The sources differ on the year in which the Buddha first returned to his home town of Kapilavatthu after the Awakening, and Year 12 is one view. Besides the Chinese Shi'er you jing, those placing it in Year 12 include the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Chinese Zhuanji baiyuan jing (Avadānaśataka), the Buddha biography Puyao jing (the Chinese Lalitavistara), and an alternative account recorded in the Buddha biography Fo benxing ji jing. The events surrounding the return home, such as King Suddhodana's attainment, the going forth of Nanda (the Buddha's half-brother) and Rāhula, and Mahāpajāpatī's (the Buddha's aunt and foster mother) first request to go forth, are all collected under “Events of uncertain year”. Taishō Canon
Different Accounts
The year of Sudinna's going forth: the later commentaries of the Southern tradition say “the Blessed One's twelfth year”, which is placed here literally in Year 12 after the Awakening; the Chinese Shanjian lü has “twelve years after the Buddha's awakening”, that is, from Year 13.
More differences between accounts (1)
The year of the several discourses concerning Rāhula depends on the year of Rāhula's going forth; see the entry “Rāhula receives full ordination” under Year 14 after the Awakening.
Dating
Year 12 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged forty-six; this entry gathers the various views that place several events in this year, and the year of each event itself is uncertain.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
References
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
The sources for this event have not yet been fully compared; its reliability is not yet graded.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Source of the year not recorded.
Sources
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.195 p.147b
- 大正藏大正藏 T23 no.1442 p.902b
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.200 p.248c
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.186 p.535a
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.159a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.190 p.910a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Vin-a，§31