On the day the ends, the Buddha descends as promised from the Heaven of the Thirty-three to the city of Saṅkassa in the human world, with the gods from downwards descending in his train, and humans and gods gather in a great assembly. The Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya says Sakka ordered the craftsman god to conjure three jewelled stairways of gold, beryl and crystal; the Buddha took the middle one, with Brahmā on his right and Sakka on his left. The Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Ekottarika Āgama say that the nun Uppalavaṇṇā took the form of a wheel-turning monarch (the ideal ruler of the whole world) and was the first to pay homage to the Buddha. Taishō Canon
More sources (1)
Different Accounts
The first to pay homage to the Buddha: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Ekottarika Āgama have the nun Uppalavaṇṇā; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition have Sāriputta, and say the Buddha spoke Dhammapada verse 181 to him. Taishō Canon
More differences between accounts (3)
The jewelled stairways: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya has gold, beryl and crystal, with the Buddha taking the beryl stairway; the later commentaries of the Southern tradition have gold, silver and jewels, with the Buddha taking the jewelled stairway; the Chinese Ekottarika Āgama says the gods conjured three roads and the Buddha walked down without using supernormal power.
Subhūti: the Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya says he watched from afar beneath a tree, contemplated impermanence and attained the ; the Chinese Ekottarika Āgama says he was sewing a robe on Vulture Peak, contemplated that all is empty and did not go, and the Buddha praised him as the first to have truly paid homage.
The name of the city is rendered differently in the sources, as Sengjiashe, Sengjieshe, Sengjiashi and so on; the Chinese Ekottarika Āgama also records that five kings, including Pasenadi, Udena and Bimbisāra, came to the assembly. Taishō Canon
Dating
Year 7 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged forty-one, on the day the rains retreat ended; the canonical texts state that it was the promised seventh day, and the later commentaries say it was the great pavāraṇā day; it can be fixed to the day.
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
The episode of “Subhūti attains stream-entry” is recorded only in the Chinese Saṃyukta Āgama. Recorded by one school. “The nun Uppalavaṇṇā is the first to pay homage to the Buddha” within it is recorded only in the Chinese Saṃyukta Āgama.
- 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). Time precision: fixed to the day.
Sources
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.134c
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.169c
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.99 p.167c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.346c–347c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.399c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.414b
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.125 p.707a–708a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Dhp-a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Snp-a，§962
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Abh-a〈Pañcappakaraṇa〉，§209
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ap-a，§82
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 Ja-a，§28
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 DN-a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 MN-a，§272
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1453 p.496a
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1458 p.567b
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1448 p.76c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.399a
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.192 p.39c
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.200 p.247a
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.156 p.137b
- 大正藏大正藏 T04 no.198 p.185a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a，§188
- Pali Canon巴利 Dhp 181:1
- Pali Canon巴利 Snp 4.16:1.1
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.125 p.708a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 SN-a，§110，PTS 1.120
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.347a
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a，§170
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1451 p.347b
- 巴利註解書巴利註釋 AN-a，PTS 1.127