Guoqu xianzai yinguo jing say both attained arahantship as soon as they heard the teaching. The Tibetan Vinaya also records Sāriputta attaining realization on hearing a teaching half a month after his ordination.
More differences between accounts (3)
The place of the Dīghanakha Sutta: Majjhima Nikāya 74 of the Southern tradition has the Sūkarakhata cave on Vulture Peak (the hill outside Rājagaha); the Chinese Saṃyukta Āgama and the Bieyi za ahan jing have the Bamboo Grove at Rājagaha.
Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.61 of the Southern tradition also records the Buddha rousing the dozing Moggallāna, but sets it on Crocodile Hill in the country of the Bhaggas (a country of ancient India), differing from the commentaries.
The later commentaries of the Southern tradition say the Buddha held a great assembly of disciples on the day Sāriputta attained realization; the Buddha biography Zhong benqi jing says that on the very night the two came to learn, one thousand two hundred and fifty gathered and the Buddha laid down rules. Taishō Canon
Dating
Year 2 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged thirty-six, before the ; the later commentaries say Moggallāna attained realization on the seventh day after his going forth and Sāriputta after half a month, so on the commentaries' account it can be fixed to the day.
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded by two schools, the Pali canon of the Southern tradition and the Chinese Saṃyukta Āgama. Recorded by two schools.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Commentarial dating (the canonical texts give no date; later commentaries record it). Time precision: fixed to the day.
Sources
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a，I 161
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Dhp-a，I 96
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.249a
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.100 p.449a
- 大正藏大正藏 T23 no.1444 p.1028c
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.195 p.147a
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 ka 36a7–40b1
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.196 p.154a
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 ka 39b6
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 ka 40a2–40a3
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 ka 40a3–40a6