The later commentaries say that when Rāhula came of age he received full ordination, with Sāriputta as his preceptor and Moggallāna conducting the ordination procedure. Less than a year after his ordination, the Buddha took him to the Dark Wood (a wood) outside Sāvatthī and asked him whether the eye, the forms seen by the eye and so on are permanent or impermanent; on hearing this teaching Rāhula's mind was liberated and he attained , and many gods present attained the . This teaching is found in Majjhima Nikāya 147 of the Southern tradition and in Saṃyukta Āgama 200. Pali Canon
More sources (4)
Different Accounts
Conversion to a year after the Awakening: a must be twenty to receive full ordination (the months in the womb may be counted in); if Rāhula went forth at seven in Year 2 after the Awakening, his ordination falls around Year 14 or 15; if he went forth around Year 6, around Years 18 to 19; if in Year 12, around Years 24 to 25. Neither the canonical texts nor the commentaries write “the fourteenth year”.
More differences between accounts (2)
Rāhula's teachers at his going forth: the Pali Vinaya says the Buddha instructed Sāriputta to ordain him; the commentary on the Vinaya of the Southern tradition says Moggallāna shaved his head and gave him the robe, Mahākassapa was responsible for his instruction, and Sāriputta was his preceptor.
The Buddha biography Fo benxing ji jing says instead that Rāhula went forth at fifteen; on that view his ordination came about five years after his going forth.
Dating
Year 14 after the Awakening (one of the possible years), the Buddha aged forty-eight; “less than a year after his ordination” is given by the later commentaries, and the conversion to a year after the Awakening is converted from age, so the year is uncertain.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded only in the Pali canon of the Southern tradition. Recorded by one school.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Commentarial dating (the canonical texts give no date; later commentaries record it); converted from the Buddha's age (reckoned from the Buddha's age). Time precision: year uncertain.
Sources
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 147:1.2–1.3
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.51a–c
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Snp-a，§338，PTS 1.340
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 MN-a，§107，PTS 3.127
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 MN-a，§416–419
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a，§210，PTS 1.259
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Dhp-a，§350，PTS 4.70
- Pali Canon巴利律 Kd 1:49.6.6
- Pali Canon巴利律 Kd 1:75.1.1–75.1.9
- Pali Canon巴利律 Kd 1:54.2.8
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Vin-a〈Samantapāsādikā〉，§105，PTS 5.1010
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 147:1.2–9.14
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 147:1.2
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.51a
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 147Entire text
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a，§210
- Pali Canon巴利律 Kd 1:75.1.9
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.190 p.909c
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 MN-a，§107
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Dhp-a，§350
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 147:9.11
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.51c
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 147:9.12–9.13
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 MN-a，§419