Several discourses and rules state explicitly that the Buddha was then keeping the in the Banyan Park at Kapilavatthu, or that the Buddha “will set out wandering in three months”, but none gives a year; since in the table of rains retreats of the Southern tradition the Buddha kept the retreat at Kapilavatthu only this once, they are listed as events that may belong to this year. For example: as the retreat was drawing to a close and the were sewing robes for the Buddha, Mahānāma the Sakyan came to ask how he should practise after the Buddha left; Mahāpajāpatī asked to go forth while the Buddha was keeping the retreat; and a rule in the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya laid down during a retreat here. There is also a group of discourses that record only the place as Kapilavatthu, and a number of rules laid down here. Taishō Canon
Pali Canon
More sources (24)
Different Accounts
The Chinese Bieyi za ahan jing states “the summer rains retreat”; the Aṅguttara Nikāya of the Southern tradition says only “will set out wandering in three months”; the Chinese Saṃyukta Āgama does not mention the retreat.
More differences between accounts (3)
The Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya writes the place of the retreat as the “Many-Rooted Tree Park”, and says the retreat ended on the day after the fourteenth day of the eighth month. Taishō Canon
The Chinese Sengqieluocha suoji jing also has Year 16 in the country of Kapilavatthu, so these discourses may also belong to Year 16.
There are several other views on the year of Mahāpajāpatī's request to go forth; the related events are gathered under “Events of uncertain year”.
Dating
Year 15 after the Awakening (one of the possible years), the Buddha aged forty-nine; several of these state that it was during the rains retreat or as it was drawing to a close; inferred from the rains-retreat location, as none of the original texts gives a year, so the year is uncertain.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Not recorded in the early sutras and Vinayas of any school; found only in the commentaries or later Buddha biographies. Later addition.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Inferred from the rains-retreat location (inferred from the place of this year's rains retreat). Time precision: year uncertain.
Sources
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 11.11:1.1–1.3
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 11.12:1.1–1.4
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.238b
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.238c
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.100 p.433b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.26 p.605a–b
- 大正藏大正藏 T23 no.1442 p.900c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.26 p.605a
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 8.51:1.1
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1428 p.697c
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 20Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 14Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 18Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 53Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 122Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 MN 142Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 1.37Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 22.80Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 35.243Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 54.12Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 55.21Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 55.22Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 55.37Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 55.39Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 55.40Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 SN 55.54Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 3.73Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 4.195Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 6.10Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 8.25Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 8.51Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 10.46Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 11.11Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 11.12Entire text
- Pali Canon巴利 AN 11.13Entire text