The Buddha says he is now old and asks the community to choose him a permanent attendant; several great disciples volunteer, but the Buddha accepts none of them. Moggallāna urges Ānanda to take on the post, and Ānanda agrees after setting several conditions; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition say it was the as a body who urged him. The later commentaries of the Southern tradition say that for the first twenty years after the Awakening the Buddha had no permanent attendant, and that for the twenty-five years after this, until the Buddha's passing (), Ānanda attended him like a shadow. Pali Canon
Different Accounts
The number of years of attendance: the Theragāthā of the Southern tradition, the Youxing jing of the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama, the Shizhe jing (Discourse on the Attendant) of the Madhyama Āgama and the Chinese Fo bannihuan jing all have twenty-five years, and the Fo bannihuan jing and Bannihuan jing also have “twenty-odd years”; only the Chinese Jiu za piyu jing has eight years.
More differences between accounts (3)
Ānanda's conditions: the Shizhe jing of the Chinese Madhyama Āgama and the Xianyu jing (Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish) record three, for example that he would not wear the Buddha's old robes or eat food offered specifically to the Buddha; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition record eight, four refusals (such as that robes or food received by the Buddha would not be passed to him) and four requests (such as that he could ask about any doubt at any time, and that the Buddha would repeat for him any teaching given in his absence).
The place of the selection and who urged him: the Shizhe jing of the Madhyama Āgama has Rājagaha, with Moggallāna urging him after discerning the Buddha's mind in meditation; the Saṅghabhedavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya has a place between the city of Bārāṇasī and a brahmin village, with Sāriputta and Moggallāna urging him; the Xianyu jing has Mount Gijjhakūṭa (Vulture Peak) at Rājagaha; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition give no city.
The lists of those who attended the Buddha in turn in the first twenty years differ slightly between commentaries, ranging from six to eight names.
Dating
Known only to fall between Years 21 and 45 after the Awakening (the Buddha aged fifty-five to eighty). The figure “twenty-five years” is stated in several texts, but its starting point is derived only from the later commentaries' statement that there was no permanent attendant in the first twenty years; another arrangement places Ānanda's appointment at the turn of Year 20 to Year 21, and the two accounts stand side by side.
Related Entries
- Year
- Places
- People
- Discourses
Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
The episode of “the figure of ‘twenty-five years attending the Buddha’” is not recorded in the early sutras and Vinayas of any school; it is found only in the commentaries or later Buddha biographies. Later addition. Within it, the “narrative of the selection” is not found in the early sutras and Vinayas of any school; “no permanent attendant in the first twenty years” is not found in the early sutras and Vinayas of any school.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Stated in the canonical text (the text itself gives the time); commentarial dating (the canonical texts give no date; later commentaries record it); converted from the Buddha's age (worked out from the Buddha's age). Time precision: year uncertain.
Sources
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ud-a，§77，PTS 0.425
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a，§219–223，PTS 1.293
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Vin-a，§16
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Thag-a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ap-a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ja-a，PTS 4.96
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 DN-a，§194：「pañcavīsati vassāni upaṭṭhahantena」
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 SN-a，約 §154，同上來源：「pañcavīsati vassāni chāyā viya」
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ja-a，約 §24，同上來源：「pañcavīsati vassāni satthu kataṃ upaṭṭhānaṃ」
- Pali Canon巴利 Thag 17.3:28.1–28.2
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.26 p.471c–472b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.26 p.473a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.19c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.5 p.169a
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.167a
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1462 p.706b
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.202 p.404b
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.206 p.520c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.26 p.471c
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.202 p.404b–c
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ud-a，§77