Chronological order of the Suttas

Textual analysis and comparative discussion on early Buddhist sects and scriptures.
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Chronology of the Pali Canon

Post by DNS »

Thomas William Rhys Davids in his Buddhist India (p. 188) has given a chronological table of Buddhist literature from the time of the Buddha to the time of Ashoka which is as follows:

1. The simple statements of Buddhist doctrine now found, in identical words, in paragraphs or verses recurring in all the books.

2. Episodes found, in identical words, in two or more of the existing books.

3. The Silas, the Parayana, the Octades, the Patimokkha.

4. The Digha, Majjhima, Anguttara, and Samyutta Nikayas.

5. The Sutta-Nipata, the Thera-and Theri-Gathas, the Udanas, and the Khuddaka Patha.

6. The Sutta Vibhanga, and Khandhkas.

7. The Jatakas and the Dhammapadas.

8. The Niddesa, the Itivuttakas and the Patisambbhida.

9. The Peta and Vimana-Vatthus, the Apadana, the Cariya-Pitaka, and the Buddha-Vamsa.

10. The Abhidhamma books; the last of which is the Katha-Vatthu, and the earliest probably the Puggala-Pannatti.


Thomas William Rhys Davids was a past president of the Pali Text Society, scholar, Pali translator, and husband of the great Pali translator, Caroline A. F. Rhys Davids (who was also president of the Pali Text Society for some years).
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Re: Chronology of the Pali Canon

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Here is a comparable list by B. C. Law

(source: http://www.budsas.org/~anson/ebud/mind/01_chap1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

1. The simple statements of Buddhist doctrine now found, in identical words, in paragraphs or verses recurring in all the books.

2. Episodes found, in identical words, in two or more of the existing books.

3. The Sīlas, the Pārāyaṇa group of 16 poems without the prologue, the Aṭṭhaka group of 4 or 16 poems, the Sikkhāpadas.

4. The Dīgha, vol. i, the Majjhima, the Saṃyutta, the Aṅguttara, and earlier Pātimokkha code of 152 rules.

5. The Dīgha, vols. ii and iii, the Thera- and Therī-gāthā, the collection of 500 Jātakas, Sutta Vibhaṅga, Paṭisambhidāmagga, Puggalapaññatti and the Vibhaṅga.

6. The Mahāvagga and the Cullavagga, the Pātimokkha code completing 227 rules, the Vimānavatthu and Petavatthu, the Dhammapada and the Kathāvatthu.

7. The Cullaniddesa, the Mahāniddesa, the Udāna, the Itivuttaka, the Sutta Nipāta, the Dhātukathā, the Yamaka, and the Paṭṭhāna

8. The Buddhavaṁsa, the Cariyāpiṭaka, and the Apadāna.

9. The Parivārapāṭha.

10. The Khuddakapāṭha.

Plus some extra comment from the source linked to above........
The juxtaposition of the stratification by T. W. Rhys Davids (abbreviated as A) with the other one by B. C. Law (abbreviated as B) shows that their first two strata are completely identical. The third strata contain each 4 items of which the first three, namely, the Sīlas, the Pārāyaṇa, the Octades, the Pātimokkha are nearly identical, the difference is that A gives a sharper boundaries of denotation of the Pārāyaṇa and the Octades. The last item of this strata in A, i.e. the Pātimokkha is substituted by the Sikkhāpadas in B. That in the fourth strata the first position is occupied by the Dīgha Nikāya is partly agreed upon by the 2 scholars, B. C. Law drags the vol. ii and vol. iii of the Dīgha Nikāya which are followed by the Majjhima Nikāya down to the heading position of the next stratum, stratum 5. The Aṅguttara and the Saṃyutta succeeding the Majjhima Nikāya in the fourth strata replace each other in table B. B. C. Law adds to this level the earlier Pātimokkha code of 152 rules. In the fifth stratum both A and B are quite different: the first position is occupied as already mentioned by the Dīgha Nikāya ii and iii in B and by the Sutta Nipāta in A; the Thera- and Therī-gāthās follow up in both the tables; the Udānas and the Khuddakapāṭha in A are replaced by the Collection of 500 Jātakas, the Sutta Vibhaṅga, the Paṭisambhidāmagga, the Puggalapaññatti and the Vibhaṅga in B. From stratum 6 onward the 2 tables becomes easily seen to be totally different. When discussing each of the individual items we will be in touch with the stratification again.
Metta,
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Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by Sacha G »

Hello
Does anybody know if there is any resouces on the chronological order of the suttas. I don't mean when they were written, but when they were uttered by the Buddha, or when the events took place. For example, the Mahaparinibbanasutta should be the last, and the sermon of Benares should be one of the first.
Thank you
Sacha :group:
Pali and Theravada texts:
http://dhamma.webnode.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by bodom »

Hi Sacha

You may find this article helpful:
Chronology of the Pali Canon

Bimala Churn Law, Ph.D., M.A., B.L.

Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Researchnstitute, Poona, pp.171-201

Rhys Davids in his Buddhist India (p. 188) has given a chronological table of Buddhist literature from the time of the Buddha to the time of Asoka which is as follows:--

1. The simple statements of Buddhist doctrine now found, in identical words, in paragraphs or verses recurring in all the books.

2. Episodes found, in identical words, in two or more of the existing books.

3. The Silas, the Parayana, the Octades, the Patimokkha.

4. The Digha, Majjhima, Anguttara, and Samyutta Nikayas.

5. The Sutta-Nipata, the Thera-and Theri-Gathas, the Udanas, and the Khuddaka Patha.

6. The Sutta Vibhanga, and Khandhkas.

7. The Jatakas and the Dhammapadas.

8. The Niddesa, the Itivuttakas and the Patisambbhida.

9. The Peta and Vimana-Vatthus, the Apadana, the Cariya-Pitaka, and the Buddha-Vamsa.

10. The Abhidhamma books; the last of which is the Katha-Vatthu, and the earliest probably the Puggala-Pannatti.
http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/ebsut053.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by mikenz66 »

While it is not comprehensive, and some modern scholarly works will probably have much more detail, and probably some corrections to some of the dates, "The Life of the Buddha : According to the Pali Canon" by Bhikkhu Nanamoli arranges some of the important Sutta and Vinaya material in chronological order, giving some idea of the major events. So from the point of view of an interested student of Dhamma, it is a very useful resource.

:anjali:
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by Assaji »

Hi Sacha,

Here's the order of the places where Buddha spent rain seasons:

http://www.buddhanet.net/bud_lt17.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And these places are often given in the beginning of the sutta.

Dmytro
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by Sacha G »

Hi thanx to all for these precious pieces of information!
:anjali:
Pali and Theravada texts:
http://dhamma.webnode.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by DNS »

Here is another good link which shows the Buddha's life and the Sutta references:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/buddha.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As you can see the Suttas jump around and don't go in any particular chronological order.

I think Bhikkhu Nanamoli's classic does this as well (not online yet, but available from publishers):

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Buddha-Accor ... 1928706126" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by Alexei »

David N. Snyder wrote:not online yet
Partially available here: http://books.google.com/books?id=nPvanP ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Inspiring book.
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Another chronology of the Pali canon

Post by cobwith »

Found this from the B.O.R.I.
http://justpaste.it/iltu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Another chronology of the Pali canon

Post by daverupa »

cobwith wrote:Found this from the B.O.R.I.
http://justpaste.it/iltu
Very nice; we've needed a new link to this research for a while now.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
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Re: Another chronology of the Pali canon

Post by cobwith »

@ daverupa
Good stuff isn't it?
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by Javi »

G. C. Pande, Studies in the Origins of Buddhism is a good book on this

http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documen ... _Pande.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Links on textual criticism which is the method to determine the age of historical texts

http://legacy.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/text_crit.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/intro.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Most of this information is directly about the Bible, however, it is relevant to all religious texts like the suttas
Vayadhammā saṅkhārā appamādena sampādethā — All things decay and disappoint, it is through vigilance that you succeed — Mahāparinibbāna Sutta

Self-taught poverty is a help toward philosophy, for the things which philosophy attempts to teach by reasoning, poverty forces us to practice. — Diogenes of Sinope

I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind — Ecclesiastes 1.14
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by Dhamma_Basti »

