On a full-moon night Ajātasattu asks his ministers which ascetic he should visit; the ministers each recommend one of the six teachers, and only Jīvaka recommends the Buddha. Ajātasattu rides on an elephant to Jīvaka's mango grove and sees the Buddha sitting in silence with one thousand two hundred and fifty monks. He asks what fruit going forth bears in this very life, and the Buddha, taking as examples a slave and a farmer who are honoured once they have gone forth, explains in order moral conduct, concentration and the supernormal powers, up to the destruction of the defilements. Ajātasattu , confesses that he killed his righteous father the king for the sake of the throne, and asks the Buddha to accept his confession. After Ajātasattu leaves, the Buddha tells the monks that had this king not killed his father, he would have attained the on the spot. Taishō Canon
Pali Canon
More sources (2)
Different Accounts
Date: the Sāmaññaphala Sutta of the Dīgha Nikāya of the Southern tradition has the full-moon uposatha night at the end of the four months of the rains; the Shamen guo jing of the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama says only the full moon of the fifteenth day; the Chinese Ekottarika Āgama and the Jizhi guo jing have the fifteenth day of the seventh month, that is, the day the ends and monastics gain a year of seniority. Taishō Canon
More differences between accounts (2)
All sources record one thousand two hundred and fifty monks present; the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama also records that Ajātasattu's eldest son was named Udāyibhadda. Taishō Canon
The Chinese Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya, in referring to this discourse, says that Ajātasattu was constantly terrified in his mind because of the crime of killing his father.
Dating
The month and day are stated in the canonical texts, but not the year. This event took place after King Bimbisāra's death; reckoned from the year of Ajātasattu's accession, roughly Years 38 to 45 after the Awakening (the Buddha aged seventy-two to eighty); on the other reckoning, as early as Year 37 (aged seventy-one).
Related Entries
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded by three schools: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Dīrgha Āgama and the Chinese Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya (Mohe sengqi lü). Attested across multiple schools.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Stated in the canonical text (the text itself gives the time); converted from the Buddha's age (worked out from the Buddha's age). Time precision: year uncertain, fixed to the day, month only.
Sources
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 2:1.2–1.3
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.107a–109c
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.109b
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.125 p.762a–764b
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.22 p.270c
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1425 p.370a
- 大正藏大正藏 T01 no.1 p.107a
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 2:1.3
- 大正藏大正藏 T02 no.125 p.762a
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 2:99.4–99.5
- Pali Canon巴利 DN 2:102.4