Compared to the bible, textual criticism with regard to buddhist sources is still painfully underdeveloped. :/
I think nowadays there is rarely anybody still doing it. Von Hinüber is one of them: http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documen ... inuber.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
When it comes to content there is not much to expect from him, but language and style he knows very well. He's one of the guys who read a passage and can tell by the language alone to what layer of the canon it propably belongs. Very impressive. Usually buddhist studies have to care about sanskrit, chinese and tibetan as well, which leads naturally to loss of precision when it comes to the details. Not so Von Hinüber, he's doing old middle indic languages almost exclusively.
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Re: Chronological order of the Suttas

Post by Eko Care »

Russell Bowden: Writing down of the Pali Tripitaka at Aloka Vihara in Sri Lanka

Facts vs Theories
As so often in Buddhist Studies, and as the quotations above prove, facts are not always easy to come by. In their place theories thrive and speculations grow. These theories relates, in the main, to critical comments made in the last two centuries of European-based Buddhist Studies by a host of scholars ranging from Rhys Davids, Horner, Geiger through to Malalasekara and Law and more contemporary scholars such as Adikaram, Rahula and Gunawardana.
1. ...
2. ...
..11. ...
Almost all these theories require to be tested and can not be allowed to pass without comment.

... are not based on known facts. ...
... may be related to what they believed ....
Historical sources do not bear this interpretation out. ...
... seems to be far too radical a theory to accept.
On the Origin of the Buddhist Arthakathás [Cambridge University Press Stable (1871)]
By the Mudliar L. Comrilla Vijasinha, Government Interpreter to the Ratnapura Court, Ceylon.
With an Introduction by R. C. Childers, late of the Ceylon Civil Service.

By R. C. Childers:
a paper on this subject by a Simhalese native gentleman which seemed to me so able and scholar-like, that, although it was only intended for my perusal, I lost no time in obtaining permission to publish it in this Journal.

A singular interest attaches to this essay from the circumstance that it is the work of a liberal Buddhist. I print it un- altered, only transliterating the Pàli citations.


By the Mudliar L. Comrilla Vijasinha:

It must be admitted that the point raised by Mr. Childers is one of grave importance as affecting the credibility of Buddhaghosa and the authenticity of all the commentaries on the Tipitaka. From a missionary point of view, the astounding statement that a commentary on Buddha's discourses existed during his lifetime, and was rehearsed along with those discourses at the First Great Council, appears so improbable and unnatural as at once to justify one in discrediting the testimony; and I doubt not that missionary orientalists will hail the discovery as a valuable addition to their stock of arguments against the genuineness and authenticity of the Buddhist Scriptures.

Indeed I found it difficult at first to obtain the opinions of some of my learned friends of the Buddhist priesthood on this point, as they seemed to regard it as another thunderbolt intended to be levelled against their religion by some enthusiastic missionary ; and it was only after explaining to them the object of the inquiry, and the literary character of the gentleman who started the apparent difficulty, that I could induce them to look the question fairly in the face.

I am glad to say that most of my clerical Buddhist friends with whom I have consulted on this subject agree with me on the necessity of giving a wider and more extended signification than is generally allowed to the word Atthakathá as applied by Buddhaghosa in the passage cited.

The word, as is well known, is compounded of two terms, attha, “meaning,” and katha, “a statement, explanation, or narrative,” the dental t being changed to the cerebral by a latitude in the rules of permutation. The literal meaning of the compound term would thus amount to simply “an explanation of meaning.” Taking this wider sense of the word as a basis for the solution of the problem, I think the statement of Buddhaghosa in his preface to the commentary on the Dígha Nikáya is not so hopelessly irreconcilable with probable and presumable facts as would at first sight appear.

On a careful perusal of the two accounts given by Buddhaghosa of the proceedings of the three famous Councils in the Sumańgala Vilásiní and the Samanta Pásádiká, this view will, I think, be found to be very reasonable. It must be admitted that no actual commentary, in the sense that the westerns attach to that term, and like that which has been handed down to us by Buddhaghosa, existed either in the lifetime of Buddha or immediately after his death. The reasons adduced by Mr. Childers, apart from others that can easily be added, against such a supposition, are overwhelmingly convincing. But if we suppose that by the word Atthakathá in his preface Buddhaghosa only meant to convey the idea that at the various Councils held for the purpose of collocating the discourses and sayings of Buddha, the meanings to be attached to different terms (-chiefly those that appear to have been borrowed from the Hindu system of ascetic philosophy-) were discussed and properly defined, then the difficulty of conceiving the contemporaneous existence of the commentaries and the Pitakas would be entirely removed.
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